The Scholar Denied
W. E. B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology
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- $20.99
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
In this groundbreaking book, Aldon D. Morris’s ambition is truly monumental: to help rewrite the history of sociology and to acknowledge the primacy of W. E. B. Du Bois’s work in the founding of the discipline. Calling into question the prevailing narrative of how sociology developed, Morris, a major scholar of social movements, probes the way in which the history of the discipline has traditionally given credit to Robert E. Park at the University of Chicago, who worked with the conservative black leader Booker T. Washington to render Du Bois invisible. Morris uncovers the seminal theoretical work of Du Bois in developing a "scientific" sociology through a variety of methodologies and examines how the leading scholars of the day disparaged and ignored Du Bois’s work.
The Scholar Denied is based on extensive, rigorous primary source research; the book is the result of a decade of research, writing, and revision. In exposing the economic and political factors that marginalized the contributions of Du Bois and enabled Park and his colleagues to be recognized as the "fathers" of the discipline, Morris delivers a wholly new narrative of American intellectual and social history that places one of America’s key intellectuals, W. E. B. Du Bois, at its center.
The Scholar Denied is a must-read for anyone interested in American history, racial inequality, and the academy. In challenging our understanding of the past, the book promises to engender debate and discussion.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
While many people are familiar with W.E.B. Du Bois's work for civil rights, fewer are aware of his impact on the field of sociology. Northwestern University sociology professor Morris (Origins of the Civil Rights Movement) seeks to remedy that neglect with this fascinating study. He focuses on how Du Bois started one of the country's first sociology departments at Atlanta University, only to see his contributions to scholarship systematically ignored and erased by scholars, notably Robert E. Park at the University of Chicago, an ally of Du Bois's intellectual rival, Booker T. Washington. Du Bois contended that "externally imposed social conditions," not intrinsic inferiority, were the cause of African Americans' low social status, and that moreover, being part of society, African Americans could not objectively evaluate their own self-worth. Morris's work bears all the hallmarks of meticulous research, lending credence to its well-presented thesis. This academically oriented text will be intimidating to anyone without a background in Du Bois's work or in sociology. However, for those readers who do accept the challenge, the rewards will be great and the reading dense but enjoyable.
