A Reappraisal of the Social and Political Participation of Negroes

Abstract

Inspection of the effec of socioeconomic status on the organizational membership of Negroes and whites indicates that the konwn relationship between social class and membership is much less pronounced for Negroes. Lower-class Negroes are more likely to belong to organizations than lower-class whites, while middle-class whites are slighty more likely to belong than middle-class Negroes. Upper-class whites, in turn, are much more likely to be "joiners" than their Negro Counterparts. Similar comparisons of Negroes and whites show that Negroes are, without exception, more likely to participate actively in associations. Examination of membership in different kinds of organizations reveals that Negroes are more likely to belong to political and church groups than their white counterparts and equally likely to belong to civic groups. Finally, evidence on Negro voting in presidential elections since 1952 points to a remarkable increase in voter turnout, especially in comparison with the stable turnout of the nation as a whole.