Awakening the Sociological Imagination

Society is … A group of individuals …living together as members of a community …in agreed upon ways

What Does Society Look Like? Society: o Is an object (it has a form/shape) o If Society is an object, then it can be studied like any other subject o A Sociologist does to society …what a Biologist does to a living organism …what a geologist does to a rock o Society becomes something scientifically dissected and studied

A Geologist Studiying a Rock

Upon Further Examination As we study this object (society) we discover –It is made up of countless other components Things such as cultures, institutions, rules … –These things can also be studied on their own – Additionally, these parts can be broken down and studied –We soon discover “society” is huge and has many moving parts, shapes and boundaries

Society looks like this painting by Kandinsky

Or more like this: Relationships between individuals in a society

What Can We See? When we sociologically examine closely, we can see: People living their lives o Interacting with each other o Working, Playing, Eating, Dancing, Flirting, Learning, Fighting, Grieving, Marrying, Worshiping, etc… There are limitless observable happenings for us to analyze! They are happening all around us – every moment of every day of every life!

Seeing Sociology - We can see …eating, meeting and greeting “norms”

Is Sociology a Science? Natural Science is the study of the “physical” features of nature and the ways in which they interact Social Science is the study of the “social” features of humans and the ways they interact and change

The Social Sciences Social Sciences Include: o Sociology o Psychology o Anthropology o Economics o Political Science o History

Sociology The study of the relationship between the individual and society Ranges from large scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and individual interests The Sociology of “The Sopranos” would deal with family, mafia, loyalty, morality, immigration, etc..

TO BE CONTINUED

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Sociologists Ask …QUESTIONS! Bathroom Etiquette is just an example of the types of things we can and will examine in Sociology ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Transitioning back to the video yesterday … there was an interesting phrase used. The gentleman stated: “We have forces all around us” that influence our actions! …We tend to think of ourselves as free agents – BUT IN REALITY – we are not!”

Sociologists Ask …QUESTIONS! AGREE or DISAGREE? ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. DO WE MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT LIFE OR ARE WE PROGRAMMED / PRE-PROGRAMMED BY OUTSIDE INFLUENCES? padlet.com/pvteacher/socialforces

Sociology: A Definition Sociology is the scientific study of human activity in society. More specifically, it is the study of the social forces that affect human behavior. ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Social Forces The human-created ways of doing things that: –influences –pressures –or push people to: behave interact with others and think in specified ways ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Social Forces The human-created ways of doing things that influence, pressure, or push people to behave, interact with others, and think in specified ways: –Technology –Racial classification –Symbolic Meanings –Institutions ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Why Study Sociology? Helps us understand how human activity and behavior is organized. –Pushes us to identify social forces shaping human activity –Pushes us to ask questions about that activity’s consequences. –Helps us to understand who we are ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Write a Caption Write a caption that addresses a way in which the “mobile phone” is a Social Force affecting human relationships and activities. ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Lisa Southwick

Write a Caption Define a cell phone and its purpose Identify the cell phone as a “Social Force” which has impacted … (give your example) Reflect on what is gained and perhaps lost as a result (how are activities changed and relationships effected?) ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Write a caption that addresses a way in which the mobile phone is a social force affecting human relationships and activities

One Possible Caption The cell phone is a technology humans invented to communicate with others while on the move. There is no question that this technology or social force has changed the way people communicate. Because most people have their own phone, callers do not have to speak to a 3rd party before speaking to the person being called. So a parent, calling to see if a child playing at a friend’s house is coming home, talks to the child directly and misses an opportunity to talk to another parent. On the surface it seems efficient to avoid a third party; on the other hand, the ties among parents are weakened. ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.