Jacqueline M. Moore states in her book “Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, and the Struggle for Racial Uplift” that it is impossible to analyze black history without referring to one of the key figures in this field, W.E.B. Du Bois (xv). The scientist’s activity is characterized by radical orientation, as he insisted on “immediate and full civil rights” for black Americans (Moore xv). Phil Zuckerman perfectly sheds light on the considerable impact of W.E.B. Du Bois to the development of sociology, saying that the scientist was a pioneer in many central fields of science (5). Reiland Rabaka states that “All theories have blind spots and lens limitations, and all theories make critical contributions as well” (19). This is why the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois, especially his race theory, which was, in fact, overlooked and underestimated for a long time, deserves special attention.
The first merit o W.E.B. Du Bois is, as we have stated above, is that he was the first in many fields. He is considered to be “a pioneer of urban sociology, a pioneer of rural sociology, a pioneer of criminology, the first American sociologist of religion, and the first great social theorist of race” (Du Bois and Zhuckerman 5). What is more, the scientist was not a mere theorist, but a practitioner as well, he organized the first courses in sociology at Atlanta University, and he organized and conducted sociological conferences.
The importance of Du Bois’s work is great. This can be proved by the analysis of his race theory, the central theory of his legacy, which was interconnected and interrelated with other aspects of his work. The race theory has a number of significant advantages. The scientist’s theory has a number of features in common with other authoritative sociologists, such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, etc. However, despite similarities, the sociologist contributed his own original and unique ideas. The main center of his theory is his focus on race. He emphasized the absolute importance of “racial distinctions and racial constructs” for the way people experience the world (Du Bois and Zuckerman 10). It referred to all spheres: health, politics, international relations, etc. What is more, the sociologist established the link between two analyses: racial and class analysis. Consequently, Du Bois showed the weak point of Marx’s analysis – the ignoring of the color line. Thus, Du Bois managed to add “racial dynamics to class dynamics” (Du Bois and Zuckerman 10).
Another strong point of Du Bois’s race theory is his unique idea that race is a social construction. It means that race is based not only on a biological basis but on a number of other factors: economic situation, cultural basis, etc. What is more, Du Bois managed to explain the connection between class, race and globalization.
At the same time, like every theory, Du Bois’s theory is not ideal, it, evidently, has drawbacks. His “theoretical assertions were often stated implicitly, rather than implicitly” (Du Bois and Zuckerman 11). It means that the sociologist frequently based his assertions on historical illustrations and employed ethnography, instead of theoretical postulates. Besides, he did not pay enough attention to the matter of gender, which could have been useful for his theory. Some scientists blame Du Bois for employing diverse theories from several different disciplines (Rabaka 194). Gordon says that Du Bois’s views are “archaic today and downright false”, but it is his merit, that “his essays challenged the intellectual community of color to take action” against the racial problems of his time.
In conclusion, it should be mentioned that despite its being old-fashioned in some aspects and imperfect, Du Bois’s views had a great influence on social science, which cannot be undervalued. The reason for a long indifference towards his work was that he was a black man who wrote about black people and racism when this topic was taboo. This may be considered one more merit of Du Bois’s work.
Works Cited
Du Bois, William Edward Burghard and Zuckerman, Phil. The Social Theory of W.E.B. Bois. Thosand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2004.
Gordon, Lewis R. Backup of A Short History of the ‘Critical’ in Critical Race Theory. 2009. Web.
Moore, Jacqueline M. Booker T. Washongton, W.E.B. Du Bois, and the Struggle for Racial Uplift. Wilmington: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.
Rabaka, Reiland. W.E.B. Du Bois and the Problems of the Twenty-first Century: An Essay on Africana Critical Theory. Plymouth: Lexington Books, 2007.