Studying sociology helps to explain many reasons why groups of people do what they do. Somewhat like how we build relationships with people that share the same hobbies, careers, experiences, likes and dislikes. Everyone fits into some kind of group in one way or another. Sometimes people within those groups can have similar situations that bring them together. They aren’t always going through the exact same problem, or situation but it’s similar enough to bring them together. These can create friendships and enemies since someone could have a different view or been through a similar but different situation. These groups tend to grow since people come from many backgrounds and these groups expand with the extra knowledge and ideas that come from the different members of those groups. By studying these groups it makes it easier to understand their motives and where they are coming from with their thoughts. It also helps to think outside the box from what you would normally think yourself Lou007
I like the way that you explained your view of what studying sociology means. I agree with you that everyone fits into some kind of group. I come from a small town from the South and I am sometimes looked at as stupid or uneducated because I come from a small town where there is few people who succeed. This is very untrue. I am just like every other educated person that comes from any state or small town. Over the years I have created some friendships and I have also made enemies. Our views on the South are very different. I wish everyone would think outside the box and not just think of people from the South as dumb and uneducated. I also like the way you broke down your views of how people have the same problems in everyday life but are different in every way.
I agree with your thought of sociology. When I think of sociology I think exactly the way you do by everyone being in different groups but no matter what we work as one big group that makes our world what it is today. I like the idea of us learning about other groups other than judging them. Learning about the backgrounds would indeed expand the groups and see how others think about problems or anything we might think differently. Everyone does fit in some kind of group but as a whole makes the world how it works and keeps going. vmaganaa007
Studying sociology helps us to define how people do the things they do. All of society is alike in some type of fashion. No matter what race, religion, or class of society you come from we are all alike. Some of the same problems that someone else is going through you might be going through the same thing. It doesn't matter if one is rich or poor. Many people come from the same backgrounds but end up living their lives very differently. Does this make one person better than the other? No. People sometimes meet and don't realize they have similarities that the other one has. Sometimes this can create friendships that last a lifetime or they could turn into enemies. By studying the thoughts of the rich and poor, it can help one understand the way they think about certain situations going on in their lives. Doing these studies can also help one see the other side of life they never thought about. bulldogs007
I appreciate your thoughts and agree partially with your statement, but I also disagree to an extent. While humans do share innate characteristics, I do not believe we are all the same. I believe that from year one of our lives until the day we die, our greater situational context influences us so strongly and becomes such a part of our identity that it does create almost inherent differences among groups of people. One religious group may sincerely desire something different in their lives or have different goals than another religious group. One gender may approach situations differently than the other. People who start from a stunted or harmful situation will view their world quite differently from someone raised in privilege. I think it is a bit much to say we are all alike regardless of our differences, especially when bringing different societies and backgrounds into the picture. I do agree that no one person is better than another, and that many of us do share similarities we would perhaps not normally think we would. Two people from the same exact background or situation may act or turn out very differently, and situational context does not always define us, as you suggested. Very interesting thoughts and viewpoint. Rainshadow007
Bulldogs007 I strongly agree with your position on this topic. One variable that far too often gets overlooked when discussing social issues is the element of free will. While certain aspects of society may affect people differently, the fact is that they affect everyone in some way. Whether rich or poor, or black or white, or gay or straight, or male or female, we all have struggles that we encounter in our lives. Our struggles may be different from one another, but no matter what our situation is we all have to overcome them to survive. How you choose to face those struggles is something that will always come down to an individual's free will. Our choices are ultimately what shape our lives regardless of where we come from. Dynasty007
I absolutely agree!! Sociology helps determine why people do the things they do and make the decisions they do. There are many groups of different people and we are never alone. There is always someone out there, who may be in a different 'group' than you consider yourself, but you have the same beliefs, likes, interests. I also agree that those who grow up with the same background will also go their own separate ways. One may live exactly the same as they did growing up and the other may live on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. I believe that society helps in some form or another, shape who we grow up to be and what decisions we make in life. blonndie007
Sociology also tells us that those struggles are different too, though. I think this is one thing to remember as well. There's a line between racism and acknowledging differences in race, and gender, and sexual preference, etc. Sociology lets us draw that line. It allows us to talk about things from a majority standpoint or a minority standpoint, with equal representation for both (as much as possible). The diplomatic function of sociology can't be ignored. It forces us to open our eyes, rather than allowing us to keep them stubbornly closed. There ARE differences. And that's ok in the end, because if every thought you ever had came true, I would at least have a gold-plated toilet. Sociology helps us to realize that things like acknowledging white privilege or straight privilege is ok, as long as we vow to try and watch ourselves on it from now on. I totally agree with you guys, I just wanted to add in an extra viewpoint.
