1. William Edward Du Bois was a prominent American civil rights activist who was known for his theory of double consciousness. More than being a philosopher, DuBois is most popular for being a social leader whose advocacy was centered on achieving equality among the colored people. The Marxist dimensions of Du Bois’s theory is linked to his belief that the economic status of the Black Americans was one of the contributory factors of their oppression, and he pointed what Marx once suggested that it is the equitable distribution of wealth that can help alleviate this condition of the people of color. While DuBois do not necessarily support Marx’s ideals of communism, he believed that the later’s concept of the relationship between society and the economy was vital in explaining the condition of the African Americans.
Consequently, it was his advocacy for better treatment of the black Americans that resulted to his philosophy of double consciousness. DuBois theorized that the African Americans were torn in the realm of two identities, that is, of being both black and American, “an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body” (qtd. in Appelrouth & Edles, 291). Therefore, there is a divided tendency in the African American which, according to Du Bois, is harmful and challenging because double consciousness violates the basic condition of human existence. For some critics, the Du Bois double consciousness is the same as the false consciousness as conceptualized by Marx. There is the concept of false consciousness in the theory of Du Bois because by assuming a two identity, the African American was trapped into denying his true identity.
2. The work of DuBois as presented in The Souls of Black Folk and Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper deals with the same topic: oppression. But while DuBois talked about the oppression of the African American, Gilman’s story focused on the oppression of women. Nevertheless, both discussed the predicament of people who were subjected to conflict conditions due to the unjust actions of other people.
In DuBois’s work, he argued that the African Americans should become more assertive in securing the rights that is due them, “ By every civilized and peaceful method we must strive for the rights which the world accords to men” (qtd. in Andrews, 30). DuBois concept was more about asserting the African American right to assimilate into the mainstream society, because it the is the only acceptable and plausible means to secure civil and political equality. He insisted that the African American cannot give up the right to political power, civil rights and the right to higher education for the sake of reconciling the races.
On the other hand, Gilman’s narrative talked about a fictitious female character who suffers from post-partum depression. Just as DuBois described the struggle of one race against another, Gilman narrated about the conflict faced by women in the patriarchal society. While DuBois talked about the superiority of the whites over the Black Americans, Gilman’s story leads into the privileges accorded to men, to the detriment of women. In Gilman’s The Yellow Paper, the woman was subjected to the decision of her husband who opted to heed the doctor’s prescription to isolate her. Accordingly, the woman felt the need to revolt against her husbands dominating authority. In Gilman’s presentation, the heroine used her illness to defy the traditional role that was expected of women. Just like the African Americans who felt trapped by the oppressive whites, the woman felt the need to be liberated. DuBois’s work and Gilman’s story reflect the struggle of people amidst difficulties.
3. The contemporary approaches to multiculturalism and multiracialism in light of DuBois’s theories of race resulted in the emergence of prominent political and cultural black movements. For instance, the pan-Africanist movement which was inspired by the ideas of DuBois generated political manifestation where the members of the African American community were called to unite. During the 1960s towards the ‘70s, the unity of the African Americans was manifested in the Black Power Movements. Accordingly, the racial theories were subjected to certain limitations with the emergence of a more objective concept, a) ethnicity based on cultural identity, b) class based on economic stratification, and c) nation which is based on the geopolitical terms. Currently, racial prejudice or the problem of the color line as described by DuBois, is now less visible, largely due to anti-racist movements and the call for reform that leads to the stigmatization of overt racism.
Moreover, the election of Barack Obama is a reflection of an era that is willing to embrace a new and more accepting racial diversity in the United States. His election did not mean a complete eradication of racism, but it signifies that cultural and racial progress is underway. While Obama cannot do it all by himself, he symbolizes the hope that soon, the country can eventually exit the predicament that is brought by racial injustices. It was not an easy job for Obama, though; in an article published in USA Today, he suggested that it would be wrong to merely focus on the plight of the blacks: “ I will tell you that I think the most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community” (qtd. in Jackson). While he was criticized for this speech, it was in fact a demonstration of his advocacy for a united people regardless of race because the President does not want to think in terms of racial segment, but in terms of the American people united as one.
4. Mead theorized that human’s develop their social ability starting from infancy by imitating the gestures of people around them. By imitating other people, the child learns how it is to take the role of the other, while eventually developing an understanding that they are independent beings. This understanding becomes the child’s self-consciousness that includes the internalized expectations of other people such as the parents, siblings and later on the teachers and friends. The role of language in this development is crucial, as children adopt the language used by people around them: “The critical importance of language in the development of human experience, lies in this fact that the stimulus is one that can react upon the speaking individual as it reacts upon the other” (Aboulafia, 3).
