Guy Benton Johnson
Encyclopedia
Guy B. Johnson was a sociologist and social anthropologist. He was a distinguished student of black culture in the rural South and a pioneer advocate of racial equality.
. He married Guion Griffis, a noted historian, and together they had 2 sons Guy Benton, Jr.
and Edward.
the University of Chicago
and an MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(Ph.D., 1927). After teaching a year each at Ohio Wesleyan University
and Baylor College for Women (now Mary-Hardin Baylor), Johnson was recruited to North Carolina as a research assistant in Howard W. Odum's new Institute for Research in Social Science in 1924, which he never left for long. He taught at Chapel Hill from 1927 until he retired as Kenan Professor of Sociology
and Anthropology
in 1969.
His main writings were on southern Black folk culture and U.S. race relations, his interests and accomplishments were broad. In Folk Culture, he analyzed the Gullah dialect of English spoken by blacks on that isolated South Carolina island and, in sophisticated technical detail, the musical structure of the spirituals they sang to support a new interpretation of black folk culture.
Life
Johnson was born in Caddo Mills, TexasCaddo Mills, Texas
Caddo Mills is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,149 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Caddo Mills is located at ....
. He married Guion Griffis, a noted historian, and together they had 2 sons Guy Benton, Jr.
Benton Johnson
Benton Johnson is an American sociologist and professor emeritus of the University of Oregon's Sociology Department.-Life:Benton Johnson is the son of Guy Benton Johnson and Guion Griffis Johnson...
and Edward.
Academic career
Johnson graduated with a BA from Baylor UniversityBaylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and an MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
(Ph.D., 1927). After teaching a year each at Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
and Baylor College for Women (now Mary-Hardin Baylor), Johnson was recruited to North Carolina as a research assistant in Howard W. Odum's new Institute for Research in Social Science in 1924, which he never left for long. He taught at Chapel Hill from 1927 until he retired as Kenan Professor of Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
in 1969.
His main writings were on southern Black folk culture and U.S. race relations, his interests and accomplishments were broad. In Folk Culture, he analyzed the Gullah dialect of English spoken by blacks on that isolated South Carolina island and, in sophisticated technical detail, the musical structure of the spirituals they sang to support a new interpretation of black folk culture.
External links
- Oral History Interviews with Guy B. Johnson http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/A-0345/menu.html, http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/B-0006/menu.html from Oral Histories of the American South