Katharina S. on Du Bois and Biological Determinism

In “The Souls of Black Folk” W.E.B. Du Bois talks about how black people are still seen as a problem and are still deemed as less worthy in our society. Du Bois says that “the Negro minister or doctor was tempted towards quackery and demagogy” which was basically caused by the way other people looked at them and has nothing to do with the actual value of their work.
            One could say that our society holds on to the thought of biological determinism and that some people still seem to believe that someone having a different skin color makes a statement about his mental capabilities—which is of course not true. However, theories like that have an influence on how people treat each other and as long as some stick with the opinion that our genes define our personalities, behaviors and mental capabilities, biological determinism will remain a problem.
            Du Bois claims that issues like that will someday be overcome by the Talented Tenth. The Talented Tenth are—as he says—the ten percent of the human population that improve our society and build a better future. Can these ten percent really influence our society or is it our society that influences them? The Talented Tenth might just be the “Lucky Tenth” in that sense because they—unlike the other ninety percent—had the chance and the right opportunities to reach their true potential. Saying that only ten percent of all humans are naturally able to achieve such a status would mean that these ten percent are biologically determined to be leaders and would claim that their environment had little to no influence on them.

            

 By Katharina Schmidt

T. Nienstedt on Gould, Biological Determinism, Du Bois and Affirmative Action

The ambition of this blog entry is to clarify how Gould’s assertion that biological

determinism is a problem to modern human culture inform one’s understanding of W.E.B.

Du Bois’s defense of education among black people. Another crucial point within this field

of study are the Talented Tenth, a notion of Du Bois about an elite group of black people

who are able to form or even guide the remaining Mass. They are responsible to pass their

ideals and knowledge to the rest of their group.

Gould has a very basic understanding of how human behavior is innate and

determined by genes only. Thus it appears that, human characteristics or behavior is

largely unaffected by environmental influence. Particularly, this indicates a completely

stereotyped thinking and influences Du Bois’s notion as well.

Du Boi’s arguments support the highly fundamental right of education for black

people and one could argue that his notion of the Talented Tenth, an elite group of black

people who should guide the remaining Mass, clear the way for educated black people.

However, one should be careful with this argument. If a group is isolated from other

ethnicities, they will learn things in an isolated way. As a result, and in connection to the

biological determinism, they would act in a zone without any environmental influence or

any room for free will. Moreover, this means they would act like they always did and learn

things like they always learned. Black children might learn from the very beginning that

their place in life is being a domestic, rather than learning they are able to attend high

school and university like every other white child. Therefore, Du Boi’s notion of the

Talented Tenth is a risky one.

Generelly, affirmative action policies seem to be necessary to include ethnicities or

people who are still discriminated. This is the right way to raise the awareness of the public

that a certain lack of tolerance is still missing after all these years. On the other hand, to

call these policy affirmative action might be a discrimination per se. Unfortunately, in the

present, such an action policy is needed more than ever.

By Tanja Nienstedt

Miriam Soltau on Biological Determinism and the Defense of Education Among Black People

“Soothly we have been told that first industrial and manual training should have taught the Negro to work, then simple schools should have taught him to read and write, and finally, after years, high and normal schools could have completed the system, as intelligence and wealth demanded.” (The Souls of Black Folk 1903, VI, 12)

This is how W.E.B Du Bois connects biological determinism with the social discrimination African American people in the USA. Biodeterminism alleges that race is “fixed, unchangeable and hierarchical” (Gould pp. 51–61). However, society determines it as a “social weapon” to secure social positions and impose a vicious cycle on its victims. First, African Americans were enslaved, deculturalized and poorly educated. After the abolition of slavery, racial prejudice portrayed black people as naturally incapable on the level of education. But how were they supposed to be on the same level without the same education? Schools and Universities had poorer provision or did not even exist. Likewise, white people would not be further advanced without the prestigious Universities. It is easy to determine a group of people of being incapable of learning by setting the rules in a way, that it becomes extremely difficult to overcome the obstacles.

The problem is not the child deserving only a certain provision of education, but it is the education, which should be provided equally for all children. Biological determinism worked throughout history like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If a black child is always told, that his “place“ is being a servant or cook—whether he or she hears it  from family at home, from children at school or from people in society—it would need a very strong mindset to break free from this supposed naturally fixed setting. 