Sociology and maintaining a sociological perspective and approach to situations is very important. Not only does sociology teach us empathy and understanding for other people and what motivates or drives them in a situational context, but it also teaches us patterns of society as a whole and how these patterns can have an influence on us in a negative or positive manner. The video brought up some important points, I felt, which is that we must view situations in a context of society in which, while the individual remains responsible, the shortcomings of a person may not be the fault of that person, but rather a macro sort of bigger picture in which the person's situation may be influencing the shortcomings or poor behavior. Perhaps most importantly (in my opinion), sociology must be studied and maintained so that we can help out fellow human beings. Instead of blaming a person (like with our example of the juvenile prisoners, as well), if we look at the factors that typically influence and create situations that harm individual people or cause them to struggle, we can help -solve- those problems and adjust our social patterns through education and understanding to decrease poor or harmful behavior in individuals. Rainshadow007
I agree with your statements about sociology helping to teach empathy and understanding for others, and that the more patterns that emerge from sociological understanding will help us as a society to resolve problems and prevent future problems. We all need to keep the bigger picture in mind. Rescue007
Perhaps "why study sociology" is not the proper question but suppose you ask "how to go about it" and "what it means" for each set of data you might encounter during your studies. An example: someone might look at police data for a particular city from a specific year and notice that there are three times as many arrests of black males as white males. The typical modern day assumption that comes to mind is that it must be a result of racism, so you turn on the news and hear about all the racial tension and racism within the police department. This is because it's '"trendy" and grabs peoples' attention and gets them to turn on the TV when the reality is that all of this information comes from an incomplete set of data. If you take a closer look at some other statistics you may notice something like 75 percent of the crime committed by all males was committed by black males; therefore, doesn't it make sense that if in the given year black males committed three times the amount of crimes that white males did then there would also be three times as many arrests of black males as white males? It's simple mathematics, not racism. That's just one example. So, while I do believe it is important to study sociology and look at issues from different viewpoints, I think it is even more important to be thorough and complete when doing research and debating the many topics that arise from it. When we look at issues in the real world, too often we only look for the "facts" that support our own views and ignore many outside variables that may affect the subject. A college student struggling to make ends meet may seem like a larger social issue when you are in that position but then if you look back to past data you may notice that the problems you're having are no different than those of the generations that came before you. For example, I'm struggling to pay my way through college to get to my career the same way that my parents did and my grandparents before them. It's a part of life that is necessary for success. Everybody has to struggle in order to learn how to strive to better themselves and improve their quality of life. Dynasty007
I agree that we may have to struggle a bit to become successful. I also used an example that if you get a flat tire on your way to work so you get terminated from your job, you will not be able to afford to fix your call. It's called the snowball effect. Talking about statistics can be misapprehended because yes, they might think it is just about racism, when in all actuality the statistics don't lie. Good points. nurse007
Sociology is all around us, so I believe that is why we study it. We want to learn more about it, what shapes it, why people do and say and act and live the way they do. Sociology to me is society, and we all in some form or another deal with society on a regular daily basis. I think that in some degree or another, society has helped shaped who we are individually, as well, as our families, the decisions we make, even the clothes we wear or the food we eat! Society had something to do with that decision, but that also goes hand in hand with our own free will, to make that decision ourselves. I think that we get the idea from society, we saw something or someone that caught our eye, and we think....that is a really good idea....so we roll with it. But in all actuality, maybe if you hadn't seen that particular thing, you would have never even thought of it yourself. So to me, society had a hand in you coming to like that or even trying it for yourself. Make sense? A little hard to explain....for me anyway. I think that there is a certain degree of things that are inherited from our families and family members, but maybe, that certain person got the idea from society, from something they saw someone doing. So now, it's a family tradition, but it HAD to come from somewhere. Society!! blonndie007
You are absolutely right when you say that society has shaped who we are individually as well as the decisions we make and our choice of clothing or what we order at a restaurant. Like we talked about during class discussion and as it said in the book, most people don’t marry just because they are ‘in love.’ In fact, I’ve come to believe that love is sometimes the last thing someone looks for in a partner. Economic class, family, gender, race, ethnicity, and so many more aspects contribute to our decision in who we choose to marry. I think that if society had no effect on us whatsoever, we would choose our partner based off of only love. Even though I feel as if this is how it should be, society has shaped us to believe that we need to consider the other factors before we make our ultimate decision. As you said, the things we see and hear in society puts thoughts in our heads that would have never been there by pure imagination. I understand what you were explaining and I agree with you completely! – flxr007
So C. Wright Mills stated that the imagination is the key to understanding sociology, especially from a perspective that is different from your own. That is definitely an accurate statement because people do that every day, even if it's just from a fantasy point of view. Imagining that you're someone else, doing and acting differently than you currently do, is something that just about everyone does. And being able to apply that to understanding sociological relationships and events really does help evolve understanding. The fact that people usually thing about problems from a personal aspect is just human nature, we are self involved beings, and being able to see and understand that others have the same issues probably helps people to be more focused and mature, because its not "my life sucks and everyone else's' doesn't", its "my life sucks NOW but I can work to fix it, because that's what all these other people are going through too, and I see they're not giving up." This paragraph was probably a little haphazard, but since I'm not a social person naturally, my perspective is probably always going to be a little different than everyone else's. Rescue007
Understanding others will make us more successful as well as mature. Putting yourself in ones shoes can help you recognize the struggle that other's go through because you may have more than another person. We face a changing industrial bureaucratic environment whether it is expressed in group attitudes, values, political processes of workers, or families. By focusing on the eternal forces we can better understand why things evolve.
