Double consciousness is the dual self-perception[1] experienced by subordinated or colonized groups in an oppressive society. The term and the idea were first published in W. E. B. Du Bois's autoethnographic work, The Souls of Black Folk in 1903, in which he described the African American experience of double consciousness, including his own.[2]
Originally, double consciousness was specifically the psychological challenge African Americans experienced of "always looking at one's self through the eyes" of a racist white society and "measuring oneself by the means of a nation that looked back in contempt".[2] The term also referred to Du Bois's experiences of reconciling his African heritage with an upbringing in a European-dominated society.[3]
- ^ "Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy". Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ a b Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk. New York, Avenel, NJ: Gramercy Books; 1994
- ^ Wamba, Philippe (1999). Kinship. New York, New York: Penguin Group. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-525-94387-7.