week 1 - sociological imagination

Question 1

what is sociology?

Answer 1

study of society, interactions, behaviours and institutions.
look at society as a whole

Question 2

who is August Comte?

Answer 2

French thinker
model of sociology using social physics
analytical approach of physics for the entire world
positivist sociology - science based, observable data.

Question 3

who is Harriet Martineau?

Answer 3

first female sociologist
made the idea available to other women and inspired others with her position
wrote her own social theory
objective
she acknowledged emotions of how people interact with each other.

Question 4

what do modern day sociologist think?

Answer 4

Don’t abide by Comte or Martineau
describe their work as critical
role to critically engage with how society operates

Question 5

what is individualism?

Answer 5

methodological - the social phenomena in terms of the individual
economic - individuals act to maximise profit at the expense of others
moral - basis of morality is individual anatomy and responsibility, not collective action

Question 6

what are the critiques of individualism?

Answer 6

throughout history the types of questions asked, the notion of culture and collective interaction to explain the social world are unsustainable.
neo-liberalism

Question 7

what is a social theory?

Answer 7

theory of how society works
explanation of social phenomena which was not proved as false
not scientific but a systematic approach that are transparent
range of theories of how society works

Question 8

what is the sociological imagination?

Answer 8

Mills
recognises the micro pull of individual and macro from society
critiques individualism
understands society through the distinction between troubles and issues

Question 9

what are troubles?

Answer 9

personal characteristics of the individual, the personal problems between family members

Question 10

what are issues?

Answer 10

social issue, low wages, unemployment, cost of living crisis.