Emancipatory Empiricism: The Rural Sociology of W.E.B. Du Bois

Abstract

In this article, the authors discuss W.E.B. Du Bois’ contributions to rural sociology, focusing specifically on his discussions of rural communities and the structure of agriculture. The authors frame his research agenda as an emancipatory empiricism and discuss the ways his rural research is primarily focused on social justice and the social progress of Black communities in rural spaces. Du Bois’ empirical research, funded by the Department of Labor from 1898 to 1905, provides evidence that Du Bois was among the first American sociologists to conduct empirical agrarian analyses and case studies of rural communities.