Studying sociology helps us to understand people as individuals and that we are affected by social interaction. We are influenced by people's expectations of us. If we did not understand other people, things would fall apart, such as marriages, jobs, friendships, and even your future. If we did not study sociology we would not understand why people have certain behaviors. It's good that different cultures are analyzed so that international people will understand cultures that are not like theirs. I think that we will understand personal problems better. As stated in the video, people might have problems such as you can't afford to get your car fixed because you lost your job due to a flat tire. This was an example used when she asked how many struggle to make ends meet. She assumed that more than half stuggled because she has asked this over and over. You see that as your individual problem and influenced by something you are or aren't doing that impacted your outcome so you may need a second job. You may think of this as an individual problem. The social imagination wants us to stop looking at the short comings but the sociological big picture. The individual should be working hard and managing a budget a budget of course. This is just some reasons why I think you should study sociology. nurse007
We come into every situation with some kind of preconceived notion. In Ms. Marshall's inciting question, for example, she assumes that everyone is indeed "struggling to make ends meet." This could mean affording the therapist, or affording food for the day. While it is interesting for a quantitative study, the study proves more that a great deal of people see themselves as having to make ends meet, regardless of what that phrase actually refers too.
The study of sociology is the study of why this happens. It is not the study of the mind, as in psychology, but the study of how that mind interacts, how it uses previously-acquired knowledge to apply novel solutions to new situations. Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Sociology is the social version of fighting mental illness. Instead of just feeling the way we do and not knowing why, sociology looks at the world around us with reason and objectivity (as much as possible, at least) and tells us some form of why. "We have fallen on hard times." "God is seeing me through it." "I didn't get that job because he was Chinese and I was white!" "Cubs? No, Cards for life." Humans are social beings; we can understand these phrases because we've socialized enough as Americans to have come across these stereotypes before. But that's all that can be gathered: surface details. Sociology seeks to notice larger trends of these surface details, and also seeks to explain them. It uses evidence. It creates and executes studies. And then it reports back to us what we should already know about ourselves. Common sense, right?
I agree completely when you explain sociology as understanding why things happen the way they do. Reading this really opened my eyes as to what the study of sociology really is. The way you compared sociology to psychology and also showed the ways they are different is very helpful when understanding that sociology is different than figuring out things the way you may in other classes. It opens your eyes to many things that happen in daily life that you may not notice. Bean007
You made a really good point. Very persuasive though sociology conveys a different meaning when transitioned from community to community based amongst different groups, cultures, religious views, financial status and backgrounds. Our mental capacity interprets different meanings based on the importance of certain topics and genres. If we feel that a specific topic is very important or personally related to us we go more in depth and research that much more to provide truth to persuade the argument. Verses if we can care less for the topic or situation we just rush through, which shows a lack of interest. The human mind is far more powerful than we can ever imagine. Our ADL's (Activities of daily living) our thoughts of action that are put into play by our mind. The way we eat, drink ,sleep, and think is all powered by the mind, which is also connected with the society based around us. Certain behaviors conduct particular attitudes that make up our character and who we are as a person. Sociology not only changes in meaning as we grow older, yet it allows us to put ourselves in others shoes and not be so self-centered. Such as not always implying what you would do or how you would have done things differently. Tricey007
The study of sociology helps everyone learn to interact in a way that we as humans can understand based off of what we already know. Understanding ways of life beyond what we see as "normal" to ourselves is important when learning how abnormal things can be from your own perspective. Being human means more than using your life and/or culture, it means understanding others around you and their reasoning for their ways of living. Without studying sociology, we wouldn't learn why people do certain things or why certain people view others the way they do. The study of sociology uses knowledge that was attained formerly about people and everyday life based off what has already been studied. Being aware of the reason things are happening the way they are and why is essential in shaping your life in ways you may not realize right away. We as humans are motivated to do things the "correct" way in others' eyes because we are afraid to be the "different" person doing things in what others may see the "wrong" way. Understanding that doing things your own way isn't necessarily wrong when others do it differently is key. Bean007
nurse007 I agree with you totally. Life actually makes more sense when we actually place ourselves in ones shoe and actually look at life from their standpoint. Not only does it show that we are listening to their opinions and concerns on how we interpret their feelings and thoughts, yet it lets them know that we are here for them and that we want to help. Along with giving us background based of cultures and tradition. Which helps us to make positive transitions in the community also amongst the people. Tricey007
The study of sociology has a greater understanding to human behavior than if you were to just study a single person. Using a much bigger scale shows more ACTUAL interest than if you were to study people singularly. Sociology is more of the study of how communities act and hold together as a "group" functioning on culture and relativity as a whole. One way to view how sociology works would be to look at how the teenagers were or are in most high schools. You have each group or "clique" that has their own way of viewing certain situations and environmental arguments that are similar to each others. I think thath there is definitely a much bigger thought processed involved when it comes to groups of people. Its no longer just you and your thoughts that you are thinking about, now it is other peoples thoughts and actions that concern your idea of people or other societies.
