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Assignment 08: Interlocking Oppression

African American women’s role as domestic workers for wealthy, elite, white families has provided them with a significant “outsider” viewpoint for culture, society and race, according to Patricia Hill Collins. Her essay, “Learning from the Outsider Within: The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought,” examines the ways in which black feminists authors use the role of the outsider to examine the world from a sociological standpoint.

Collins uses Georg Simmel’s essay on the role of the outsider in sociology to provide a basic understanding of the benefits of being an outsider. According to Simmel, outsiders have a special type of objectivity, which allows them to be near and far, concerning and indifferent. Besides their objectivity, outsiders are also more trusted when someone needs to confide, meaning that they often have access to information that people within the group may not. Lastly, outsiders can use their objectivity to see patterns or situations that people immersed in the group are unable to see.

Black feminist scholars, according to Collins, are one group of “marginal intellectuals” that have the ability to promote further sociological discussions because of their unique perspective. The unique position that black women have as outsiders gives them a more complex understanding of race and class, and allows the black feminist to develop unique ideas. As outsiders, black women often see and hear things that their partners or spouses or even children would not experience, giving them a type of wiseness in regard to life. Due to their role as outsiders, black feminists promote a discourse that engages all audiences and racial groups, as well as engages sociological discussions regarding race, class, and assimilation. Black women are often discredited for their work, but they never fail to achieve academic greatness and inspiration to others. Collins essay provides an understandable context to the position of an outsider, especially regarding black women who are domestic workers.