Sociological Imagination ‘Think ourselves away from the familiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them anew’
Why should I study Sociology? Sociology offers us a different view of the world than what we are used to especially from what we learn from the media, popular culture and in schools. This may make you feel uncomfortable as it allows a new way of looking at your world.
Sociology will give you some new tools to understand your own life, the relationships you are involved in and the larger groups that you are a part of.
Psychology’s Perspective
People’s behavior is determined by emotional/mental and internal processes
Psychology focuses on individuals and how biology is the main determining factor for how an individual acts
Drives/Needs control our behavior (Freud)
In psychology other people do not play a signficant role in shaping behavior as the internal processes are more influential
Sociology rejects the psychology perspective.
The Sociological Perspective
Other people greatly influence how we act.
Some people have more influence than others
Sociology focuses on the external process with little focus on the internal
Social forces shape our behaviors, beliefs, and actions
Level of Education The affect that we do not realize- and often do not want to admit.
The sociological imagination connects the personal to these larger social forces that shape our lives Welcome to the sociological imagination….
The Sociological Imagination begins with the microsociology which is looking at the ‘small-scale patterns of individuals social interaction in specific settings’
Microsociology includes ‘everyday’ interactions involving what people think, say or do on a daily basis
Macrosociology looks at the larger social forces at work such as social movements and public policy
The intersection of these two ideas (macro sociology and micro sociology) is the sociological imagination!
Main Points -Sociological Imagination -Microsociology -Macrosociology -Psychology Perspective -Sociology Perspective