Black Sociologists and Civic Engagement

Abstract

Black sociologists have a long history of correlating their professional and personal lives through civic engagement. This study considers the status of Black sociologists by focusing on their efforts to enhance the life chances and quality of life in the Black community through both political and non-political processes. Informed by research on civic engagement in the Black community and quantitative analyses, this project examines the influence of demographics, professional affiliations, attitudes, and interaction indicators on the time and money donated weekly toward civic engagement for a cadre of 146 Black sociologists. Results show that the amount of time and money contributed toward civic engagement is influenced by: attitudinal variables about civic-mindedness; excitement about the efforts of civic organizations in which Black sociologists are most active; and the breadth of social services offered by those organizations. Although involvement in a national, predominately Black civic organization does not influence civic engagement, older individuals who are most active in Black Greek organizations contribute more time to civic engagement compared with their peers; females who are most active in Black Greek organizations contribute more money to civic engagement than their peers. Implications for strategic civic involvement, policies, and cause competition among Black sociologists are suggested.