Learning from the Black Radical Tradition: Theory and Method in Historical Sociology

Ricarda Hammer, UC Berkeley
José Itzigsohn, Brown University

For too long, questions of racism and colonialism have not been part of historical sociology’s focus and understanding of modernity. Yet, a new generation of scholars have begun to challenge this, placing racism and empire at the center of their inquiries. This new generation looks to previously marginalized scholars for guidelines and inspiration. In line with this shift in historical sociology, this paper examines the work of W. E. B. Du Bois and other others in the Black Radical Tradition to examine what kind of theoretical and methodological insights they may offer. We bring this tradition to longer-standing analytical and methodological debates in historical sociology: How do these authors allow us to think about theory-building and comparison? What is the goal for explanation? How should we engage with archives and sources? Building on these insights, this paper explains how Du Bois and the Black Radical Tradition provide an analytic and methodological framework that allows us to see the connections between racism, colonialism, and modernity.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 70. Theory and Method for Critical Studies II