Double Consciousness In Black Culture Cultural Studies Essay

In his book The Souls of the Black Folk, WEB Du Bois is sing the state of affairss the Africans, who were American citizens after the American Revolution war faced. These where people who were slaves afore clip and had become American citizens after being freed from bondage by Abraham Lincoln. The Whites looked down upon these black Americans, who were African Americans. They besides mistreated and despised these African Americans. The Whites considered themselves superior than the inkinesss and believed that nil good could come out of these black Americans.

The Whites considered the black Americans hapless and helter-skelter. They denied the African Americans the chance to entree basic demands like instruction, wellness attention and running concerns. Through this intervention, the African Americans found themselves in a province of confusion. They looked at themselves through the eyes of other people ( Du Bois, 12 ) and considered themselves inferior to the Whites. They believed that they were Americans and, at the same clip, their colour and favoritism made them believe that they were Africans.

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These Negros ne'er wanted to give up any of the two positions because they believed it had some good to offer, a state of affairs that put them in the province of `` dual consciousness '' ( pg 13 ) . They hence held on to their African civilization and at the same clip wanted to encompass the American civilization and life style.

Double consciousness is a state of affairs where one is convinced of who he or she is and at the same clip believes to be what other people thinks he or she is.

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`` aˆ¦ this dual consciousness, this sense of ever looking at one 's self through the eyes of others, of mensurating one 's psyche by the tape of a universe that looks on in diverted disdain and commiseration. One of all time feels his twoness, '' ( Du Bois, 12 ) . Such people hold on to the two personalities therefore seeking to populate like two psyches viing for one organic structure. In Du Bois ' history, the construct of dual consciousness was aggravated by the white 's stereotypes which made the Negros ( the African Americans ) to doubt the truth they had about themselves, racism that made black Americans to be segregated from the American community and the apprehension that the Negros were both African and American.

The African-american strove to achieve self-consciousness and alter his dual consciousness to a satisfactory truer ego ( Du Bois, 13 ) . Even though the African Americans desired a better ego, they were non ready to alter any of the two natures to accommodate the other. They had to do usage of their formerly dispersed, wasted and forgotten head in order to acquire out of the job they were confronting. As a consequence, the African Americans formed a motion that helped them to revolutionalize America and the universe and enable them to take part to the full in the development of their state. The African Americans employed their accomplishments such as poesy, literature, dramas, concerts and music to show what they felt and how they wanted the Whites to handle them. They came together and formed an confederation where they used dramas and music to deter stereotypes and favoritism. They formed an confederation and named it the Harlem Renaissance. This confederation grew and became popular among the African Americans. World War 1 and the societal and cultural alterations in the United States accelerated the growing and popularity of the confederation during the start of the twentieth century. The Harlem Renaissance brought democratic reform to the American people. However, the Renaissance ended suddenly due to the great depression and their premises about the importance of civilization that did non related to the societal and economic worlds.

The African Americans sought better criterions of life in other parts of the United States of America. They migrated from the southern farming areas to the northern industrial and town countries. At first, the African Americans received some degree of credence by the Whites and they lived with them in the Northern metropoliss. They established their concerns and started turning in their economic position. Despite this, the Whites still looked down upon the inkinesss and controlled most facets of their lives like in markets and the economic system at big. The inkinesss found a better life in the vicinity for some clip. This led to a higher inflow of the White persons from the south taking to their addition in population. The population of hapless inkinesss in the part increased, as most of them were idle and from hapless background. This state of affairs led to increase in societal immoralities as some became hoods, formed groups of hoods, and disturbed the peace of the people in those countries.

Du Bois uses the head covering as a metaphor through out his work. In his book, Du Bois stated that the `` Negro is a kind of 7th boy, born with a head covering '' ( Pg 12 ) . A head covering is like an opaque drape that separates different groups of people. It makes people to be nescient of what is taking topographic point in the other group because they can non see it. The head covering makes things vague and acts as a mask forestalling the Whites from seeing what is of importance in the Whites. It covers, fells and conceals the inkinesss who are born `` in the head covering '' doing them unseeable to the American Whites. Du Bois indicates that the head covering makes the experience of the African Americans unseeable to the Whites. In a sense, he wants to raise up the head covering for us to see and understand what is taking topographic point inside the head covering.