Without sociology, the study of society, human nature would not be very well understood. The way we do things and the reason as to why we do what we do, wouldn't make sense if no one ever studied human interaction. We are complex beings, our minds are amazing. The things that we can do with our minds is endless. We have the power to change not only our world but the world altogether. If you think of people as one big ecosystem, the actions of every person effects the next. Maybe not every time but if you look at the big picture we are all one. We work together to further ourselves and our universe. Without each other we could not be as successful as we have become today, and we are only getting more and more advanced, in every aspect. Understanding people as a whole helps us to understand almost everything in this world. As individuals we have an effect on the community as a whole. Not only do our actions reflect on us individually but also reflect people as a group. Sociology is everywhere. Everywhere we go and everything we do is sociology. Lalala007
Lalala007 I agree that without sociology human nature would not be understood. Sociology helps us better connect to one another because we can see why someone acts a certain way. I also strongly agree with the statement where you said everyone actions effects the next in the bigger picture. This is true because everyone works together to make the planet better for the present and the future like you said. B.O.N007
Sociology is the scientific study of human groups and social behavior. So without sociology we may not understand why people act differently than us. People are influenced by other human interactions, and these social relationships influence people's attitudes and how societies form and change. So just because someone might have a different belief or tradition than you does not make them "weird". Its just that your external influences may be different than theirs and since we don't experience what someone else does every day then we think it is abnormal. Sociological imagination is also important to study because it is the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals' public and private lives. Realizing that there are social forces that play a role in our lives is important when viewing how others live on a daily basis, and that makes it obvious to see why we live different lives. B.O.N007
Sociological imagination helps get out of personal ideas of a problem and look at it from a social stand point. Look at it as social problems.We study this to understand the way we live our lives in different groups. I agree with that we should all experience the world the way others experience the world. It would help us not think they should be like us and us see a different way. We all have the same problems, just have different cultures and ways we see them. It helps us understand one another by the way we act. Understanding all the groups together help us understand the way the world works. Everyone as a whole is needed to make our society continue and keep going day by day. The structure of society helps us view things from the perspective of others. The problems we experience every day is structural. I agree with what mills said by that. Today, now a days we watch one another. Without each other we wouldn't be what we are today. vmaganaa007
I agree with all of your viewpoints about sociology. We do need it to help us in our everyday lives since we encounter so many different people through our days. It helps us to understand their lives through their eyes as well as through the eyes of society. And we all do have the majority of the same problems with individual blame rather then looking at it from the structural level...MMP007
I found C. Wright Mills’ contribution to sociology very interesting and significant. The idea that people should view things using the perspective of social problems rather than individual inadequacies is a whole new way of thinking. I liked Mills’ idea that if we step out of our personal space and put ourselves into the public world to experience how others experience the world, we would be able to see the sociological reality of everyday life. In other words, instead of an individual looking as his/her problem and thinking that he/she needs to change to fix this problem, he/she should take a step back and look at society as a whole and identify the problem as a social one. Because, odds are, more than just one person has that problem. To better understand this, I took this thought and applied it to my personal life. A simple scenario could involve one of the classes I took last semester. I was working really hard in the class and studied a whole lot but still couldn’t maintain the grade average I had wanted. What I did at that point was blame myself because I thought it was my fault for getting a bad grade. However, after realizing that all of the students in my class had the same problem, my personal issue turned into a social one and I realized that it wasn’t something I was doing to create the problem in the first place. All in all, the sociological imagination, which is the “quality of mind” that allows us to grasp the relationship between ourselves and history within the society, can help us identify when one of our assumed ‘personal’ problems is really a social one. Being aware of this could help social scientists and the study of sociology advance, which would ultimately help us better understand the world we live in. - flxr007
The study of Sociology helps us to better understand the world from another point of view. Most people believe that their misfortune is something they have done, where as if we look at it how C. Wright Mills would like us to we will see it as being society's problem. I agree that most of the general problems people think are their individual problems actually happen to the majority of people. I also believe that a lot of the problems could be solved if we looked at it through a the sociological imagination viewpoint. We should take the problem as whole society issue and not as an individual issue. I also think that sociology helps to understand the world and people in it. In our everyday lives we have to interact with different people from different places with different beliefs and learning sociology will help us to adapt....MMP007
I agree with all of your viewpoints about sociology. Because with it we cannot just help us in our everyday lives since we encounter so many different people through our days and understand their culture, tradition, how they are speaking or writing, food, and how they thinking. For me the goal of sociology is to respect the other people how they are. Hassan007
We know that Sociology is the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc. that’s why I agree with Wright Mills’ because I found contribution to sociology very interesting and significant in our life . Because if we get chance to study sociology, then we can understand the basic concepts, language, and theories of other people. And that what happened with me when I come to the USA the first time I was confused, scared, and worried about the new culture. Also help everyone to become familiar with the strategies sociologists use to study human society. Then we can understand the social dimensions of inequality and difference culture and tradition, but we need in the other side to respect other people. Hassan007
So, I'm not island unto myself? Natural007
ReplyDeleteStudying sociology helps to explain many reasons why groups of people do what they do. Somewhat like how we build relationships with people that share the same hobbies, careers, experiences, likes and dislikes. Everyone fits into some kind of group in one way or another. Sometimes people within those groups can have similar situations that bring them together. They aren’t always going through the exact same problem, or situation but it’s similar enough to bring them together. These can create friendships and enemies since someone could have a different view or been through a similar but different situation. These groups tend to grow since people come from many backgrounds and these groups expand with the extra knowledge and ideas that come from the different members of those groups. By studying these groups it makes it easier to understand their motives and where they are coming from with their thoughts. It also helps to think outside the box from what you would normally think yourself
ReplyDeleteLou007
I like the way that you explained your view of what studying sociology means. I agree with you that everyone fits into some kind of group. I come from a small town from the South and I am sometimes looked at as stupid or uneducated because I come from a small town where there is few people who succeed. This is very untrue. I am just like every other educated person that comes from any state or small town. Over the years I have created some friendships and I have also made enemies. Our views on the South are very different. I wish everyone would think outside the box and not just think of people from the South as dumb and uneducated. I also like the way you broke down your views of how people have the same problems in everyday life but are different in every way.
