Final: W. E. B. DuBois

Question 1

What are the keys elements of DuBois sociological theorizing?

Answer 1

• importance of difference
• existence of multiple (excluded) cultures
• the colour line
• metaphor of the veil

Question 2

What is the colour line?

Answer 2

• line that divides White people and Black people drawn by Whites
• critically important

Question 3

What is the metaphor of the veil?

Answer 3

• way of understanding communication between the two sides of the color line
• a metaphor to explain the division between the Black and White world
• world without the veil and world with the veil

Question 4

What is the problem of the 20th century?

Answer 4

-the color line

Question 5

Who was in the world without the veil?

Answer 5

-white’s who live outside the veil

Question 6

Who was in the world with the veil?

Answer 6

-Black people defined by others

Question 7

Who do the consequence of the enveiled effect?

Answer 7

Both Blacks and Whites

Question 8

What were the three consequences for those enveiled?

Answer 8

• kept out of sight
• kept out of the highest positions in society
• can see without being seen

Question 9

What was the consequence, keep out of sight?

Answer 9

• intended consequence that the veiled are kept out of life

- imposing the veil keeps Black people out of sight

Question 10

What was the consequence, kept out of the highest positions in society?

Answer 10

• intended consequence that locked Black people into a state of structured inequality
• restricting Black’s opportunity for education

Question 11

What was the talented tenth strategy proposed by DuBois?

Answer 11

• we should take 10% of the most talented Black people and give them access to the best education
• they will make up for a lack of representation

Question 12

What was the consequence, can see without being seen?

Answer 12

-unintended consequence that those who were unveiled (Black’s) could see society and White’s with more clarity while not being seen

Question 13

What did the lens of Black people show?

Answer 13

-the lens revealed that White Americans preached democracy but practiced oppression, especially racism

Question 14

Why is Black experience important in the canon?

Answer 14

• Black experience generated authentic knowledge about what its really like to be excluded
• arguing that the excluded were more aware of the darker side of modernity