The head covering that separated the Whites and inkinesss was colour. This head covering followed the people throughout their lives from birth to decease. This means that the head covering of colour separated the manner the dorsums and Whites treated each other in all facets of their lives with the inkinesss being discriminated in societal life, political life, in infirmaries, churches, schools, streets, gaols and even in cemeteries ( Allen Jr. Pg 2 ) . Color separates people in the United States doing them unrecorded as different communities in one part. This causes injury to the dwellers and destroys democracy. The African Americans feel alienated but at the same clip experience themselves as deserving people with their ain civilization and traditions. This thought gives the inkinesss a double perceptual experience, which Du Bois referred to as `` dual consciousness '' .

Du Bois suggested that the African Americans have an of import individuality valuable and profitable to all the dwellers of America. The current conditions in which they thrive prevent this individuality from developing or going to the full and exploited. Through their assorted civilizations, the white Americans put blocks and divisions on the black Americans.

Du bois ' doctrine has been utile in development of American political theories. It has besides influenced many people in the tradition of Africana theory. It has been of import in development of the race theory through his statement that race has some existent significance even though it is hard to specify that significance.

The book addresses the construct of domination where some people use their race to rule others and work them. Such is apparent in the universe today. Still the Whites are marginalising the inkinesss and estranging them in major facets of development of the American state and the universe at big. The Whites have non to the full agreed that the inkinesss can supply much in development than they can make. The Whites still discriminate the inkinesss and deny them good chances in instruction, societal standing and in political issues. As a consequence, the dual consciousness still exists in the inkinesss to some grade. The inkinesss, nevertheless are fighting to get the better of this and have been seen postulating with the Whites in the societal, economic and political facets.

The American political theory today has undergone transmutation, going better than it was decennaries ago. Science and societal scientific discipline doctrines have helped broaden the rational skylines therefore bettering the chances of the political theory. This has helped accommodate the conflicting doctrines and traditions of the African Americans and the White Americans ( Held, Pg 14 ) . The transmutation has besides enabled the common citizens to track and take part in the preparation of the political theories and policies. The policies have mostly accommodated the African Americans and allowed them to take part actively in the political activities of the American Nation. The new political theory has reviewed the facets of sovereignty, democracy and justness to all people ( Held, 16 ) .

Despite all the transmutations and struggles the African Americans have made to avoid racism and favoritism, it is noteworthy that this still exists up to now. Harmonizing to Brown N. Kimberly ( 2010 ) , Du Bois ' desire was to see dual consciousness eradicated ( Brown, 31 ) . Double consciousness still exists but it is no longer an pressing aim. Discrimination and racism still exist, although it is at a lesser grade than it was during the clip of Du Bois. Some people are still fighting with their individuality and assorted civilizations as was experienced by the African Americans. Political instability and societal unfairnesss experienced by the people aggravate this job. Economic disparities and differences in societal standing makes some people look down upon others and do them to develop to some grade the dual consciousness job.

The political position of the Backs in the American state has undergone major transmutations. Today, the black Americans have a portion in political stations in different ranks. This shows that the Whites have accepted the part of the African Americans and their societal standing, mind and function they play in society. The African Americans of today are non be haunted by the dual consciousness every bit much as it were with those of some decennaries ago. The new political theory has changed much in footings of policy on how all people aught to handle others. As a consequence, the African Americans have equal chance with the Whites in entree of all services needed by them. Even though this is the instance, there are still some stereotypes. Some of the people still experience superior and therefore mistreat others because of their colour, race and ethnicity.

The Whites need to acknowledge the battles of the black Americans and acknowledge them to the full as human and handle them with the regard they deserve. They should acknowledge them as portion of them and to the full integrate them in all development programs and activities. The Whites need the mind, resources and power of the African Americans in running the activities of their state corporately.

Cited work

Allen Jr. Ernest ( 1992 ) : Ever Feeling One 's twoness: `` Double Ideas '' and `` Double Consciousness '' In the Souls of Black Folk, Contributing in Black Studies: Vol. 9, Article 5

Held David: Political Theory today, Stamford University Pres, 1991

Brown, N. Kimberly, Writing the Black radical Diva. Indiana University imperativeness, 2010

Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk, Forgotten books,2008

Updated: Nov 01, 2022
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Double Consciousness In Black Culture Cultural Studies Essay. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/double-consciousness-in-black-culture-cultural-studies-new-essay

Double Consciousness In Black Culture Cultural Studies Essay essay
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