RESEARCH STATEMENT

My research focus on the ways that the Black Middle Class are civically engaged, with civic engagement referring to any voluntary activity focused on helping others in support of political, social, and community gains that is motivated by trust, cooperation, and civil respect for one another. I am a specialist in race, class, civic engagement, and the Black Middle Class. I conduct research with both qualitative and quantitative methodology. I have experience using MaxQDA and Stata software. I have a commitment to conduct research that challenges assumptions about who is included when we talk about race, class, or civic engagement. My trajectory of research will examine the overlapping relationships between Black Middle Class voluntary organizations and community involvement.

Current PROJECTs

When discussing social change, popular media and sociological research generally focus on heightened moments of protest such as the Civil Rights Movement while often overlooking the stories of everyday forms of activism. Taking into consideration this limitation, my dissertation, Be the Movement: An Ethnographic Study of Black Middle Class Civic Engagement through the National Urban League, is guided by the question: “How are everyday activities of participatory democracy, also known as civic engagement, a part of broader social change?” Although it is often overshadowed by the protest work of organizations like the NAACP and Black Lives Matter, the National Urban League (NUL) is an entry into uncovering often overlooked narratives of social movements. Building on its 109 year history, NUL is committed to the mission of enabling African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights through education, healthcare, housing, and jobs. This dissertation is constructed through an ethnographic dataset comprised of archival data, 42 months of participant observation at approximately 140 NUL events; and in depth interviews. Preliminary findings conclude that NUL is a cornerstone of a racial justice social movement community (SMC)— a framework for understanding the relationships between structures, organizations, and individuals working towards the goal of a social movement, such as civil rights or racial justice. To support this argument this dissertation is broken into explanations on the macro (historical and structural); meso (organizational); and micro (individual experiences) levels.  By observing macro, meso, and micro, levels from a mixed methods and Black Feminist reflexive paradigm, I am able to make theoretical and empirical interventions that challenge previous narratives about the civic participation work that is conducted on Black communities and social movements.

peer reviewed PublicationS

Allen, Shaonta’, Ifeyinwa Davis, Maretta McDonald, and Candice C. Robinson*. (Forthcoming). “#NextGenBlackSoc: New Directions in Research on Black Millennials.” Sociological Perspectives - 2019 Pacific Sociological Association Presidential Panel Symposium Reflection Special Issue

Robinson, Candice C. (Forthcoming). “Black Middle Class Interpretations of Civic Engagement” Issues in Race and Society

Robinson, Candice C. (2019). (Re)theorizing civic engagement: Foundations for Black Americans civic engagement theory. Sociology Compass, 13(9), e12728. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12728

other PublicationS

Buggs, Shantel Gabrieal, Regina Hamilton, and Candice C. Robinson*. (Forthcoming). “#CarefreeBlackGirls?: Creating On-Line Community as Means of Survival” Deliberate: The Experience of Women of Color Graduate Students Anthology.

Robinson, Candice C. (Forthcoming). “National Urban League” Race, Crime, and Justice: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic

Robinson, Candice C. (Forthcoming). “The Civic Life of the Black Millennial.” Black Millennials: Identity, Ambition, and Activism, edited by Jacquelin Darby

Manuscripts in preparation

Junia Howell and Candice C. Robinson. "Myth of the Black Ghetto"

Candice C. Robinson (with Veronica Newton Burke, Aaryn Green, Maretta McDonald, Shantee Rosado). “The Sociology of Cardi B”

Candice C. Robinson. “Variations in Civic Engagement From Teenage Years to Young Adulthood”

Candice C. Robinson. “Will Moving Beyond Positivism Move Yield Diverse Thought?”

Candice C. Robinson. “Interdisciplinary Networking as a Woman of Color Sociologist”

*Denotes Equal Authorship

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

University of Pittsburgh - Department of Sociology
Dr. Junia Howell

University of Pittsburgh - Department of History
Dr. Keisha Blain

“In Sisterhood: the Women's Movement in Pittsburgh"
Dr. Patricia Ulbrich