DeleteI agree with your thought of sociology. When I think of sociology I think exactly the way you do by everyone being in different groups but no matter what we work as one big group that makes our world what it is today. I like the idea of us learning about other groups other than judging them. Learning about the backgrounds would indeed expand the groups and see how others think about problems or anything we might think differently. Everyone does fit in some kind of group but as a whole makes the world how it works and keeps going. vmaganaa007
DeleteStudying sociology helps us to define how people do the things they do. All of society is alike in some type of fashion. No matter what race, religion, or class of society you come from we are all alike. Some of the same problems that someone else is going through you might be going through the same thing. It doesn't matter if one is rich or poor. Many people come from the same backgrounds but end up living their lives very differently. Does this make one person better than the other? No. People sometimes meet and don't realize they have similarities that the other one has. Sometimes this can create friendships that last a lifetime or they could turn into enemies. By studying the thoughts of the rich and poor, it can help one understand the way they think about certain situations going on in their lives. Doing these studies can also help one see the other side of life they never thought about.
ReplyDeletebulldogs007
I appreciate your thoughts and agree partially with your statement, but I also disagree to an extent. While humans do share innate characteristics, I do not believe we are all the same. I believe that from year one of our lives until the day we die, our greater situational context influences us so strongly and becomes such a part of our identity that it does create almost inherent differences among groups of people. One religious group may sincerely desire something different in their lives or have different goals than another religious group. One gender may approach situations differently than the other. People who start from a stunted or harmful situation will view their world quite differently from someone raised in privilege. I think it is a bit much to say we are all alike regardless of our differences, especially when bringing different societies and backgrounds into the picture. I do agree that no one person is better than another, and that many of us do share similarities we would perhaps not normally think we would. Two people from the same exact background or situation may act or turn out very differently, and situational context does not always define us, as you suggested. Very interesting thoughts and viewpoint. Rainshadow007
DeleteBulldogs007 I strongly agree with your position on this topic. One variable that far too often gets overlooked when discussing social issues is the element of free will. While certain aspects of society may affect people differently, the fact is that they affect everyone in some way. Whether rich or poor, or black or white, or gay or straight, or male or female, we all have struggles that we encounter in our lives. Our struggles may be different from one another, but no matter what our situation is we all have to overcome them to survive. How you choose to face those struggles is something that will always come down to an individual's free will. Our choices are ultimately what shape our lives regardless of where we come from. Dynasty007
DeleteI absolutely agree!! Sociology helps determine why people do the things they do and make the decisions they do. There are many groups of different people and we are never alone. There is always someone out there, who may be in a different 'group' than you consider yourself, but you have the same beliefs, likes, interests. I also agree that those who grow up with the same background will also go their own separate ways. One may live exactly the same as they did growing up and the other may live on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. I believe that society helps in some form or another, shape who we grow up to be and what decisions we make in life. blonndie007
DeleteSociology also tells us that those struggles are different too, though. I think this is one thing to remember as well. There's a line between racism and acknowledging differences in race, and gender, and sexual preference, etc. Sociology lets us draw that line. It allows us to talk about things from a majority standpoint or a minority standpoint, with equal representation for both (as much as possible). The diplomatic function of sociology can't be ignored. It forces us to open our eyes, rather than allowing us to keep them stubbornly closed. There ARE differences. And that's ok in the end, because if every thought you ever had came true, I would at least have a gold-plated toilet. Sociology helps us to realize that things like acknowledging white privilege or straight privilege is ok, as long as we vow to try and watch ourselves on it from now on. I totally agree with you guys, I just wanted to add in an extra viewpoint.
