Relevance of Double Consciousness Today- A Critical Examination

Relevance of Double Consciousness Today- A Critical Examination

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois coined the double consciousness theory. This theory refers to a source of inward twoness that is purportedly experienced by African-Americans due to their racialized oppression as well as the dis-valuation in a society that is dominated by whites. Even though there is a reduction in racial discrimination, as observed in the reduction in the number of African Americans who drop out of high school as well as an increase in the number of African Americans who join universities and colleges, as observed by Johnson (2014), the racial inequality persists. The theory of double consciousness is still highly relevant in the 21^st century. It helps in understanding political and racial cleavages experienced in the U.S. This can be extended to include racialized legal status, hence an intersection between legal, ethnicity, and race status (Joseph & Golash-Boza, 2021).

Du Bois considered the double consciousness to be symbolic of the psychological effect of living in a highly racist and dominant white society for African Americans. The treatment of African Americans as being a problem resulted in the growth of the veil, which is a lens through which African Americans viewed themselves based on the perspective or lens of White Americans. Even though African Americans were citizens in the 20^th century, they were not exactly considered as such. This remains a plight that the current African Americans and other Americans of color continue to experience. This means that one’s legal status does not automatically make one American since legal citizenship does not guarantee full socio-cultural inclusion for every American. Even though legal citizenship implies that one is officially recognized as a member of the country and is eligible to particular rights excluded from non-citizens, socio-cultural citizenship encompasses a sense of belongingness and being viewed as an integral and significant member of the society in America. Therefore, legal citizens who are immigrants of color and fail to confer socio-cultural citizenship continue to be treated with some attitude of “otherness”; hence, they do not fully belong to American society.

The concept of double consciousness is highly applicable to other populations, especially women and individuals of other ethnic groups. Due to professional and educational obstacles coupled with psychological tolls linked to sexism and racism, Black women often feel pressured to present a certainly acceptable self to the world, resulting in what is considered an identity negotiation (Institute for Women’s Studies, 2015). Double consciousness is often a means used to measure one’s credibility amongst classmates, peers, or coworkers. Black people have often complained of how taxing it is to have to go through double consciousness daily. It is considered exhausting for one to have to look at themselves and determine whether or not they measure up to the work or standard set by others. Black tax is an idea that Black people are forced to perform and work twice as hard as Whites on daily tasks so as to obtain the same recognition level (Wright, 2018). Black women have often been stereotyped as quick-tempered, loud-mouthed, aggressive, and insubordinate (Motro et al., 2021). It becomes quite difficult for Black people, in this case, Black women, to express themselves or conduct themselves normally while striving to conform to the standards expected from a woman.

The stereotype of the Black woman as angry is rooted in the slavery institution and oversimplifies the image portrayed by black women who refused to conform to the expectations of the then era of being hard-working and submissive (Motro et al., 2021). Such stereotypes are often reinforced in various media platforms, with television shows incorporating black women who are expected to entertain different audiences through their hostility and irrational anger. Black female executives and managers often cite the stereotype of being angry as one of the major impediments to their performance at work. Women, and in particular Black women, are often negatively viewed when they express anger publicly as this does not conform with expectations of the role of a woman. Women are expected to be more caring, kind, and communal, and therefore, anger expressions violate such standards. Black women are, therefore, forced to try and prove to themselves and others the extent to which they fail to fit certain negative stereotypes. Wright (2018) claims that such factors make blacks victims for not failing to be White. Constantly looking at oneself based on the standards set in a White-dominated workplace or academic institution creates a twoness that makes it difficult for Black women to navigate life and their careers among their peers. For women, being Black, an American, and a woman becomes a heavy Threeness weight that imposes majorly on their identity in society and causes major internal conflicts.

Double consciousness is a result of racial division. The coining of the term itself originated from the division in races that led individuals of a certain race (Blacks) to feel some level of distinctiveness from other races (Whites). Racial divisions and superiority in race or white dominance made it difficult for the “inferior” Black race residing in a White-dominated American society to find a balance or attach a proper meaning to their identity. Johnson (2014) talks about the improper use of the term double consciousness in the 21^st century, where individuals consider two warring bodies in which some minority students consider between continuing with their education (which is considered White) or discontinuing/getting only what is enough (considered Black). Such distinctions originated from inequalities in education that disproportionately affected blacks, making it almost impossible for them to continue their education.

Du Bois made use of the term double consciousness to raise issues of race, referring to the real power that white stereotypes had on black thought and life. In addition to the practical racism that barred every black American from society’s mainstream and the battle of being both American and not American at the same time (Bruce Jr, 1992). Racial divisions were the source for all of these premises, resulting in the internal conflict that black Americans felt, as they were unable to reconcile their black culture with the white American culture. This racial division exacerbates the double consciousness suffered by most legal immigrants of color in the U.S. today.

Striving to obtain that internal balance makes it difficult for most people of color to navigate life in American society. Double consciousness is a concept that is often felt by most African American women stereotyped as angry in a white, often male-dominated workplace. It is also felt by legal immigrants of color who are American but not American at the same time. Progress has been made as the country strives to embrace and incorporate different cultures in celebration of the diversity in American society. However, racial divisions continue to exacerbate the issue of double consciousness.

References

Bruce Jr, D.D. (1992). W.E.B Du Bois and the Idea of Double Consciousness. American Literature, 64(2), 299-309.

Institute for Women’s Studies. (2015). “Double Consciousness in the 21st Century: Negotiating Identities among Academically Successful Black Women” presented by Danielle Dickens, Psychology.” https://iws.uga.edu/events/content/2014/double-consciousness-21st-century-negotiating-identities-among-academically

Johnson, N. (May 22, 2014). The (re)birth of the double consciousness. TedxGallatin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsyCMyqAfMQ

Joseph, T., & Golash-Boza, T. (2021). Double Consciousness in the 21st Century: Du Boisian Theory and the Problem of Racialized Legal Status. Social Sciences, 10(9), 345.

Motro, D., Evans, J. B., Ellis, A. P., & Benson III, L. (2021). Race and reactions to women’s expressions of anger at work: Examining the effects of the “angry Black woman” stereotype. Journal of Applied Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0000884

Wright, K. L. (2018). The relevance of double consciousness among Black males in college. The Vermont Connection, 39(1), 12.

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Watch the TED Talk that revisits this perspective: The (Re)birth of Double Consciousness [11:55]
This assignment must be typed, double-spaced, with standard one-inch margins, and in APA format (4-5 pages). Submit your assignment as an attached Word document.

Relevance of Double Consciousness Today- A Critical Examination

Your essay should attend to the following prompts:
In your estimation, is the concept of double consciousness relevant today? Why or why not?
Is the concept of double consciousness applicable to other populations (e.g., LGBT, women, other ethnic or religious groups)? If “no,” explain why not. If “yes,” discuss how to do so.
Do you think double consciousness is the result of racial division, or does it contribute to racial division? Please explain.