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Uplifting The Race Through Domesticity: Capitalism, African-American Migration, And The Household Economy In The Great Migration Era Of 1916—1930

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  • Nina Banks

Abstract

The transformation of African Americans into a working-class population began during the World War I Great Migration era. In response to the rise in racial intolerance and the urgency of migrants' needs, the Pittsburgh Urban League was formed in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Using a historical case study, this article suggests that the League attempted to promote domesticity among married migrant women for the purpose of racial uplift. This paper examines the implications of this strategy for migrant households and Pittsburgh industry. The study explores the relationship between patriarchy and capitalism in the formation of working-class families by discussing the role of racial ideologies in this process. The author argues that studies of white women's domesticity and reproductive labor also must address the ways in which race has affected their incorporation into capitalist class systems in countries where race is a central organizing feature of the political economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Nina Banks, 2006. "Uplifting The Race Through Domesticity: Capitalism, African-American Migration, And The Household Economy In The Great Migration Era Of 1916—1930," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 599-624.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:12:y:2006:i:4:p:599-624
    DOI: 10.1080/13545700600885271
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Humphries, Jane, 1977. "Class Struggle and the Persistence of the Working-Class Family," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 1(3), pages 241-258, September.
    2. Goldin, Claudia, 1977. "Female Labor Force Participation: The Origin of Black and White Differences, 1870 and 1880," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(1), pages 87-108, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nina Banks, 2013. "Family migration in the US," Chapters, in: Deborah M. Figart & Tonia L. Warnecke (ed.), Handbook of Research on Gender and Economic Life, chapter 30, pages 487-503, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Domesticity; reproductive labor; racial uplift; JEL Codes: J16; J61; J15;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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