Simmel's versus Du Bois's Theories in the Social Sciences

Throughout history, Georg Simmel and W.E.B. Du Bois have had a substantial influence on imperative theories and concepts developed in the area of social sciences. Two of the most significant and distinguished concepts fostered by both of these theorists are the concepts of “double consciousness” and “the stranger”. In this essay, I will be analyzing each of these works to draw upon differences and similarities concerning the two. The resemblances I will be expanding on are the usage of the paradoxical figure, which both theorists discuss in their theories, and the coexisting sensation of division from conventional society. The contrast between the two theories in which I will be exploring is the perception that conventional society holds on these paradoxical figures. In Simmel works of the stranger, is seen as a beneficial addition to our society. But on the other hand, in Du Bois work of the seventh son is viewed more as a liability on society.
The idea of double consciousness was first conceptualized by W.E.B. Du Bois. In his writing “The Souls of Black Folk” Du Bois reflects on the subjective consequences of being black in America. On the concept, Du Bois says: “After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world,--a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness,--an America...

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...y. The stranger helps build a society, where the seventh son, or African American, is seen to devalue or hinder a society (Du Bois, 10; Simmel, 149).
The influence that the behaviors of groups have is one of the most important factors that help shape and contribute to a functional society. With their works, William Edward Burghardt
Du Bois and Georg Simmel use their theories to further examine many of the social issues that are still present in society today, such as inequalities. Simmel and Du Bois both discuss issues such as the feeling of a lack of belongingness felt by outsiders within a society where they may be tolerated, but not fully accepted. What Du Bois and Simmel do not share, however, is the idea of a level of appreciation. Perhaps the issue is deeper than just that of a stranger and a seventh son, but rather an issue of race or historical background.