The Sociology of W. E. B. Du Bois

“[A] guidepost . . . to [the] penetrating analyses of this great scholar pertaining to racism . . . [F]or anyone interested in a pivotal issue of our time.” —Aldon Morris, author of The Scholar Denied: W.E.B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology

The Sociology of W. E. B. Du Bois provides a comprehensive introduction to the founding father of American sociological thought. Du Bois is now recognized as a pioneer of American scientific sociology and as someone who made foundational contributions to the sociology of race and to urban and community sociology. José Itzigsohn and Karida L. Brown provide a groundbreaking account of Du Bois’s theoretical contribution to sociology, or what they call the analysis of “racialized modernity.”

The full canon of Du Bois’s sociological works spans a lifetime of over ninety years in which his ideas evolved over much of the twentieth century. This broader and more systematic account of Du Bois’s contribution explores how his theories changed, evolved, and even contradicted earlier ideas. Careful parsing of seminal works provides a much needed overview for scholars looking to gain a better grasp of the ideas of Du Bois, in particular his understanding of racialized subjectivity, racialized social systems, and his scientific sociology. Further, the authors show that a Du Boisian sociology provides an analytical framework for the multilevel examination of individual-level processes—such as the formation of the self—and macro processes—such as group formation and mobilization—key concepts for a basic understanding of sociology.

“A book for the times..” —American Journal of Sociology

“Persuasive and well sourced. . . . A pathbreaking classic!” —Marcus Anthony Hunter, author of Black Citymakers: How the Philadelphia Negro Changed Urban America

“Surely the most comprehensive and ambitious summation of Du Bois’s epistemology.” —Social Forces