DeleteLittleJimmyBond007
Sociology and maintaining a sociological perspective and approach to situations is very important. Not only does sociology teach us empathy and understanding for other people and what motivates or drives them in a situational context, but it also teaches us patterns of society as a whole and how these patterns can have an influence on us in a negative or positive manner. The video brought up some important points, I felt, which is that we must view situations in a context of society in which, while the individual remains responsible, the shortcomings of a person may not be the fault of that person, but rather a macro sort of bigger picture in which the person's situation may be influencing the shortcomings or poor behavior. Perhaps most importantly (in my opinion), sociology must be studied and maintained so that we can help out fellow human beings. Instead of blaming a person (like with our example of the juvenile prisoners, as well), if we look at the factors that typically influence and create situations that harm individual people or cause them to struggle, we can help -solve- those problems and adjust our social patterns through education and understanding to decrease poor or harmful behavior in individuals. Rainshadow007
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements about sociology helping to teach empathy and understanding for others, and that the more patterns that emerge from sociological understanding will help us as a society to resolve problems and prevent future problems. We all need to keep the bigger picture in mind. Rescue007
DeletePerhaps "why study sociology" is not the proper question but suppose you ask "how to go about it" and "what it means" for each set of data you might encounter during your studies. An example: someone might look at police data for a particular city from a specific year and notice that there are three times as many arrests of black males as white males. The typical modern day assumption that comes to mind is that it must be a result of racism, so you turn on the news and hear about all the racial tension and racism within the police department. This is because it's '"trendy" and grabs peoples' attention and gets them to turn on the TV when the reality is that all of this information comes from an incomplete set of data. If you take a closer look at some other statistics you may notice something like 75 percent of the crime committed by all males was committed by black males; therefore, doesn't it make sense that if in the given year black males committed three times the amount of crimes that white males did then there would also be three times as many arrests of black males as white males? It's simple mathematics, not racism. That's just one example. So, while I do believe it is important to study sociology and look at issues from different viewpoints, I think it is even more important to be thorough and complete when doing research and debating the many topics that arise from it. When we look at issues in the real world, too often we only look for the "facts" that support our own views and ignore many outside variables that may affect the subject. A college student struggling to make ends meet may seem like a larger social issue when you are in that position but then if you look back to past data you may notice that the problems you're having are no different than those of the generations that came before you. For example, I'm struggling to pay my way through college to get to my career the same way that my parents did and my grandparents before them. It's a part of life that is necessary for success. Everybody has to struggle in order to learn how to strive to better themselves and improve their quality of life. Dynasty007
ReplyDeleteI agree that we may have to struggle a bit to become successful. I also used an example that if you get a flat tire on your way to work so you get terminated from your job, you will not be able to afford to fix your call. It's called the snowball effect. Talking about statistics can be misapprehended because yes, they might think it is just about racism, when in all actuality the statistics don't lie. Good points. nurse007
DeleteSociology is all around us, so I believe that is why we study it. We want to learn more about it, what shapes it, why people do and say and act and live the way they do. Sociology to me is society, and we all in some form or another deal with society on a regular daily basis. I think that in some degree or another, society has helped shaped who we are individually, as well, as our families, the decisions we make, even the clothes we wear or the food we eat! Society had something to do with that decision, but that also goes hand in hand with our own free will, to make that decision ourselves. I think that we get the idea from society, we saw something or someone that caught our eye, and we think....that is a really good idea....so we roll with it. But in all actuality, maybe if you hadn't seen that particular thing, you would have never even thought of it yourself. So to me, society had a hand in you coming to like that or even trying it for yourself. Make sense? A little hard to explain....for me anyway. I think that there is a certain degree of things that are inherited from our families and family members, but maybe, that certain person got the idea from society, from something they saw someone doing. So now, it's a family tradition, but it HAD to come from somewhere. Society!! blonndie007
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right when you say that society has shaped who we are individually as well as the decisions we make and our choice of clothing or what we order at a restaurant. Like we talked about during class discussion and as it said in the book, most people don’t marry just because they are ‘in love.’ In fact, I’ve come to believe that love is sometimes the last thing someone looks for in a partner. Economic class, family, gender, race, ethnicity, and so many more aspects contribute to our decision in who we choose to marry. I think that if society had no effect on us whatsoever, we would choose our partner based off of only love. Even though I feel as if this is how it should be, society has shaped us to believe that we need to consider the other factors before we make our ultimate decision. As you said, the things we see and hear in society puts thoughts in our heads that would have never been there by pure imagination. I understand what you were explaining and I agree with you completely! – flxr007
DeleteSo C. Wright Mills stated that the imagination is the key to understanding sociology, especially from a perspective that is different from your own. That is definitely an accurate statement because people do that every day, even if it's just from a fantasy point of view. Imagining that you're someone else, doing and acting differently than you currently do, is something that just about everyone does. And being able to apply that to understanding sociological relationships and events really does help evolve understanding. The fact that people usually thing about problems from a personal aspect is just human nature, we are self involved beings, and being able to see and understand that others have the same issues probably helps people to be more focused and mature, because its not "my life sucks and everyone else's' doesn't", its "my life sucks NOW but I can work to fix it, because that's what all these other people are going through too, and I see they're not giving up." This paragraph was probably a little haphazard, but since I'm not a social person naturally, my perspective is probably always going to be a little different than everyone else's. Rescue007
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding others will make us more successful as well as mature. Putting yourself in ones shoes can help you recognize the struggle that other's go through because you may have more than another person. We face a changing industrial bureaucratic environment whether it is expressed in group attitudes, values, political processes of workers, or families. By focusing on the eternal forces we can better understand why things evolve.
