Chapter 1- What Is Sociology Flashcards
What is the study of sociology
The systematic study of society- the society is too large and it’ll would be almost impossible to study completely
So sociologist study a part of the society
What is human interconnectedness in reference to the study if society?
In other to understand the social interactions in humans we must study not just the individual but all the influences around their life. The connectedness that affect their lives must be studied
But that is particularly difficult as their are multiple influences although finite, so sociologist study a part out of the whole society
This can be intimate relationships, larger relationships or medium sized relationships
Explain sociology as an umbrella
It is all encompassing of different humanities like economics, linguistics, anthropology, history, politics, psychology
These although have distinct topics they study but those topics can be modified to be studied in context of the society
How many sections are in the American sociological association
53
What did C. Wright Mills mean by:
Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both
Every individual lives from one generation to the next in some society, that he lives out a biography and that he lives it out within some historical sequence. By fact of his living he contributes, however minutely to the shaping of this society and to the course of its history, even as he in made by society and by its historical push and shove
To study sociology involves the CO-CONSTITUTION of individual and society.
We cannot understand the individual without understanding the influence the society has in the individual
And we cannot study the society without the people that are living and affecting the events within that society
What did Karl Mark mean by:
Men make their own history, but they do not make it simply as they please, they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances directly found, given and transmitted from the past
Behavior of the people in a society influence that society
We cannot understand an individual only by the choices they make.
Their choices are as a result of their mindset and the society as well.
So we don’t just study a person from their choices but the elements within that society that influenced those choices
For example i chose to loc my hair, not solely because I didn’t like the stress of braids but also because the price of braids was too much, the inconvenience of transport, the weather influencing a simple hair choice to fit my cap, seeing Chimdi’s locs because I went to the Christmas party- all societal factors that influenced my choice
What is the role of circumstance and inequality in the study sociology
Our circumstance influenced by the society affect our choices
Inequality affects the choices we make although people may have similar circumstances.
Same opportunity different choices because of inequality
Explain how mills explained social imagination from the point of intimate connections
Mills commented on how our most intimate and private moments in our lives with the totality of the society
Explain the connection between the intimate moments of our lives and the societies influence in context of social imagination
The most intimate moments in our lives should should be understood with the influence the society have with those moments as well
For example the experience of giving birth although very intimate between month we and child but the type of hospital, epidural, nurses and doctors
Explain the relationship between biography/ personal troubles and history/ public issues
People often think our personal trouble result form our behavior and choices, although there is a small role our choices play but the decisions we make is constrained by the society that is by the history and public issues—> co- constitution
Who emphasized the co-constitution of individual people and societies they are imbedded
Mills Wright
Explain the reasoning behind Mills relation between personal trouble and public issues from, with respect to Vietnam war example in context to coconstituion between in individual and the society
According to Mills with respect to the Vietnam war, the personal trouble was an American getting drafted for the war and not anting to fight
The pubic issue was the mandate to go to war regardless of who you were
So although a personal reason which was to not go to war this is made because if the context of the Public mandate to go to war
The individual- biography being American or Vietnamese and the personal trouble being drafted for war
The society- history relation between the two countries and the public issue, the war between the two countries
What is the relationship between personal troubles and public issues
Social forces
What are social forces
Societal level mechanisms that affect the direction of an individuals life and affect their character
Social forces include what
Ideology/culture
Social structures
What is ideology
Thoughts we have that affect how we see the world and the judgements we make then influence the choices and behavior
OUR THOUGHT
When we decide to make certain decisions out of our own free will
What is social structure
How the social world is organized to create particular patterns that lead to practical activity
When we are made to act in a certain pattern because of societal rules not out of our own minds
Explain the reasoning behind Mills relation between personal trouble and public issues from, with respect to unemployment example in context to coconstituion between in individual and the society
Mills gives an example that at the individual context someone’s decision to not work could be as a result of being rich, having parents funds but in a situation when there only 80 jobs available and 100 people are searching for work the remaining 20% lack of a job is not because of their own reason but more public and societies fault for lack of jobs avauvkbe
Explain the reasoning behind Mills relation between personal trouble and public issues from, with respect to marriage example in context to coconstituion between in individual and the society
If in a society the rate divorce after even 4 years of marriage is 250 out of 1000 marriages, in this situation, there must be something between these marriages that although my seem like its the issue of the couple but the society may be playing larger role that contributes to the breakdown
For example,e consider 2 societies, one has 25% in breakdown of marriage and the other 10% but in the first society the process to divorce is much easier and smother than society 2 where the government may make a mandate that only certain reasons can cause people to divorce.
