Last Thursday marked the first Faculty Seminar of Fall 2020, which showcased Hakeem Jefferson's (Poli Sci) research on “Respectability and the Politics of Punishment among Black Americans.” Jefferson opened with the 2016 case of Timmonsville, South Carolina, whose city council passed a measure that fines those caught wearing saggy pants up to $600.
“One would think this measure was passed in a conservative white town, but that is not the case,” Jefferson said. He explained that Timmonsville is a predominantly Black town and, in a reversal of in-group favoritism, the city council is represented by Black leaders. Jefferson asked the near seventy seminar attendees, “How do we understand the puzzling levels of support for punitive racialized policies that target Black communities?”
Nearly seventy people attended
CCSRE's Oct 1 Faculty Seminar Series.
Addressing the limitations of existing social science concepts to understand the example of Timmonsville and others like it, Jefferson couches the motivations of those engaged in enforcing respectability in the context of diversity within Black communities and the historical experience of social stigma.
Jefferson shared, as part of his quantitative findings, members of a marginalized group often recognize that their racial group is indiscriminately impacted by the actions of one or a few. “Stigma conditions the stigmatized,” Jefferson asserted.
Thus, Jefferson concluded, “the history of subjugation gives rise to respectability.”
"I appreciated that he wanted to unpack the diversity of black perspectives on punishment and that he was attentive to how racism affected the stakes of these perspectives," commented Rabia Belt, professor of Stanford Law School.
In addition to the significance of the topic, Jefferson’s methodological approach had interdisciplinary value for attendees. CCSRE Grad Fellow Ayodele Osa Foster-McCray (Anthro), who joined the seminar, reflected, “As an anthropology Ph.D. student, I often engage with ethnography and other qualitative research methods, so it was very beneficial for me to see a more quantitatively-driven social science method operationalized in Professor Jefferson’s research to explore questions related to race and culture." Foster-McCray furthered, "[Jefferson's] results definitely challenged my preconceived notions about respectability and punishment among Black Americans."
CCSRE Grad Fellow Ayodele Osa Foster-McCray (Anthro)
contributes to the Q & A portion of the seminar.
Moderator Jon Krosnick (Communication) highlighted the importance of Jefferson’s research and analysis stating, “Hakeem’s presentation was a tour de force review of his theorizing and evidence exploring African Americans’ beliefs about how best to maximize respectability in society and how some people come to understand, cope with, and attempt to attenuate unequal treatment."
"I had so much fun sharing my work with colleagues at the Faculty Seminar Series," said Jefferson. "Having an audience of scholars from across the university help workshop a project is a rare occurrence, so I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to take advantage of my colleagues’ brilliance."
