About the book
In the segregated South of the early twentieth century, unwritten rules guided every aspect of individual behavior, from how blacks and whites stood, sat, ate, drank, walked, and talked to whether they made eye contact with one another. Jennifer Ritterhouse asks how children learned this racial “etiquette,” which was sustained by coercion and the threat of violence. More broadly, she asks how individuals developed racial self-consciousness.
Parental instruction was an important factor — both white parents' reinforcement of a white supremacist worldview and black parents' oppositional lessons in respectability and race pride. Children also learned much from their interactions across race lines. The fact that black youths were often eager to stand up for themselves, despite the risks, suggests that the emotional underpinnings of the civil rights movement were in place long before the historical moment when change became possible. Meanwhile, a younger generation of whites continued to enforce traditional patterns of domination and deference in private, while also creating an increasingly elaborate system of segregation in public settings. Exploring relationships between public and private and between segregation, racial etiquette, and racial violence, Growing Up Jim Crow sheds new light on tradition and change in the South and the meanings of segregation within southern culture.
Editions of Growing Up Jim Crow
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807830161
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807856840
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807877234
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890879455
Read an Excerpt
In the segregated South of the early twentieth century, unwritten rules guided every aspect of individual behavior, from how blacks and whites stood, sat, ate, drank, walked, and talked to whether they made eye contact with one another. Jennifer Ritterhouse asks how children learned this racial “etiquette,” which was sustained by coercion and the threat of violence. More broadly, she asks how individuals developed racial self-consciousness.
Parental instruction was an important factor — both white parents' reinforcement of a white supremacist worldview and black parents' oppositional lessons in respectability and race pride. Children also learned much from their interactions across race lines. The fact that black youths were often eager to stand up for themselves, despite the risks, suggests that the emotional underpinnings of the civil rights movement were in place long before the historical moment when change became possible. Meanwhile, a younger generation of whites continued to enforce traditional patterns of domination and deference in private, while also creating an increasingly elaborate system of segregation in public settings. Exploring relationships between public and private and between segregation, racial etiquette, and racial violence, Growing Up Jim Crow sheds new light on tradition and change in the South and the meanings of segregation within southern culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Growing Up Jim Crow about?
In the segregated South of the early twentieth century, unwritten rules guided every aspect of individual behavior, from how blacks and whites stood, sat, ate, drank, walked, and talked to whether they made eye contact with one another. Jennifer Ritterhouse asks how children learned this racial “etiquette,” which was sustained by coercion and the threat of violence. More broadly, she asks how individuals developed racial self-consciousness.
Parental instruction was an important factor — both white parents' reinforcement of a white supremacist worldview and black parents' oppositional lessons in respectability and race pride. Children also learned much from their interactions across race lines. The fact that black youths were often eager to stand up for themselves, despite the risks, suggests that the emotional underpinnings of the civil rights movement were in place long before the historical moment when change became possible. Meanwhile, a younger generation of whites continued to enforce traditional patterns of domination and deference in private, while also creating an increasingly elaborate system of segregation in public settings. Exploring relationships between public and private and between segregation, racial etiquette, and racial violence, Growing Up Jim Crow sheds new light on tradition and change in the South and the meanings of segregation within southern culture.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Growing Up Jim Crow?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Age groups and generations > Age groups: children
Where can I read a sample of Growing Up Jim Crow?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807830161
How long is Growing Up Jim Crow and how many pages does it have?
Growing Up Jim Crow has 320 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Growing Up Jim Crow?
Jennifer Ritterhouse
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Growing Up Jim Crow is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807830161) and paperback(ISBN 9780807856840) and ebook(ISBN 9780807877234) and pdf(ISBN 9798890879455)
Where can I buy Growing Up Jim Crow online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Growing Up Jim Crow from below
Where can I buy Growing Up Jim Crow?