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Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - VII. Social Inequality - 29. Patterns of Social Segregation and Discrimination - 2. Segregation and Discrimination in Interpersonal Relations
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6o8 An American Dilemma
serves other functions,® its relation to the primary sex taboo is important
enough to justify the ranking of the specific items of the etiquette accord-
ing to their degree of intimacy or of closeness to the sex relation.’* This
would also seem to be the order in which any violation of the etiquette
is likely to call forth excited condemnation and violent retaliation and,
therefore, also the order of rigidity in the etiquette. The rank order and
the correlation between degree of intimacy of the contact and degree of
emotion caused by violation of the etiquette are hypotheses developed
from impressionistic observations of white people’s attitudes and behavior.
The hypotheses are applied only to the South, but parallels in the North
will be noted.
The relations which, outside of the purely sexual, are most intimate
and are never tolerated between Negroes and whites in the South are those
which imply erotic advances or associations, if the male partner is a Negro.
Any attempt at flirtatious behavior in words or deeds will put him in
danger of his life. Negro-white dancing as a heterosexual social activity
with strong erotic associations is forbidden in the South whether the Negro
partner be male or female. Even in the North interracial dancing seldom
occurs. In high schools and colleges Negro students are usually expected
not to attend social affairs where dancing is part of the entertainment. The
same has been true of social functions given by mixed trade unions. If
Negroes are allowed to come, they arc often expected to bring partners of
their own group. One can observe in the North that, when interracial
dancing occurs, it intentionally has the significance for the white partici-
pants of demonstrating racial emancipation. The taboo against swimming
together in the South is equally absolute, apparently for the reason that it
involves the exposure of large parts of the body. In the North the taboo
against using the same beaches or swimming pools is ordinarily also
strong, though several public beaches, for instance, around New York,
are open to both races.
The main symbol of social inequality between the two groups has tradi-
tionally been the taboo against eating together. It should at the outset be
observed that, generally, the taking of meals in America has little social
importance and is almost barren of all the rituals and ceremonial niceties
commonly preserved in the older countries. In spite of frequent assertions
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