This volume of
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture
offers a timely, authoritative, and interdisciplinary exploration
of issues related to social class in the South from the colonial
era to the present. With introductory essays by J. Wayne Flynt and
by editors Larry J. Griffin and Peggy G. Hargis, the volume is a
comprehensive, stand-alone reference to this complex subject, which
underpins the history of the region and shapes its future.
In 58 thematic essays and 103 topical entries, the contributors
explore the effects of class on all aspects of life in the
South--its role in Indian removal, the Civil War, the New Deal, and
the civil rights movement, for example, and how it has been
manifested in religion, sports, country and gospel music, and
matters of gender. Artisans and the working class, indentured
workers and steelworkers, the Freedmen's Bureau and the Knights of
Labor are all examined. This volume provides a full investigation
of social class in the region and situates class concerns at the
center of our understanding of Southern culture.
