Social Dislocations and the Search for Genealogical Roots

Abstract

Popular and professional wisdom argues that rapid social change results in a search for genealogical roots. Indeed, interest in genealogy followed the industrial revolution of the nineteeth century, World War I, and World War I. The same notion can be applied to the individual level. Individuals who experience social dislocation such as geographical or social class mobility, it is posited, would be more interested in genealogy than those who do not experience such changes. Family size or changes in family size from one generation to another and birth order may also be related to interest in the study of one's genealogical roots. Finally, ethnicity may be related to genealogical interest. To test these hypotheses, a sample of genealogists and a sample of other hobbyists were compared. Information about their geographical and social backgrounds and a variety of other topics was obtained in a survey. In general, the social dislocation hypotheses are not supported. Stayers rather than movers, and older immigrant groups rather than new immigrant groups show interest in their genealogical roots.