Chapter 1. Inspiring the Sociological Imagination
-
how sociology forms a picture of society
-
Learn about the history and development of sociology as a social scientific discipline
-
Be introduced to three key processes in sociology
-
Gain an introduction to four main approaches of sociological analysis
-
Understand how sociology can improve your skills necessary for employment
1. Terminology
1-1. Sociological imagination
– the ability to perceive the underlying societal causes of individual experiences and issues; and to think outside
the accepted wisdom and common routines of daily life
– defined by C. Wright Mills (1955)
– Mills says “vivid awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society”
– Not a theory but an outlook that tries to steer us away from thinking routinely about our everyday lives
– Ability to connect large and small, fast changing and slow changing, parts of social life
– It makes us aware of the relation between people and the wider society
– It helps us to look at our personal experiences in a different, more objective way
– It helps us see society as the result of millions of people working out their personal lives
– It is also a learned capacity to shift from one way of thinking to another – to pull away from the immediate
situation and think from an alternative point of view
– It requires us to break free from personal experiences and habits, if only for a while
– Mills felt that a lack of sociological imagination could make people apathetic-that is, lacking in willingness to
study and solve social problems
– Without this, people might lose their ability to respond appropriately to human tragedies and injustices, or to
criticize their political leaders
– It is a way of thinking about society as a tapestry of individual lives interacting and evolving over time
1-2. Norms
The rules or expectations of behavior people consider acceptable in their group or society.
People who do not follow theses norms may be shunned, punished, or ridiculed.
Norms, like values, vary from one society to another and change over time