The Political Implications of Economic Stratification in the Black Community

Bibliographic Data

ID3220451
AuthorsWayne Parent (Louisiana State University), Paul Stekler (Tulane University)
Year1985
Volume38
Issue4
Pages521
Publication date1985-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Western Political Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0043-4078 • E-ISSN: 2325-8675
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/448610
OpenAlexW4240164153
LanguageEN
Citations received23
References cited31

HERE IS a tendency to see American community as something of a political monolith. Two decades after passage of major civil rights legislation, candidates for office are still primarily seen as black candidates and are usually associated with issues of race and civil rights. These generalizations neglect significant class divisions within American community that have been detailed in numerous studies (see Dollard 1957; Frazier 1957; Gershman 1980; Marable 1980; Wilson 1980; among others). Not only is there evidence of existence of a middle class, but that middle class has grown substantially since mid-1960s. Class stratification within community raises potential for political divisions among along lines of class, resulting from differing experiences. The potential consequences of class cleavage for political issues and for political leadership in community have not gone undiscussed in past. It has been argued that middle class would orient itself toward status goals over welfare goals (Banfield and Wilson 1966: 298). It has also been argued that middle class would become co-opted by and more benevolent of established order (Bachrach and Baratz 1970: 101-2), thereby influencing the politics of millions of less affluent, less educated Blacks . . . against their best, longrun (Marable 1978: 373; also see Stone 1978). Along these lines, some have even seen rhetoric of racial politics as a cover for policies aimed primarily at interests of middle class (Gershman 1980: 98-99), providing entrance into system for those with backgrounds, requisite skills or educational credentials to take advantage of opening of system (Brown and Erie 1981: 319). William Julius Wilson, in his controversial book, The Declining Significance of Race, argues that class is gradually replacing race in influencing life chances of individual blacks (Wilson 1980: 1). Relying on Wilson's premise that race is decreasingly significant, it might be expected that attitudes and political behavior of middle class would have significantly diverged from lower class since middle 1960s

Biology · Legislation · Middle class · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Stratification (seeds) · Gender Studies · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Law · School Choice and Performance · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub