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Double Conscious

The term double conscious was first introduced by Webb Dubois in his book The Souls

of Black Folk. The book, written in 1903 describes the term to fit an individual who has his/her

identity divided into several personalities (having more than a single social identity). In his book,

the author is examining the situations of Africans, who later became American citizens after they

gained freedom. The concept applies to the situation where an individual is convinced of his /her

identity while still believing in the ideas given by other people, regarding their identity. The

concept also applies to African-Americans as a result of racial oppression and devaluation from

the white population. Having a double conscious makes it difficult for one to develop a sense of

self. According to Du Bois, the African Americans have a significant identity which is valuable

and profitable to all American residents, yet they see themselves through the perceptions of

white Americans (Dubois & Manning 6).

The term can be applied in today’s world where people tend to look at view their lives

through the eyes of other people. Often, several people negotiate on how to balance their

identities to the society in which they live. Although several people would like to believe that

they live in a post-racial society, inequalities are at large. People especially the minority groups

like the African Americans are finding it hard to exist on their cultural identities. A good

example is the case of African- American criminals, athletes, and rappers being given the

forefront of the media news, hence, limiting their involvement in other things.
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Double conscious needs revision on the issue of respect. If respect is developed, the

protection of different cultural groups and their identities would be easy. Also, the boundaries of

race can be broken through respect. Limiting occupations, and stereotypical behaviors should be

revised and abolished.

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Work Cited

Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt, and Manning Marable. Souls of black folk. Routledge,

2015: 1-14