The Segmentation of Southern Sociology? Social Research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Abstract

This article examines the relative impact of sociologists from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on the discipline in U.S. and, in particular, in the South. I explore measures of HBCU sociologists' participation in the Southern Sociological Society annual meetings and publication in Social Forces. I suggest that it may be plausible to consider the existence of a core and a peripheral sociology, reflecting historically and historically black institutions respectively. Internal and external HBCUfactors contributing to this likelihood are discussed. This article will discuss the feasibility of viewing sociology in the South, and perhaps across the nation, as racially segmented. The applicability of a model that asserts two sociologies, mainstream or primary, and other or secondary, will be examined. The primary sociology usually associated with major historically colleges and universities (HWCUs) will be contrasted with a secondary sociology that can be associated with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Since most HBCUs are located in the Southern states, any significant segmentation by race would have the most obvious implications for the sociology in that region. The history and present status of HBCUs will be examined along with ramifications for sociologists on these campuses. The general hypothesis of this work is that the organization of American sociology continues to reinforce the dominance of a white sociology, primarily associated with scholars at HWCUs, over a second class or underclass sociology usually associated with HBCUs.