Instruction
Question 1: Du Bois famously says the problem of the 20th century is “the problem of the color line.” He says this because racism was not fundamentally addressed in the 19th century when it could have been. From what we read, what kind of social, political, and economic projects could have created more racial and social equality and why were they undermined (hence, giving us the problem of the color line)?
Question 2: How does Durkheim explain a change from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity and, in this transition, why has organic solidarity created conditions of anomie?
Question 3: How can Durkheim’s ideas on the construction of culture (namely, his writings on religion, ritual, and conscious collective) be linked with Du Bois’ writings on racism? That is, how can we draw on Durkheim’s ideas to explain (through Du Bois) the creation of racist ideas and practices?