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Sociology 1100 - Wikified

W.E.B. DuBois

History – What nation is the theorist from? What time period? What events and noteworthy figures perhaps helped to shape their perceptions? What ideas were prevalent at the time?
Biography – What was the theorist’s personal life like? When did they live and die? Where did they work? Were they married? Who were their teachers, friends and enemies?
Areas of study - What was there area of primary interest? Social groupings? Deviance? Religion? Family?
Theories – What are each of their major theories (There should be more than one) How did they back them up with evidence? What examples did they use? Detailed descriptions are again, best.
Detractors – What notable sociologists present or past disagreed with your theorist and why? What evidence or argument did they use?
Relevance – How much of the theory introduced by your theorist is still in use today? Why?

Still need more sources.

Some good content under biography, informationwise, but you are lacking in cited sources and use words occasionally that tell me that you are far more directly referencing a source than you likely should be. I'd work on this. In the History section, I want you to talk not about DuBois' personal history (biography). Explain how his biography was framed by the history he was shaped by. In the area of study section, find a way to frame his area of study that is clear and concise, as right now it's murky. In the theory section, you only really reference one theory very clearly. However, when you start talking about detractors and modern relevance, you discuss more than one theory. Beyond that, the "generalization" thing needs to be clarified - what is that, and what do these 'generalizations' mean? Did you take this directly from a book? You'd need to cite, and also to explain. When you get to modern relevance, there is a strong need for more development, and I'd like to see more sources. Did you get most of this through Bell? You might want to check him against other sources for history vs. biography, theories, etc. Additionally, there are grammatical errors you need to check over before this becomes a final project.

W.E.B. DuBois

Biography

William Edward Burghardt DuBois was born Frebruary 23, 1868 to Mary Burghardt and Alfred DuBois. DuBois' parents were together for a short time after he was born and after they had split his mother was forced to move in with her father. DuBois was born and raised in Great Barrington Massachusetts where fewer than 40 people of the 4000 residents were African American.(Holt 2000) He struggled very much with this and it later became a key factor throughout his life.

He attended Great Barrington's racially integrated high school and became the first African-American to graduate in 1884. During his high school years DuBois not only excelled throughout all his studies but he also wrote a number of articles to two newspapers, the Springfield Republican and the New York Globe.

Frank Hosmer was DuBois' high school principal as well as a great mentor an someone he thought very highly of. He aided DuBois with encouragement as well as assisted him in obtaining scholarship aid from local agencies. This enabled DuBois to then continue his education and attend Fisk University in 1885. Fisk University was one of the best colleges in the south for newly freed slaves, founded after the civil war. Fisk University offered DuBois a start to southern American racism and African-American culture. (Holt 2000)This had a strong impact on his later writings and experiences.

In 1888 DuBois was accepted to Harvard as a junior. He recieved a B.A. cum laude, in 1890, an M.A. in 1891 and a Ph.D. in 1895. DuBois had been extremely influenced by the new historical works of Albert Bushnell Hart and William James. They were from Germany and were friends and mentors of DuBois whom he had met during his travels to Germany in 1892-1894.(Ogden 2007)

During DuBois' taught at Wilberforce University in Ohio, where he instructed classics and modern language for two years, and met Nina Gomer. She was a student at the college. DuBois and Gomer married in 1896 and they had two children together. Soon after their marriage, DuBois finished his doctorate thesis at Harvard and it was published in 1896 in the Harvard Historical Studies series. (Ogden 2007)

When Nina Gomer had passed away in 1950, DuBois later got re-married to Shirley Graham in 1951. Shirley Graham was a militant leftist activist, which made DuBois more drawn into the leftist and Communist party during the 1950s.(Holt 2000)

From 1952 to 1958, both DuBois and his wife Shirley were denied passports to travel abroad. When they finally were able to obtain their passports they traveled to the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China. Due to the scare of the Cold War, they feared that it may have impacted their ability to travel again. DuBois and his wife decided to take an invitation in 1961 from Kwame Nkrumah and the Ghana Academy of Sciences to move to Ghana and begin an "Encyclopedia Africana", a project DuBois had been waiting for. DuBois passed in 1963 in Accra, the Ghanaian capital and never stopped working on the encyclopedia. (Holt 2000)

History

William Edward Burghardt DuBois, (February 23, 1868 - August 27, 1963)

Through out DuBois' autobiography, A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century, he mentions and makes connections within the year of his birth not only was he born but it was also the year that the freedmen of the South were "enfranchised", and for the first time took part in the government. (DuBois 1968)

He related much of his accomplishments to the time period in which he was from. I think that in a way DuBois agreed that environment plays a large role in the ultimate person you become. He also incorporated this in to his works as well as his journey in improving the way others viewed African Americans.

DuBois was a civil rights activist, historian, sociologist, educator, and journalist. He dedicated most of his life to improving the status of the black race, and educating the world. By the time DuBois had turned 29 years old, DuBois had written his Berlin thesis in economic history. He received his Harvard doctorate in history and taught languages and literature at Wilberforce. In addition, he made some of his most important contributions to the emerging field of sociology. (Ogden 2007)

Areas of Study

W.E.B. DuBois established the idea of social inequality based on the issues of race and ethnicity. DuBois' ideas were primarily based on racial exploitation and the reactions in social situations. Because DuBois grew up in the town of Barrington, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white neighborhood, he tends to focus his studies on the racial inequalities and segregation he personally experienced. While attending Harvard, he took notice of the social interactions between whites and blacks. DuBois studied segregation and the interactions between the races all throughout his life. (DuBois, 1968). He mainly observed African Americans and based his theories on the findings in their communities. Because he was an African American, who experienced the racial strains, he had a strong interest in black social issues.

