Thinking Sociologically Jan 16, 2014 http://wwnorton.com/college/soc/conley3/full/ch/01/paradox.aspx http://www.sociologysource.org/sociologysounds/2012/2/14/society-eddie-vedder.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7pVjl4Rrtc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pkq_eBHXJ4 This last one start at 40 secs in. Announcements: 1- Questions about syllabus, texts, etc. 2- ppts on Canvas 3- Just because no tests, you still need to pay attention to lectures and readings. Quizzes will cover weekly readings and/or recent lectures/class material. Also, I expect you to integrate material we learn throughout the entire course in your sociological autobiography and Social Issue Blog. Think of these two assignments as assessing your comprehensive knowledge from the class. Quiz 1 due Jan 23 covering first 2 weeks. Agenda for Day: 1- What is sociology? 2- What do sociologists do? 3- Why study sociology? 4- How do we think sociologically?

What is Sociology? The scientific study of human society. But…what does this really mean? Goal: To understand society in a disciplined way. Paradox: http://wwnorton.com/college/soc/conley3/full/ch/01/paradox.aspx

Sociology… Aims to understand how the social world works and what the future is likely to hold Argues that our lives are shaped by broad social and historical influences that are often “hidden” because they are taken for granted as normal. Exposes these “hidden” relationships so that we can begin to address problems

What do sociologists do? Sociologists use scientific methods to describe how the social world works, and how and why it works as it does. Often comparative. Define the usual way things work. Many sociologists then use this information to work to make the world better/solve problems. Sociologists attempt to analyze and explain why people interact with others, how groups are organized and function, the power structure of society, and how groups deal with conflict and change Sociologists are more interested in group processes and patterns than in individual behaviors Can study the sociology of just about anything.

What kind of questions do Sociologists Ask? Questions that can be measured objectively and scientifically. Sociologists do not make judgments or conclude that beliefs/practices are right or wrong. Applied sociologists conduct research to help organizations solve problems that impact social policy.

Questions for You: T/F Most people on welfare don’t want to work and are just looking for a handout Compared with men, women touch each other more while they are conversing. Society controls individual behavior. Because of the rapid rise in the divorce rate in the US, children are much more likely to live in single parent households now than they were a century ago. Because life seems more stressful in more densely populated states, it makes sense that suicide rates are higher in those states. Making the familiar strange. This is not just common sense.

Why Study Sociology? Better understand social situations from diverse perspectives Ability to collect data and evaluate problems Understand the intended and unintended consequences of social policies Reveal the complexities of social life Learn about ourselves and our biases Develop useful job skills (writing, critical thinking, group interaction, analytics, etc.) Sociology is important because, accurate information gleaned from sociological research can be the basis for more rational and just social policies than common sense policies

Sociological Imagination: A Tool to Unlock the Matrix 11:35-12:05 So we saw this clip from the Matrix on Tuesday and started thinking about the social world as something that we live within and operate within and experience life within, but that we might not really understand or see The Truth. One of the goals of this class is to help you start to uncover some of those truths behind the social world, to not just accept things as they are, but to think sociologically. In other words, I will encourage you to develop and use your sociological imagination.

Sociological Imagination in Action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pkq_eBHXJ4 This last one start at 40 secs in. The textbook gives this scene as an example of the sociological imagination. Where in this clip do you see the sociological imagination coming into play? Vincent Vega (John Travolta) describes his visit to a McDonald’s in Amsterdam to Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson). 9

Personal Troubles or Public Issues? Do Sociologists Ask? The sociological imagination is the ability to see the connections between our personal experience and the larger forces of history. In your small groups, did you come up with any private troubles that are not public issues? What might these be? Or, are all private troubles public issues? Divide into groups of 3ish (Allow 30 minutes) 1 – What is the sociological imagination? 2- Come back together briefly and discuss. 3- Compile a written list of private issues faced by people you know. 4- Mark any with an asterisk those that stem from larger social forces. 5- In the asterisked cases, explain connection between private troubles and broader issues. Come back together: 1- Did we come up with any private troubles that are not social? 2- Is suicide brought up? Tell students focus of next week. Although suicide is intensely troubling for individuals, their family and friends (a private trouble), the suicide rate, reasons for suicide, and relations to and expections about suicide are very closely related to the way society is structured and to issues facing society.

For Next Week… Activity Posting 1 Due Tuesday Set up blog and post to Canvas discussion Journal about 5 “happenings”, briefly explaining how social. Choose 1 and go into more detail about how things might be different. Topics: Doing Sociology– Examples, Theory & Methods Hurricane Katrina. Choose an essay, read, and be ready to discuss Gang Leader for a Day, Chapt 1 for Thursday Book Club Leaders and Notetakers

People make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living. Karl Marx (1818-1883)