Sociological Perspective of W.E.B. Du Bois: Conflict

Sociological Perspective of W.E.B. Du Bois: Conflict Theory

William Edward Burghardt "W E.B." Du Bois (February 23, 1868 -- August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, author and editor. Born in western Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a tolerant community and experienced little racism as a child. Unlike Booker T. Washington, who believed that unskilled blacks should focus on economic self-betterment, and Marcus Garvey, who advocated a "back to Africa" movement, Du Bois demanded that African-Americans should achieve not only economic parity with whites in the United States but full and immediate civil and political equality as well. Also, he introduced the concept of the "talented tenth," a black elite whose duty it was to better the lives of less fortunate African-Americans (Zuberi, 2004). Hence, his sociological view derived from Karl Marx's Conflict Theory.

The life and work of W.E.B. Du Bois

The life and work of W.E.B. Du Bois are commemorated in two places on earth. One is in Accra, Ghana, where his life ended and where the Republic of Ghana has built an impressive burial site and research centre, and the other is in the town of his birth, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where a group of citizens has purchased his childhood home in order to create a local memorial park (Paynter & Glassberg, 2010). Given his accomplishments, it is not surprising that land has been set aside to commemorate Du Bois's life. In 1895, he was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. From 1897 to 1910, Du Bois taught economics and history at Atlanta Univ. In 1910, he co-founded the National Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) and became editor of the influential NAACP magazine, Crisis, a position he held until 1934. That year, he resigned over the question of voluntary segregation, which he had come to favor over integration, and returned to Atlanta Univ. (1934 -- 44). His concern for the liberation of blacks throughout the world led him to organize the first (Paris, 1919) of several Pan-African Congresses (Zuberi, 2004). In 1945, at the Fifth Congress in Manchester, England, he met with the African leaders Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta. In the last two years of his life Du Bois lived in Ghana. His books include The Souls of Black Folks (1903), The Negro (1915), Black Reconstruction in America (1935), Color and Democracy (1945), The World and Africa (1947), and In Battle for Peace: The Story of My 83rd Birthday (1952) (Kivisto, 2004).

Sociological Perspective: Conflict Theory

Du Bois encountered much opposition because of his political beliefs and communism viewpoints. The conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, avoid social change, and believe people cooperate to effect social order, conflict theorists challenge the status quo, encourage social change (even when this means social revolution), and believe rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. Today, conflict theorists find social conflict between any groups in which the potential for inequality exists: racial, gender, religious, political, economic, and so on. Conflict theorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This constant competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-changing nature of society. Critics of the conflict perspective point to its overly negative view of society.

Substantive Evidence for Theory

Ultimately, Du Bois and conflict theory has contributed to social change by: 1) heightening awareness of the inequities, 2) attributing to humanitarian efforts, and 3) yielding civil rights to the less fortunate. Additionally, altruism, democracy, and other aspects of society, within such a capitalistic design, were used to control the masses, which was not in the best interests of preserving society and social order. Hence, capitalism was deemed as a means to perpetuate oppression and suppression of those less fortunate (Bernasconi, 2009). In the 1940s and 1950s, Du Bois had committed himself to Marxism and had become disconcerted with American society. In 1961, he became a member of the American Communist party, and shortly thereafter he renounced his American citizenship and left for Accra, Ghana. W.E.B. Du Bois spent the vast majority of his 95 years working for the hearts and minds of Americans (Zuberi, 2004). Although consumed with equal rights and opportunity for Blacks, his larger vision was of a world in which all persons could progress as far as their unique knowledge, ability, and efforts would permit. Intellectual and largely inward directed Du Bois utilized scholarship and the written word to advance his ideas and to secure a place of leadership in the Civil Rights movement of his day.