Chapter One The Sociological Imagination Insights Themes and

Chapter One The Sociological Imagination: Insights, Themes and Skills

Objectives • To introduce some of the key features of sociology. • To introduce three core themes that will be used throughout the book. • To discuss briefly the roles that theorising and research play in developing sociological knowledge.

What is sociology? – Definition: • “Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behaviour as social beings. The scope of sociology is extremely wide. . . ” (Giddens, 1997: 2) – Three key themes: • • • The social and the personal The local and the global Differences and divisions

The social and the personal – Mills’s contrast between personal troubles and public issues • Link between personal life and public setting – Key points: • The strong and varied influence of social situations and meanings on our sense of personal belonging • The culturally variable ways in which ‘self and society’ are imagined in different groups or societies

The local and the global • Sociologists are interested in connections between local and global worlds • Globalisation: – Highlights the way the social world is changing over time • We live in an increasingly interconnected world • For example, rationalisation and Mc. Donaldisation

Differences and divisions • Sociologists are interested in: – Social groups, their place in the social structure, their interrelationships and their particular experiences and selfimages – How social differences frequently become social divisions • Gender, class, ethnicity, age, ability, sexuality etc.

Sociological inquiry • Sociologists use a variety of research methods to explore the social world – Documentary analysis – Ethnography – Participant observation – Surveys – In-depth interviews

Sociological inquiry • Sociologists use theories to attempt to explain why things happen as they do – All research is done within a framework of theoretical interpretation – Theorising is about abstraction • It involves developing concepts and arguments which answer ‘why’ questions

Summary • Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies • Three key themes: – The social and the personal – The local and the global – Differences and divisions • Sociology involves a combination of research and theorising