From this perspective, W.E.B. Du Bois illustrates the important role of the “Talented Tenth” as their inherited power as a leader. But in my understanding by talking about ten percent of natural leaders, Du Bois neglects the potential of the remaining ninety percent. Not everybody might be capable of leading groups or nations due to sickness or other disabilities. However, in most cases it is rather merely the result of their socialization. 

In general, the idea of affirmative action evokes to be favorable. The sound of equal rights, fair choices and same possibilities is compelling. Especially, since we still don’t live in a society, where equal treatment is a given, we might still need policies to ensure it. But do these policies really work out the way they were planned? One problem could be the devaluation of achievements of such minority groups. Instead of being valued for their competence, they might be accepted to a school or job because of their “race”. It can also be misused to claim more support for having a high quota of minorities. However, if in the present this is the only way to access a better education or job as an African American, it is very necessary to secure these policies.

By Miriam Soltau

Norman A. on Du Bois, Gould, Biological Determinism, and Affirmative Action

William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B” DuBois, was an American author and editor. Furthermore he

is known as a sociologist, historian, and counts as one of the most important figures in the

American civil rights movement in the twentieth century.

His arguments defending education among black people are fundamental to black history in

America. The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould states that various elements of biological

determinism “recur every few years”. DuBois effort in disproving false claims about blacks is still

relevant today because arguments of determinism have not changed. The discussion seems to be

ongoing, without moving forward and getting rid of manifested stigma. DuBois introduces the idea

of the Talented Tenth which he is undoubtedly a part of. Focusing on black education of the most

intelligent individuals to guide the community away from contamination is a central idea. However,

Gould´s text points out the “deep” errors of biological determinism, that among other things suggest

that intelligent black people have white blood in them, but even then are not part of the community.

He states that human behavior cannot be categorized in scientific percentages and he states that

disproving biological claims made in the past can be disproven. Furthermore, they help to get rid of

the assumption that black people's lack of education automatically makes them inferior to whites

that have enjoyed advanced tuition for far longer. Affirmative action policies in order to integrate

discriminated groups are controversial because they could possibly bring new stigma. At the same

time, black education needs to undergo vast changes to support them and possibly include

individuals in the Talented Tenth. Academically successful black people are proving that education

is not based on skin color. In the past however skin color has determined academic success in the

education system.

Norman Adewole Advanced Style Blog Entry 07.12.16

Katharina M. On Gould, Du Bois, Biological Determinism and Affirmative Action

The question of races and racism has always been a highly controversial one. Especially 20th century America is packed with reforms, progress as well as setbacks when it comes to liberate society from the self-made concept of racism  ̶  one of the worst effects of what some scientists may refer to as biological determinism. In The Mismeasure of Man Gould takes position by stating that the idea of biological determinism as an excuse for racism should be no excuse for racism at all. W.E.B. Du Bois on the other hand, was one of the great defenders of equal rights for both black  ̶   himself having been born as a black man  ̶  and white men, though, in his essay Of the Training of Black Men he defends the idea of ‟Negro Colleges” for black people only.

On first glance, this idea seems  highly contested if not even racist itself; though, having a peek at the time described, it is to mention that education among black people was not exactly common. Education among black people was not uncommon because they did not want to be educated but because the issue of racism was widely spread. So the idea of having a Negro College to give educational access to black people suddenly seems to be the necessary implication, does it not? In order to have (white) people, who, for all their life, have been thinking that black people are genetically inferior, change their minds for the better, one must present living proof that black people are indeed capable of being well educated. Du Bois called this living proof of educated black people the Talented Tenth; ‟exceptional men” who will both achieve equal education for everyone and function as role models for other African Americans.

Whether or not biological determinism will ever vanish, racism hopefully will vanish into thin air. Biological determinism itself is a concept which, to some extent, might actually even be helpful; there certainly are some naturally smart people, some who can study well or learn things by heart very well, and others who have not been gifted with brains  ̶  all of which is perfectly fine but certainly has nothing to do with the outer appearance of a person. For example, quick learners and slow learners could be educated separately so that quick learners do not get bored in class and the slower ones do not get frustrated and give up studying entirely. Actual affirmative action policies on the other hand, might end up rather negatively; if a woman gets the job just because she is a woman, even though the man applying for same job has the exact same qualifications, that might have the same discriminating effect as the man getting the job just because he is a man. I think affirmative action is a great idea to help minorities to get rid of certain labels, though, I also believe that affirmative action should not be carved in stone but red-flagged.

By Katharina "Kaddy" Mirow