“Race” as an Interaction Order Phenomenon: W.E.B. Du Bois's “Double Consciousness” Thesis Revisited

Double consciousness has to do with differences in the experience of being an individual in the two communities and not with the marginalized social roles within a single community.

“It is worth repeating: double consciousness, as a formulation of identity, has to do with differences in the experience of being an individual in the two communities and not with the marginalized social roles within a single community (Rawls, 2000).”

For the racializing subject, the racialized subject is invisible, so the racializing subject cannot take the position of the racialized.

“For the racializing subject, the racialized subject is invisible. Therefore, the racializing subject cannot take the position of the racialized (Rawls 2000 ).”

The color line creates different processes of self-formation among racializing and racialized groups.

“Du Bois argues that the color line creates different processes of self-formation among racializing and racialized groups (Lemert 1994 ; Rawls 2000 ).”

The racializing cannot take the position of the whole community because he does not recognize an important part of the community in which he lives.

“The racializing cannot take the position of the whole community because he does not recognize an important part of the community in which he lives”

The racialized do not have the option to take the position of the whole community; their self-formation is affected by taking the position of two communities, the dominant community that denies their humanity and their own community as a source of support and agency.

“The racialized do not have the option, as Mead would have it, to take the position of the whole community (Rawls 2000 ); instead, their self-formation is affected by taking the position of the two communities to which they belong- the dominant community that denies their humanity and their own community which is a source of support and an arena of agency.”