Theories

Because W.E.B. Dubois focused on social inequities in the lives of African Americans, his theories were based on discrimination. He mainly discussed the idea of double consciousness, which simply means the confusion of being both African American and a United States citizen in a so-called equal society. "...The African American 'ever feels his twoness- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, to unreconciled strivings," (Ball, 2000). Ball discusses DuBois' main theory, describing how African Americans feel lost in society because of the inability to have one, main identity. In a country full of strong moral values regarding freedom and equality, he proves that these people are unable to feel a part of the society because of racial discrimination. DuBois both stresses the significance of racial discrimination today and throughout history, specifically the days of slaves.

Being a slave in the early days, meant being a piece of property, not an active citizen of the United States. The fact that African Americans thought the new world would bring them freedom and a dream of success was counteracted by the second thought of being of a different race and color. African Americans have had a double consciousness since the early days of America, and today see color as an issue. DuBois based his research on the observations of African Americans in social situations, trying to understand their feelings about their race and being an American.

DuBois also based his research on the economic standing of African Americans in the United States. He claimed that blacks had a disadvantage in society in terms of the economy and the opportunities for the future. He believed that these disadvantages were formed ultimately because of the color of their skin in a racially segregated country. "Economic order determined on what the next generation should learn and know," (DuBois, 1968). DuBois observed the privileges and opportunities of each race, and ultimately discovered an economic inequity. Because African Americans had such an economic disadvantage, their offspring were unable to achieve the highest to their potential in places such as, jobs and education. DuBois claimed that economic and social inequalities among African Americans were inevitable because of racial differences.

Detractors

Marcus Garvey(Aug 17,1887-June 10,1940)

In Garvey's Seperatist Ideology of "Africa for Africans", his beliefs contrast those of W.E.B. Dubois. Garvey's theory influenced black unity world wide. The approach of being confined within the same nationality led to the creation of "Garveyism", which in context placed most of its focus on the background of personal history. Garvey considered personal history to be more of an important factor within his theory rather than common background or biographical information. The main outlook of Marcus Garvey was "Racial Purity and Seperatism", which emphasizes the importance of black people as a whole to remain within our own ethnic barriers; including racial purity in pro-creation, purity in social statis, and the focus of making their ethnicity a supreme race. Other nationalities/ races were not to be considered a factor in the world of the black man. For this reason, Garvey considered personal history to be more of an important factor within his theory rather than common background or biographical information. Because of his different politcal outlooks, these remained the central reasons he argued with Du Bois' theory of Gradualistic Political Party and Double Conciousness.

Booker T. Washington (April 5, 1886- Nov 14, 1915)

Booker T. Washington focused on the achievements of economic respectability and independence in the Ideology of "Black Accomodation". This theory urged blacks to work as farmers, manual laborers, servents, and skilled artisans. Instead of equality, Washington focused on receiving help from whites, such as training and obtaining knowledge of certain work fields. Washington believed that the development of technical and industrial skills would help elevate the economic standings of blacks. Within his ideology, Washingon's messege was self-improvement would manifest itself. This messege was to have blacks focus on being good at whatever skills they were able to aquire throughout time. In addition, through effort and hard work, the white people would eventually see blacks as equals. However, Washington believed that blacks would never receive equality on a social level. The form of equality that would be received could only exist within the work force if they were able to do the same work;however, their social levels would never be equal.

Relevance

W.E.B Dubois' theory of Gradualistic Politcal Party is used more today than ever before in history. During the 21st century, racism is a smaller factor and ethnicity and gender alike have the same opportunities for education. Those who aquire the most information are often rewarded with a better social status because of the career choices that are available throughout society. Most of the knowledge obtained for these specific fields is recieved within systems of higher learning (colleges), which enable all genders and enthnicities to have the same opportunity for better economic standings.

References

Ball, Stephen J. 2000. Sociology of Education: Major Themes. London: Routledge.

DuBois, W.E.B. 1968. Autobiography of W.E.B. DuBois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century. New York: International Publishers.

Holt,Thomas C. 2000."W.E.B. Du Bois." American National Biography Online (15)

Kendall, Diana. 2007. Sociology In Our Times: The Essentials. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.

Ogden, William R., and Catherine B. Hill. 2007. "The Scholar as Change Agent: W.E.B. Du Bois." College Student Journal 41:932.

Wolters, Raymond. 2002. Du Bois and His Rivals. Columbia, MZ: University of Mizzouri Press.

Lewis, David L. 2000. "W.E.B. Du Bois." The Fight For The Equality And The American Century. United States: Henry Holt and Company.

Fredrick10	Latest page update: made by Fredrick10 , Jun 18 2008, 1:05 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by Fredrick10 38 words added view changes - complete history)
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Sociology 1100 - Wikified

W.E.B. DuBois

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