Invisible Bonds: Exploring the Intersections of Slavery, Surveillance, and Black Motherhood Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

In this dissertation, I explore the concept of "racializing surveillance" (Browne 2015) through the experiences of formerly enslaved individuals and contemporary accounts from a social media blog, investigating its effects on Black intimate life historically and today. I uncover the impact of such surveillance on Black family dynamics, spirituality, and the self-regulation of Black women in interactions with their mothers. By linking the end of slavery in the United States in 1865 to current times, my research highlights the continuous surveillance of Black bodies as a central element of racial discrimination. This surveillance has profound implications for the role of the Black family in shaping national identity, a process marked by intense scrutiny and violence. My analysis focuses on two key questions: 1) How does racialized surveillance affect Black intimate life? and 2) How central are Black women's bodies to this surveillance? Through archival research, I reveal how Black women navigate and resist surveillance, seizing their moments of freedom and agency.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Racialized Surveillance: Present and Past

From Bodily Surveillance to Emotions and Meaning: Past and Present

Social Psychology

Cultural Sociology

Social Psychology and Culture

Methodological Overview

Organization of the Dissertation

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Social Identity Theory, and Beyond: Racial Capitalism and the Afterlife of Slavery

Findings

Discussion

CHAPTER TWO:

Surveillance, Moral Emotions, and the Politics of Respectability

Findings

Discussion

CHAPTER THREE

Introduction

Theoretical Framework

Methods

Findings

Discussion

CONCLUSION

Surveillance of Black Intimate Life: Mothers and Their Children

Future Research

REFERENCES

Appendix A: Table of Respondents

Appendix B: Glossary (Adapted from River of Blood, 2020)

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Sociology
Degree	Ph.D.
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies Sociology, Individual and Family Studies
Keyword	archival sociology slavery historical sociology black motherhood surveillance
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dowd, Timothy, Emory University Browne, Irene, Emory University
Committee Members	Johnson, Cathryn, Emory University Hordge-Freeman, Elizabeth, University of South Florida Hegtvedt, Karen, Emory University

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