Understanding sociology Flashcards
tools of sociological trade
- historical/comparative evidence
- pose detailed, vigorous questions
- move beyond surface level-beyond common sense, don’t take things for granted
the point of tools of the sociological trade
to develop a theory/explenation
sociology definition
the study of societies, or cultures and institutions of people interacting with one another within geographical spaces and historical time
ADVANTAGES: inclusive definition
Berger’s definition of sociology
society is a large complex of human relationships and a system of interaction
disadvantages of berger’s definintion
nothing about relationships over time
gidden’s definition of sociology
a cluster or system of institutionalised modes of conduct
criticisms of gidden’s defintion
nothing about time and space
who asks the key questions of sociology?
Bauman and May
how do the types of social relations and societies we inhabit relate to:
1) how we see eachother=our interactions with others
2) how we see ourselves=our self-identity
3) our knowledge, actions and their consequences=cultures, norms, values etc in the social structure
who came up with the term sociological imagination?
C.Wright Mills
defintion of sociological imagination
a way of thinking that enables you to understand
1) what is going on in the world
2) what is happening to yourself
BY
thinking of yourself as a ‘minute point of the intersection between biography and history within society’
example of using the sociological imagination
to understand unemployment you must look at economics
