What is Twoness? Revisiting Du Bois’s Theory of Double Consciousness

• In Event: Racial and Ethnic Minorities Section Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table Two: Religious Social-Political Racism and Xenophobia

Abstract

Du Bois’s theory of “double consciousness,” forcibly presented in the opening pages of Souls of Black Folk and developed throughout his life, has a central position in contemporary studies of racialized subjectivity (Joseph and Golash-Boza 2021; Walker 2018; Wood, Soelberg, and Rugh 2023; Yazdiha 2021). However, despite the popularity of the concept, especially the oft-cited passage from Souls, there have been relatively few systematic conceptual treatments of the theory. We build on recent work (Itzigsohn and Brown 2015) and focus on the conceptualization of “twoness.” Informed by a new interview study of Black Latter-day Saints, we argue that the phenomenon of twoness comprises three analytically distinct dimensions: Twoness as “warring ideals,” twoness as cultivated and imposed selves, and twoness as conflict of beliefs and experience. We discuss each in turn, using interview data of Black Latter-day Saints, who experience each of these forms as members of a predominantly White religion.

Authors

• Michael Lee Wood, Brigham Young University-Provo

• Jacob S. Rugh, Brigham Young University-Provo

• Alexys Comish Anderson, Brigham Young University-Provo