Doctoral Dissertation Research in Sociology: Religion, Reform and Politics

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This is an award under the Grants for Improving Doctoral Disseration Research program. It is a study of the various discourses about slavery that circulated in the North during the period 1831-1861. It will be carried out through work in local historical archives, where data will be collected on a variety of groups involved in the debates about slavery and the sorts of discourses they used. Results will be analyzed in terms of theories and debates about the role of cultural discourse in social movement mobilizations. This research will contribute to a growing trend to utilize systematic analysis of the impact of ideas and cultural themes on the emergence of social movements. It will also contribute to an enhanced awareness of the political dynamics in northern states which shaped the period leading up to the Civil War. In addition to the scientific gains to be achieved by the research, this award will materially assist a highly promising student in completing research for the Ph.D. dissertation. Thus it contributes to the future scientific manpower of the nation and the thorough training of the next generation of sociologists.