Deletenurse007 ^^^^^
DeleteStudying sociology helps us to understand people as individuals and that we are affected by social interaction. We are influenced by people's expectations of us. If we did not understand other people, things would fall apart, such as marriages, jobs, friendships, and even your future. If we did not study sociology we would not understand why people have certain behaviors. It's good that different cultures are analyzed so that international people will understand cultures that are not like theirs. I think that we will understand personal problems better. As stated in the video, people might have problems such as you can't afford to get your car fixed because you lost your job due to a flat tire. This was an example used when she asked how many struggle to make ends meet. She assumed that more than half stuggled because she has asked this over and over. You see that as your individual problem and influenced by something you are or aren't doing that impacted your outcome so you may need a second job. You may think of this as an individual problem. The social imagination wants us to stop looking at the short comings but the sociological big picture. The individual should be working hard and managing a budget a budget of course. This is just some reasons why I think you should study sociology. nurse007
ReplyDeleteWe come into every situation with some kind of preconceived notion. In Ms. Marshall's inciting question, for example, she assumes that everyone is indeed "struggling to make ends meet." This could mean affording the therapist, or affording food for the day. While it is interesting for a quantitative study, the study proves more that a great deal of people see themselves as having to make ends meet, regardless of what that phrase actually refers too.
ReplyDeleteThe study of sociology is the study of why this happens. It is not the study of the mind, as in psychology, but the study of how that mind interacts, how it uses previously-acquired knowledge to apply novel solutions to new situations. Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Sociology is the social version of fighting mental illness. Instead of just feeling the way we do and not knowing why, sociology looks at the world around us with reason and objectivity (as much as possible, at least) and tells us some form of why. "We have fallen on hard times." "God is seeing me through it." "I didn't get that job because he was Chinese and I was white!" "Cubs? No, Cards for life." Humans are social beings; we can understand these phrases because we've socialized enough as Americans to have come across these stereotypes before. But that's all that can be gathered: surface details. Sociology seeks to notice larger trends of these surface details, and also seeks to explain them. It uses evidence. It creates and executes studies. And then it reports back to us what we should already know about ourselves. Common sense, right?
LittleJimmyBond007
I agree completely when you explain sociology as understanding why things happen the way they do. Reading this really opened my eyes as to what the study of sociology really is. The way you compared sociology to psychology and also showed the ways they are different is very helpful when understanding that sociology is different than figuring out things the way you may in other classes. It opens your eyes to many things that happen in daily life that you may not notice. Bean007
DeleteYou made a really good point. Very persuasive though sociology conveys a different meaning when transitioned from community to community based amongst different groups, cultures, religious views, financial status and backgrounds. Our mental capacity interprets different meanings based on the importance of certain topics and genres. If we feel that a specific topic is very important or personally related to us we go more in depth and research that much more to provide truth to persuade the argument. Verses if we can care less for the topic or situation we just rush through, which shows a lack of interest. The human mind is far more powerful than we can ever imagine. Our ADL's (Activities of daily living) our thoughts of action that are put into play by our mind. The way we eat, drink ,sleep, and think is all powered by the mind, which is also connected with the society based around us. Certain behaviors conduct particular attitudes that make up our character and who we are as a person. Sociology not only changes in meaning as we grow older, yet it allows us to put ourselves in others shoes and not be so self-centered. Such as not always implying what you would do or how you would have done things differently. Tricey007
ReplyDeleteThe study of sociology helps everyone learn to interact in a way that we as humans can understand based off of what we already know. Understanding ways of life beyond what we see as "normal" to ourselves is important when learning how abnormal things can be from your own perspective. Being human means more than using your life and/or culture, it means understanding others around you and their reasoning for their ways of living. Without studying sociology, we wouldn't learn why people do certain things or why certain people view others the way they do. The study of sociology uses knowledge that was attained formerly about people and everyday life based off what has already been studied. Being aware of the reason things are happening the way they are and why is essential in shaping your life in ways you may not realize right away. We as humans are motivated to do things the "correct" way in others' eyes because we are afraid to be the "different" person doing things in what others may see the "wrong" way. Understanding that doing things your own way isn't necessarily wrong when others do it differently is key. Bean007
ReplyDeletenurse007 I agree with you totally. Life actually makes more sense when we actually place ourselves in ones shoe and actually look at life from their standpoint. Not only does it show that we are listening to their opinions and concerns on how we interpret their feelings and thoughts, yet it lets them know that we are here for them and that we want to help. Along with giving us background based of cultures and tradition. Which helps us to make positive transitions in the community also amongst the people. Tricey007
ReplyDeleteThe study of sociology has a greater understanding to human behavior than if you were to just study a single person. Using a much bigger scale shows more ACTUAL interest than if you were to study people singularly. Sociology is more of the study of how communities act and hold together as a "group" functioning on culture and relativity as a whole. One way to view how sociology works would be to look at how the teenagers were or are in most high schools. You have each group or "clique" that has their own way of viewing certain situations and environmental arguments that are similar to each others. I think thath there is definitely a much bigger thought processed involved when it comes to groups of people. Its no longer just you and your thoughts that you are thinking about, now it is other peoples thoughts and actions that concern your idea of people or other societies.
