Race and class consciousness among southern blacks

Abstract

The present inquiry was an attempt to determine the levels of race consciousness and class consciousness among blacks of a southern city. The relationships between selected sociodemographic variables and race consciousness and class consciousness, respectively, were examined. Middle‐class blacks were found to be more race conscious than class conscious. Lower class blacks were also found to be more race conscious than class conscious. Comparatively, lower class blacks were more class conscious and race conscious than middle class blacks. Age, sex, and occupation were not significantly related to collective race consciousness. However, age was positively related to individual race consciousness. Males have slightly higher collective race consciousness and less individual race consciousness than females. When testing for interaction among the variables, it was found that only two combinations were significant: sex and social class, as related to individual race consciousness; and age and class consciousness...