BLACK AND WHITE SOCIOLOGY: SEGREGATION OF THE DISCIPLINE A Dissertation by SEAN ELIAS Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2009 Major Subject: Sociology BLACK AND WHITE SOCIOLOGY: SEGREGATION OF THE DISCIPLINE A Dissertation by SEAN ELIAS Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Joe R. Feagin Committee Members, Sarah Gatson Alex McIntosh Wendy L. Moore Dalia Abdelhady Head of Department, Mark Fossett August 2009 Major Subject: Sociology iii ABSTRACT Black and White Sociology: Segregation of the Discipline. (August 2009) Sean Elias, B.A.; M.A., George Mason University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Joe R. Feagin The idea that theories of race, racial segregation and racism have played a central role in the development of sociology and that black and white sociologies have formed because of this condition is not new and has been in circulation among sociologists for some time. While a number of sociologists have examined how race has shaped the discipline, only a few have attempted to examine and define black sociology and white sociology. Despite the initial efforts of some, the two sociologies remain vague, undeveloped concepts, and thus open to skepticism and denunciation. No systematic historical- intellectual investigation of black sociology or white sociology exists and, subsequently, no in-depth comparative analysis of the two exists. Therefore, through a comparative- historical analysis and exercise in the sociology of knowledge, this work seeks to provide a more precise history and theory of black sociology and white sociology. This study argues that black sociology and white sociology represent two distinct intellectual perspectives---sets of ideas---and social practices shaped by past perspectives and practices and social-historical contexts, which are largely racially- defined. More specifically, I will demonstrate that black sociology and white sociology iv develop out of two approaches of thought and action primarily influenced by race, a black tradition of ideas and practices and a white tradition of thought and practices. To map these two traditions, I begin with a review and analysis of works that have discussed (directly or indirectly) black and white sociology and black and white sociologists. Next, I turn to a more focused analysis on the sociological perspectives and practices of W.E.B. Du Bois and Robert Park, examining the ideas and practices that shape each sociologist‘s thought and actions. I identify ways that Park incorporates and advances earlier ideas and practices of whites, and, conversely, how Du Bois incorporates and advances earlier perspectives and practices of blacks. Lastly, I point out how Du Bois‘ ideas and methods, shaped by an earlier black tradition, now informs what is described as black sociology, and how Park‘s ideas and methods, shaped by an earlier white tradition, now informs what is described as white sociology. v DEDICATION To past and present black souls, primarily the scores of black intellectuals, activists, and everyday people---many whose names we will never know---who challenge damaging, unjust white ideologies and social practices that target blacks and all people of color. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Patricia Joan Elias, a powerful woman and model mother, and W.E.B. Du Bois, a powerful man and intellectual father. Catherine ―Aunt Kay‖ Hersom is another member of my immediate family who taught me the importance of family, faith, and the mysterious. Rutledge Dennis, director of my master‘s thesis, Joe Feagin, chair of my dissertation committee, and John Stone, long-term advisor, were patient with my many false starts and wanderings, sacrificing time and effort as mentors to help me develop into a more thoughtful sociologist. All three in some way deeply inspire this work. Other members of my dissertation committee, Sarah Gatson, Alex McIntosh, Wendy Moore, and Dalia Abdelhady have also provided sound support and sharp advice in this project. While not a committee member, Mary Jo Deegan offered valuable comments that influence this project. Several scholars, teachers, and colleagues deserve mention. Mark Jacobs urged me to pursue sociology. Wayne Froman, Thelma Levine, and Young Chan Ro taught me valuable skills in philosophy. Larry Levine and Marilyn Mobley aided my understanding of the complexities of African American cultural studies. Delores Aldridge, John Stanfield, II, William Strickland, and Alford