Dissertation Research: Women, Deindustrialization and Job Loss in a Southern Town: A Historical Ethnography

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This dissertation research project by a cultural anthropology student at Southern Methodist University studies the results of deindustrialization and job loss in a Southern town. Taking the case of Monroeville, Alabama, the student will examine the differential impact of the recent close of an apparel manufacturing plant on Caucasian and African American men and women's lives and work. Using ethnographic methods of participant observation, semi-structured and formal interviews and archival research, the student will test hypotheses about the more negative impact of job loss on women (than men) and on White women (than Black women), due to differences in the size and nature of family networks. This case study will advance theory explaining changes in women's position in society due to the addition or loss of income from wage labor. The comparison will help us understand the complexities of the process of deindustrialization and job loss, and this understanding should be valuable to planners and social service providers. In addition the research will help train a young scientist.