Sociological Foundations I: What is Sociology? September 18 th, 2012

Tutorial Groups Start Today (Sept 18th) Group B01—Mackenzie 4499 Group B02— Mackenzie 3269 Group B03— Southam Hall 515 Group B04— Southam Hall 501 Group B05— Tory Building 208 Group B06— Residence Commons Room 214 Group B07—Southam Hall 403 Group B08—Tory Building 230 Group B09— Southam Hall 615 Group B10—Paterson Hall 101

Key Terms and People Sociology Sociological Imagination Common Sense Critical thinking C. Wright Mills Macro-sociology Micro-sociology Structure Agency

3 Elements of Sociology A systematic study of social life A variety of concepts, theories, and research methods The body of knowledge resulting from this study

Elements of the Sociological Perspective 1.See general social patterns in behaviours of particular individuals. 2.See the strange in the familiar 3.Seeing personal choice in social context 4.Marginality and crisis

We can never fully understand human actions from simply the personal level.

What does that mean for Individuals? “In the game of life, we may decide how to play our cards, but it is society that deals us the hand” (Macionis and Plummer 2005: 9).

Social Structure Constrains and helps determine the action of individuals Factors such as: social class, religion, gender, ethnicity, customs, etc. which affect and constrain the opportunities that people have.

Sociology’s Goals Sociology’s goal  Improve society There are no easy solutions in how to accomplish this goal Sociology provides useful ways to: Understanding our current predicament Seeing possible ways of dealing with it

Critical Thinking A willingness to ask any question, no matter how difficult To be open to any answer that is supported by reason and evidence To confront one’s own biases and prejudices openly when they get in the way

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

C. Wright Mills Wrote the Sociological Imagination in Wrote about the connection between biography and history Advocated active engagement

The Sociological Imagination The sociological imagination is the starting point to sociology. One of the main goals of this and every sociological class is to get you thinking sociologically and develop your sociological imagination.

The Sociological Imagination “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise” (Mills, 1959)

Personal Troubles and Social Issues Personal troubles: private problems experienced within the character of the individual and the range of their immediate relation to others. Social Issues: lay beyond one's personal control and the range of one's inner life.

Example #1: Unemployment Example # 2: Body Image

The social imagination is about determining the relationship between individual lives of people and the wider social forces.

Scope of Sociology From the analysis of passing encounters between individuals in the street, friend groups, families, communities, schools and up to the organizations, cultures, nations

Macro- sociology Studies large-scale social organizations and large social categories Studies social processes and patterns in society as a whole

Micro-sociology Creation and maintenance of symbols The processes and patterns of face-to-face interaction

Global Structure International organizations, patterns of worldwide travel and communications and economic relations between countries. No longer possible to ignore rest of the world—even for understanding our own society

Sociological Toolbox Theories and methods are both part of a sociologist’s toolkit Theories are things to be used at every stage of research—not just an outcome at the end Most sociologists draw on different theories for different purposes

Social Theory(s) Attempt to systematically explain social situations/ phenomena/ experiences/ behaviour There is not a unified theory that everyone agrees on as the correct way of explaining social phenomena Both reveal and conceal certain aspects of human experiences

Next Week Sociological Foundations II CHANGE IN READINGS: Knutilla Chapter 1: Available in the Additional Readings folder on Webct