As Mead theorized, self-consciousness plays a significant role in socialization because an individual’s awareness of himself will have a profound influence on how he interacts with other people in the community. Self-consciousness is learned initially from a child’s interaction with the smallest social unit, which is the family where he can pick up the values, and attitudes of their culture. In his theory, there is a need for an individual to be exposed to a small social group where he develops a self-conscious state.
Consequently, self-consciousness will then be used by the individual as he interact and socialize into the larger society. As an individual member of the social institution, he must respond according to a selected course of action which he deemed appropriate for that particular situation. According to Mead, the situation does not dictate the outcome of the person’s response, rather, it is the person who determines the outcome of his reaction based on the learned attitudes or responses of people whom he has interacted with previously. As Mead suggested, it depends “ upon the degree to which the individuals in society are able to assume the attitudes of the others who are involved with them in common endeavor” (Mead, 84).
5. Mead’s idea of ‘taking the attitude of the other’ is that people’s self-consciousness gives them the skill to anticipate experiences, thus their perceptive ability to place themselves in the position of others. However, as Mead suggested, merely taking the role of others will not lead to self-consciousness, that is, a person has to internalize the associated behaviors of other people in response to a situation before he can totally achieve self-consciousness.
Consequently, Mead’s theory of ‘taking the attitude of the other’ can be related to the double consciousness theory of DuBois where he suggested that African Americans see themselves from the perspective of being black and that of being an American. With Mead’s theory, it was suggested that shared meanings and communication allows an individual to comprehend the perspectives of the community. The ability to expand one’s perspective, according to the language and symbols available makes the double consciousness theory possible. That is, an individual can expand his perspective into another society. However, in instances when an there is a lack of common attitude and an individual is not accepted, this can bring emotional strain that is detrimental to the well-being of the person.
In Mead’s theory, the social processes have a generalized influence on the behavior of a person. This means that the community can have an impact on the bearing, attitude and thoughts of its members. While each person is different from the other, this theory suggests that people who belong in a particular social unit demonstrate the common behavioral structure of the group. As Mead suggested, the self-conscious individual takes on the common social attitude within the community, and incorporate it to be his own. When applied to Gilman’s narrative on The Yellow Pages, it is understood that the husband’s treatment of the woman is a reflection of the enduring tradition of the patriarchal society which they belong.
6. One factor that might influence the development and sustenance of our social interaction is our regard of our environment. This is because, nature is considered a cultural expression of our identity. Even with the changes that was brought by industrialization, and the absence of natural environment, we can still consider the landscapes around as reflections of our cultural identities. Every landscape has a story to tell, and these stories are bound by the cultural delineations within that specific place. For instance, there are cultural groups that plan and design their environment, incorporating into the new landscape the symbols of their culture. An example of which is the The Statute of Liberty in Upper New York Bay was conceptualized and designed as a symbol of the desire for liberty, which manifest the freedom loving ideology of the Americans.
Another factor that impacts social interaction is the cultural context where the interaction transpired. Culture is an important consideration in interactions because people from different cultural background may often interpret things differently. For example, when communicating with a business associate in some parts of Southern Europe, an individual has to be careful about suggesting that he doubts the credibility of the other party. Cultural assumptions are often the basis of initial perception of an individual. Despite the globalization, culture is also changing due to cultural pollination, and an existing cultural perspective may be overruled by another.
Technology is another factor that impacts people interaction. While most people would suggest that technology has improved the manner of interaction, there are those who argue that it has caused the deterioration of human relationships. For example, the use of smartphones and other gadgets created the virtual distance, even among family members who live in the same house. Instead of communicating face-to-face, people use their gadgets to communicate, thus making people detach due to the virtual distance.
Works Cited
Aboulafia, Mitchell. Philosophy, Social Theory, and the Thought of George Herbert Mead. State University of New York Press, n.d. Print.
Andrews, Gordon. Undoing Plessy: Charles Hamilton Houston, Race, Labor and the Law, 1895-1950. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014. Print.
Appelrouth, Scott, and Laura Edles. Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory: Text and Readings. Pine Forge Press, 2008. Print.
Jackson, David. "Obama Rejects Congressional Black Caucus Criticism." USA Today. N.p., 2009. Web. <http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/12/obama-rejects-congressional-black-caucus-criticism-/1#.Vt8BTvl96M8>.
Mead, G. H. G.H. Mead: A Reader. Routledge, 2011. Print.
