CHAPTER 1 – The Sociological Perspective

"The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life."
— Jane Addams

WHY SOCIOLOGY?

According to our text, "Sociology, The Essentials (6^th Edition)", sociology is the study of human behavior. Expanding on that definition, sociology is an in-depth look at history, other cultures and times, the interconnectedness of social life, and different frameworks of thought. For me, the issues addressed through the study of sociology are very thought-provoking! I would also contend that the study of sociology requires time, dedication, and an abstract way of thinking perhaps a bit beyond my capabilities.

A very well-known sociologist and author, C. Wright Mills (1916-1962), coined the term sociological imagination, (also the title of his popular book) to define the ability to identify and understand the methods and concepts of sociology for which yield powerful insights into the social processes shaping lives, experiences, problems and possibilities in the world. Sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and the workings of social systems.

I truly admire the individuals who dedicate their lives to the study of sociology which requires a unique and respectable skillset including the ability think abstractly, formulate problems, ask appropriate questions, search for answers, analyze situations and data, organize material, write well, and make oral presentations that help others develop insight and make decisions. I was pleasantly surprised to find out the present day sociology majors include Michelle Obama, Robin Williams, and Regis Philbin, all uniquely successful.

For those with further questions on whom or why one should study sociology, I found the following to be insightful, from "Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective" by Peter L. Berger:

Why Study Sociology?

The sociologist . . . is someone concerned with understanding society in a disciplined way.

S/he will naturally be interested in the events that engage people's ultimate beliefs, their moments of tragedy and grandeur and ecstasy. But s/he will also be fascinated by the commonplace, the everyday.

What interests us is the curiosity that grips any sociologist in front of a closed door behind which there are human voices. If s/he is a good sociologist, s/he will want to open that door, to understand those voices. Behind each closed door s/he will anticipate some new facet of human life not yet perceived and understood.

The fascination of sociology lies in the fact that its perspective makes us see in a new light the very world in which we have lived all our lives.

[T]here is a deceptive simplicity and obviousness about some sociological investigations.

One reads them, nods at the familiar scene, remarks that one has heard all this before and don't people have better things to do than to waste their time on truisms--until one is suddenlybrought up against an insight that radically questions everything one had previously assumed about this familiar scene. This is the point at which one begins to sense the excitement of sociology.

It can be said that the first wisdom of sociology is this--things are not what they seem.

This too is a deceptively simple statement. It ceases to be simple after a while.

Social reality turns out to have many layers of meaning.

The discovery of each new layer changes the perception of the whole.

People who like to avoid shocking discoveries, who prefer to believe that society is just what they were taught in Sunday School, who like the safety of the rules and the maxims of what Alfred Schuetz has called the "world-taken-for-granted," should stay away from sociology.

People who feel no temptation before closed doors, who have no curiosity about human beings, who are content to admire scenery without wondering about the people who live in those houses on the other side of that river, should probably stay away from sociology. They will find it unpleasant or, at any rate, unrewarding.

People who are interested in human beings only if they can change, convert or reform them should also be warned, for they will find sociology much less useful than they hoped. And people whose interest is mainly in their own conceptual constructions will do just as well to turn to the study of little white mice.

Sociology will be satisfying, in the long run, only to those who can think of nothing more entrancing than to watch people and understand things human.

If your interest in sociology has peaked and you would like to know the careers available in the field the following link provided an extensive look at the possibilities:

• http://www.txwes.edu/sociology/CareersinSociology.htm.
  

For more information on sociology including the latest research topics, resources and current job openings check-out the American Sociological Association:

• http://www.asanet.org/index.cfm
  

And for those of you with nothing but time on your hands, check out the latest research published by the American Journal of Sociology:

• http://www.jstor.org/page/journal/amerjsoci/about.html

KNOW THE TERMSWORDFIND: The Sociological Perspective

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Sociology

Troubles

Issues

Debunking

Diversity

Social Facts

Marx

Weber

Durkheim

Functionalism

Verstehen

Positivism

CHAPTER 4 – Socialization and the Life Course

"Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will."

--Jawaharlal Nehru 

THE BIG DEBATE

Nature vs. Nurture

The Nature vs. Nurture "debate" interests me. From a sociological perspective, what a person becomes results more from social experiences (nurture) while nature sets a certain stage for what is possible and therefore the social realities of our lives is far more important in shaping human experiences and who we become as individuals.

This makes me think of my brother, who I love dearly but you honestly could not find two more different people, neither right or wrong, just different. Remember, it takes all kinds to make the world go round. My brother and I came from the same set of parents, went to the same school, even had some of the same friends but most people wouldn't even know we were related. We dress totally different; have extremely different religious and political views, and even our interpretations of our childhood vary to some degree.

Why? The answer is clearly socialization agents, defined in our text as the people, or sources, or structures that pass on social expectations. THINK – the family, the media, peers, religion, sports, schools, etc. Each with varying in degree of influence they had on us as individuals.


 The following article is an depth decription of the sociological perspective, further addressing the nature versus nurture debate, and defining the socialization agents:

- http://www.trinity.edu/mkearl/socpsy-2.html


The following video addresses the social agents (nurture) and the role of DNA (nature) in shaping "what makes us tick".

Going further the following National Public Radio segment from All Things Considered explores the lives of identical twins separated at birth.

- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15629096.


Lastly, the following link addresses and defines socialization agents - What has had the greatest influence in shaping who you are?

- http://www.sociologycentral.com/text/socl/agentssocialization.pdf.

KNOW THE TERMS

CROSSWORD: Socialization and the Life Course

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ACROSS 4 How one defined oneself. 7 Those whom you interact with on equal terms. 8 The seat of reason and common sense. 9 What is social. 10 The process through which people learn the expectations of society.

DOWN 1 People, or sources, or structures, that pass on social expectations. 2 The expected behavior associated with a given status in society. 3 What is natural. 5 When behaviors and assumptions are learned so thoroughly that people no longer question them. 6 A person's relatively consistent pattern of behavior, feelings, predispositions, and beliefs.