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ReplyDeleteWithout sociology, the study of society, human nature would not be very well understood. The way we do things and the reason as to why we do what we do, wouldn't make sense if no one ever studied human interaction. We are complex beings, our minds are amazing. The things that we can do with our minds is endless. We have the power to change not only our world but the world altogether. If you think of people as one big ecosystem, the actions of every person effects the next. Maybe not every time but if you look at the big picture we are all one. We work together to further ourselves and our universe. Without each other we could not be as successful as we have become today, and we are only getting more and more advanced, in every aspect. Understanding people as a whole helps us to understand almost everything in this world. As individuals we have an effect on the community as a whole. Not only do our actions reflect on us individually but also reflect people as a group. Sociology is everywhere. Everywhere we go and everything we do is sociology. Lalala007
ReplyDeleteLalala007 I agree that without sociology human nature would not be understood. Sociology helps us better connect to one another because we can see why someone acts a certain way. I also strongly agree with the statement where you said everyone actions effects the next in the bigger picture. This is true because everyone works together to make the planet better for the present and the future like you said. B.O.N007
DeleteSociology is the scientific study of human groups and social behavior. So without sociology we may not understand why people act differently than us. People are influenced by other human interactions, and these social relationships influence people's attitudes and how societies form and change. So just because someone might have a different belief or tradition than you does not make them "weird". Its just that your external influences may be different than theirs and since we don't experience what someone else does every day then we think it is abnormal. Sociological imagination is also important to study because it is the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals' public and private lives. Realizing that there are social forces that play a role in our lives is important when viewing how others live on a daily basis, and that makes it obvious to see why we live different lives.
ReplyDeleteB.O.N007
Sociological imagination helps get out of personal ideas of a problem and look at it from a social stand point. Look at it as social problems.We study this to understand the way we live our lives in different groups. I agree with that we should all experience the world the way others experience the world. It would help us not think they should be like us and us see a different way. We all have the same problems, just have different cultures and ways we see them. It helps us understand one another by the way we act. Understanding all the groups together help us understand the way the world works. Everyone as a whole is needed to make our society continue and keep going day by day. The structure of society helps us view things from the perspective of others. The problems we experience every day is structural. I agree with what mills said by that. Today, now a days we watch one another. Without each other we wouldn't be what we are today. vmaganaa007
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your viewpoints about sociology. We do need it to help us in our everyday lives since we encounter so many different people through our days. It helps us to understand their lives through their eyes as well as through the eyes of society. And we all do have the majority of the same problems with individual blame rather then looking at it from the structural level...MMP007
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ReplyDeleteI found C. Wright Mills’ contribution to sociology very interesting and significant. The idea that people should view things using the perspective of social problems rather than individual inadequacies is a whole new way of thinking. I liked Mills’ idea that if we step out of our personal space and put ourselves into the public world to experience how others experience the world, we would be able to see the sociological reality of everyday life. In other words, instead of an individual looking as his/her problem and thinking that he/she needs to change to fix this problem, he/she should take a step back and look at society as a whole and identify the problem as a social one. Because, odds are, more than just one person has that problem. To better understand this, I took this thought and applied it to my personal life. A simple scenario could involve one of the classes I took last semester. I was working really hard in the class and studied a whole lot but still couldn’t maintain the grade average I had wanted. What I did at that point was blame myself because I thought it was my fault for getting a bad grade. However, after realizing that all of the students in my class had the same problem, my personal issue turned into a social one and I realized that it wasn’t something I was doing to create the problem in the first place. All in all, the sociological imagination, which is the “quality of mind” that allows us to grasp the relationship between ourselves and history within the society, can help us identify when one of our assumed ‘personal’ problems is really a social one. Being aware of this could help social scientists and the study of sociology advance, which would ultimately help us better understand the world we live in. - flxr007
ReplyDeleteThe study of Sociology helps us to better understand the world from another point of view. Most people believe that their misfortune is something they have done, where as if we look at it how C. Wright Mills would like us to we will see it as being society's problem. I agree that most of the general problems people think are their individual problems actually happen to the majority of people. I also believe that a lot of the problems could be solved if we looked at it through a the sociological imagination viewpoint. We should take the problem as whole society issue and not as an individual issue. I also think that sociology helps to understand the world and people in it. In our everyday lives we have to interact with different people from different places with different beliefs and learning sociology will help us to adapt....MMP007
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your viewpoints about sociology. Because with it we cannot just help us in our everyday lives since we encounter so many different people through our days and understand their culture, tradition, how they are speaking or writing, food, and how they thinking. For me the goal of sociology is to respect the other people how they are. Hassan007
DeleteWe know that Sociology is the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc. that’s why I agree with Wright Mills’ because I found contribution to sociology very interesting and significant in our life . Because if we get chance to study sociology, then we can understand the basic concepts, language, and theories of other people. And that what happened with me when I come to the USA the first time I was confused, scared, and worried about the new culture. Also help everyone to become familiar with the strategies sociologists use to study human society. Then we can understand the social dimensions of inequality and difference culture and tradition, but we need in the other side to respect other people. Hassan007
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