Keywords
white working class; racial solidarity; class solidarity; disenfranchisement; American South; 2016 election
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to answer the following question: why are the white working-class in America complicit in their own political and economic disenfranchisement? Moreover, this paper utilizes two time periods in American history, specifically, the Antebellum period and the Jim Crow era, and examines the white working-class’s behavioral pattern in these periods with the historical context in mind that took place in each of the eras. Through an analysis of the two studies, it is revealed that the white working-class has long been disenfranchised politically and economically. The white working-class of the past (specifically, the Antebellum period and the Jim Crow era) was then compared to the contemporary white working-class (specifically, the period from the 1960s to the present) to showcase how the white working-class contributed to their own political and economic disenfranchisement has been a consistent behavioral pattern that has been evident throughout American history. The 2016 Presidential Election was then used as a more situational example, rather than utilizing the historical context across American history to aid in answering the question of why the white working-class is complicit in their disenfranchisement.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Knuckey, Jonathan
College
College of Sciences
Department
School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs
Thesis Discipline
Political Science
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
De Castro, Dana, "The Contribution of the White Working-class Toward Their Own Political and Economic Disenfranchisement" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 56.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/56
Included in
American Politics Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons
Rights Statement
