The Sociological Souls of Black Folk

Essays by W. E. B. Du Bois

By (author) W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, Robert A. Wortham

Not available to order

Publication date:

16 August 2011

Length of book:

264 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739169315

The Souls of Black Folk is W.E.B. Du Bois' most famous work. While the work is often viewed as a classic in African American literature and the history of the African American experience, the sociological significance of the work has been understated. In his initial discussions with the book's original publisher, Du Bois desired to prepare a volume that would showcase his ongoing sociological work on "the Negro problems." While many editions of Du Bois' classic text have appeared, no edition has focused primarily on the eight previously published essays in their original form and chronological order. This fact alone makes The Sociological Souls of Black Folk unique. An introductory essay by the volume's editor, Robert Wortham, highlights the sociological significance of the original essays by addressing such themes as the concept of the self, the social construction of the African American experience, and racial inequality. Eight additional essays originally published between 1897 and 1900 are added by the editor in a second section. These additional sociological essays focus on African American entrepreneurship, crime, race relations, liberal arts education, the Black Church's function within the African American community, and the quality of African American life in the Southern Black Belt. The essays included in The Sociological Souls of Black Folk provide the reader with an opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for Du Bois' early sociological work and recognize that Du Bois was indeed one of the pioneering figures in the development of sociology in the United States.

Chapter 1 The Sociological Souls of Black Folk: Editor's Introduction
Part 2 Part I: The Sociological Souls of Black Folk
Chapter 3 Chapter 1. Strivings of the Negro People
Chapter 4 Chapter 2. A Negro Schoolmaster in the New South
Chapter 5 Chapter 3. The Religion of the American Negro
Chapter 6 Chapter 4. The Freedman's Bureau
Chapter 7 Chapter 5. The Negro as He Really Is
Chapter 8 Chapter 6. The Evolution of Negro Leadership
Chapter 9 Chapter 7. The Relation of the Negroes to the Whites in the South
Chapter 10 Chapter 8. The Training of Black Men
Part 11 Part II: Contextual Sociological Essays: 1897-1900
Chapter 12 Chapter 9. The Negro in Business: The Results of the Investigation
Chapter 13 Chapter 10. The Negro and Crime
Chapter 14 Chapter 11. The American Negro in Paris
Chapter 15 Chapter 12. The Conservation of the Races
Chapter 16 Chapter 13.Careers Open to College-Bred Negroes
Chapter 17 Chapter 14. The Problem of Amusement
Chapter 18 Chapter 15. The Negro in the Black Belt: Some Social Sketches
Chapter 19 Chapter 16. The Georgia Negro: A Social Study - Editor's Reconstruction

This book offers us positive proof that Du Bois's contributions to the origins and evolution of American sociology extend far beyond The Philadelphia Negro and urban sociology. Perhaps the most stunning feature of The Sociological Souls of Black Folk is the often-overlooked fact that Du Bois's sociological discourse may very well prove to be the epitome of what makes American sociology thoroughly 'American'—that is to say, his unrepentant emphasis on race, gender, class, and culture within the context of the United States. Robert Wortham should be openly applauded, because here he reprints another classic Du Bois collection that will undoubtedly make a major contribution to those bold souls who sincerely seek to understand the real roots of American sociology.