In a situation like that the feelings or personal trouble of the individuals neglected as long as it doesn’tmeet with the standard the government put in place therefore considering the societal, aspect and not just the personal trouble is a key point that mills tries to illustrate as having a social imagination
Give an example that distinguishes ideology and social structure
Ideology influences our thoughts that change our behavior, for example when people began wearing face mask because of their own personal research about how to protect yourself from diseases
Social structure is the world being organized in certain patterns that force or indirectly cause us to change our thoughts and therefore our behavior- so when the government sent out the mandate that everyone hands to wear mask regardless of your age, health or class.
Personal thoughts that we internalize, affect our thoughts and therefore influence our behavior is considered what?
Ideology
What works by influencing our subjective thought, mind and beliefs that causes a change in our behavior which can sometimes be invincible to us, so such desires are not from us but from the societies influence
Social structure
Explain the concept of ideology from the perspective of consumer culture
The idea of purchasing a certain brand of water bottle, i may have 5 other water bottles in my house but this new brand of bottle that has different colors which all have a specific name to them peaks my interest and i desire to get that one.
The idea to buy a new water bottle is not inherently from our own thought but with the way the society (bottle company) created a brand name, that influences my thoughts and i get the bottle
What’s the difference between a subjective and objective view of the world
Subjective means in relation to a topic that has to do with mind and thought, thinking- you could say the type of ice cream people like is subjective, based on an individuals thoughts
Objective is more of an object in a physical reality or space. For example the temperature and feel of ice cream is cold
For example the people had a subjective thought that the world was flat but objectively, that’s false its round. So we may have a thought that maybe true false or true but objectively it is what it is regardless of what you think it is or should be
What maybe be experienced as being unique to an individual but exhibit observable patterns?
These observable patterns are study be sociologist to understand what ?
Behavior
Ideology
How do sociologist study the effects of ideology
By observing the patterns of behavior caused by change in thoughts and influenced by the societies
How does social structure affect the decision we take in context to the ideal college student
Ina school system there is a built in hierarchy of letter grades that determines how well you do, a student who does not necessarily have the ideology or thought of being the best student but if they plan to apply to law school or med school, they’ll need a good gpa. So indirect causing us to change our thought and influence our behavior
So without having to directly influence thought like ideology, by the structure in place we are sort of mandated to follow a particular pattern
Structure—> ideology/culture—> individual thought
What provides explanation about how the society influence the individual
Social forces like ideology and social structure
What provides information on how individuals affect society
Agency and societal reproduction
What is agency
The ability of each person to make a decision for them self is agency
How is agency a part of societal reproduction
Societal reproduction is when individuals make decisions in accordance with the structure put in place
By making a decision to act on or against the ideologies or structure that exist, that is agency, so in order to reproduce an idea or mandate from structure, we have to choose/ make the decision to obey them
Which is why structure or ideology would not exist without human decisions
How does social change differ from social reproduction
When the decisions individuals make is not consistent with the social structure and ideology/ culture.
So i choose to murder a human even though the idea is horrific, there would be repercussions that may include the death penalty or inprisonment set by structures
INCONSISTENT with the norm
Why do sociologist study patterns observable from a larger group of people
Because of the complex link between ideology, structure and agency, each individual although still influenced by the society, behave in distinct ways that’ll be too difficult to study
Therefore sociologist study larger groups of people because people make decisions that are consistent with ideology and structure most of the time. So they study these recognizable PATTERNS
