ABSTRACT

Exclusion and inclusion constitute the formation of social groups and their boundaries. Historically, middle- and upper-class African Americans formed social organizations to engage in racial uplift and status enhancement. Recent work suggests the purposes of such organizations have shifted from status enhancement toward preserving intra-racial ties. Drawing on nearly four years of participant observation and 29 in-depth interviews with members of a middle-class Black men’s social club, this article analyzes the tensions imbued in maintaining solidarity amid class-based divisions. Beyond providing social respite from the white gaze, this Black space offers escape from the Black gaze, or the burdens of racial uplift. Studying Black social clubs and symbolic boundary formation is richly informative for understanding boundary maintenance and group solidarity within racialized organizations.

摘要

排斥和包容构成了社会群体的形成及其边界。从历史上看，中上层非裔美国人成立了社会组织来从事种族提升和地位提升。最近的研究表明，此类组织的目的已从提高地位转向维护种族内部联系。本文利用近四年的参与观察和对中产阶级黑人男性社交俱乐部成员的 29 次深度访谈，分析了在基于阶级的分裂中保持团结所带来的紧张局势。除了从白人凝视中提供社会喘息之外，这个黑人空间还提供了从黑人凝视或种族提升的负担中逃脱的机会。