Young, Jr. offered encouragement and critical comments on earlier writings that inform this project. Three anonymous reviewers at American Journal of Sociology provided detailed, valuable comments and useful suggestions for revision that sharpened ―W.E.B. Du Bois‘ Critique of the White Sociological Frame and Development of the Black Sociological vii Frame‖ in Chapter VII. I am grateful for Mrs. Beattie and Mrs. Owens of St. Stephen‘s School (Alexandria, VA) and Mr. Willard, Mr. Wolsey, and Dr. Davidson of Hebron Academy (Hebron, ME) for realizing my potential and respecting my unique approach to learning and intellectual expression. I have profited from discussions with my graduate student colleagues and faculty in the ‗sociology of race cohort‘ at Texas A&M University, especially Ruth Thompson and Jennifer Mueller. In addition, I owe a special thanks to Mark Fossett for admitting a nontraditional candidate to A&M‘s budding department. Dalia Abdelhady, Uzi Awret, Chuck Bush, Roy Carrier and Family, Erick, Sandy and Bella DeAtkins, Dave Force, Melanie Greentree Black, Mandel Lacey, James Moore, John Nimo, Gabriel ―Pandy‖ Perrodin, Jane Potter, Reggie Smith, Richard Snyder, Doug Stein, Adrian Tan, John, Paula, Jake and Shea Van Roberts, and Mike Welsh are dear friends, old and new, who have taught me valuable life lessons and provided support. I extend my gratitude to the staff at the libraries of George Mason University, Texas A&M University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Chicago. Finally, I thank all the individuals I have encountered who have sharpened my thought and aided in my personal development. viii NOMENCLATURE AACS African American Chicago School AACSRR African American Chicago School of Race Relations ABS Association of Black Sociologists ACS American Colonization Society AJS American Journal of Sociology ASA American Sociological Association ASR American Sociological Review BSF Black Sociological Frame CAACP Chicago Association for Advancement of Colored People CC Carnegie Corporation CSHR Case-Specific Human Rights CSRR Chicago School of Race Relations CSS Chicago School of Sociology CUL Chicago Urban League ECS Early Chicago School ECSRR Early Chicago School of Race Relations FGBS First Generation Black Sociologists FWBS First Wave Black Sociologists FWWS First Wave White Sociologists HBCU Historically Black Colleges and Universities ix HH Hull House HHSRR Hull House School of Race Relations HRAB Human Rights of All Blacks HRBA Human Rights of Black Americans HRCP Human Rights of Colored People NAACP National Association for Advancement of Colored People NUL National Urban League PCS Park Chicago School PCSRR Parkean Chicago School of Race Relations RHR Race-Specific Human Rights SGBS Second Generation Black Sociologists SWBS Second Wave Black Sociologists SWWS Second Wave White Sociologists UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights UHR Universal Human Rights UN United Nations UNIC Universal Negro Improvement Center WRF White Racial Frame WSF White Sociological Frame x TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... vi NOMENCLATURE .................................................................................................. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: THE SOCIOLOGICAL COLOR LINE ............... 1 Concepts, Theories and Methods…………………………………. 3 Overview of Chapters…………………………………………….. 21 II BLACK SOCIOLOGISTS: HISTORIES AND BIOGRAPHIES, PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES ................................................... 27 The Black Sociologists: The First Half Century (1971), John Bracey,August Meier and Elliott Rudwick (eds.)…………………. 28 Black Sociologists: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (1974), James Blackwell and Morris Janowitz (eds.)……………... 35 Confronting the American Dilemma of Race: The Second Generation Black American Sociologists (2002), Robert Washington and Donald Cunnigen (eds.)………………………….. 52 Conclusion…………………………………………………………. 73 III THE DEATH OF WHITE SOCIOLOGY AND INTRODUCTION TO BLACK SOCIOLOGY … ............................................................. 75 The Death of White Sociology (1973), Joyce A. Ladner (ed.)……. 75 xi CHAPTER Page ―What is Black Sociology?: Toward a Sociology of Black Liberation‖ (1973) and ―The Nature of Black Sociology in Introduction to Black Sociology (1976), Robert Staples………… . 90 Conclusion………………………………………………………… 105 IV MOVING BEYOND THE AMBIGUITY OF WHITE