PERSON SOCIETY CATHERINE HOUSE INTENSIVE Week 3 Sociological

  • Slides: 31
Download presentation
PERSON & SOCIETY CATHERINE HOUSE INTENSIVE Week 3: Sociological Imagination Lecturers/Course Coordinators Dr Sarah

PERSON & SOCIETY CATHERINE HOUSE INTENSIVE Week 3: Sociological Imagination Lecturers/Course Coordinators Dr Sarah Hattam and Dr Snjezana Bilic

WHY SNJEZANA IS A SOCIOLOGIST? According to Holmes et al, ‘Sociology attempts to understand

WHY SNJEZANA IS A SOCIOLOGIST? According to Holmes et al, ‘Sociology attempts to understand human societies from a holistic point of view – what they are composed of, how they are reproduced over time and how they might differ from other societies…sociology also looks at the way societies are divided according to a range of types of individuality and group identities. Fundamentally this means examining the nature of inequality in society, the patterned ways in which groups and individuals are not only differentiated but are accorded different positions in the social hierarchy’ (2013: 4).

COURSE TOPICS • Week 1: The sociological imagination What is the sociological imagination? What

COURSE TOPICS • Week 1: The sociological imagination What is the sociological imagination? What are the four different forms – cultural, historical, critical and structural? • Why is it a useful lens to analyse the world around you? • • • Week 2: Global Citizenship What does it mean to be a global citizen? What are our rights and responsibilities to those within our borders as well as outside our border? – Case study: Refugee policy – • Week 3: Culture & Deviance What are the central ideas shaping the relationship between the individual and society? Should we be accepting of other people’s differences? What impact has cultural globalisation had on people’s sense of self, belonging and cultural practices and beliefs? – Case study: Banning of burqa in France –

COURSE TOPICS • Week 4: Social Class and global stratification What is it about

COURSE TOPICS • Week 4: Social Class and global stratification What is it about the way that the global economy is organised that we have such a disparity in wealth? How has economic globalisation contributed to this disparity? – Case study: Sweat shops in India – • Week 5: Gender & sexuality in global context How and why does someone’s gender or sexuality influence their life experiences and opportunities? – Case study: Same sex marriage – • Week 6: Race/ethnicity and religion in global context What is about the way that race/ethnicity and religion are defined that creates differences in opportunities for particular racial/ethnic groups or religious groups? – Case study: Islamophobia in the US and UK –

COURSE TOPICS • Week 7: Global Institutions What is the role of multinational corporations,

COURSE TOPICS • Week 7: Global Institutions What is the role of multinational corporations, international governmental organisations (such as the World Trade Organisation or the United Nations) in global society? How do they contribute in positive and negative ways? – What is the role of Non-government organisations (NGO’s) and social movements in global society? How do they contribute to goals of global social justice? – Case study: The Yes Men Fix the World and other examples of political activism; United Nations Millennium Development Goals & Corporate exploitation by a TNC in South Africa –

QUESTION? Which topic interests you the most and why?

QUESTION? Which topic interests you the most and why?

CENTRAL THEME • Impact of globalisation on the individual and social structures surrounding the

CENTRAL THEME • Impact of globalisation on the individual and social structures surrounding the individual? • We will explore the positive & negative outcomes of the interconnectedness of the world which has created the ‘global citizen’ and ‘global village’ • Course has a strong focus on the disparities between opportunities for those in the developing world and those in the developed world - What are the social structures which set up the disparity and how do the processes of globalisation contribute to this disparity?

WHAT DISPARITIES AM I TALKING ABOUT? • For example: Almost half the world –

WHAT DISPARITIES AM I TALKING ABOUT? • For example: Almost half the world – over 3 billion – people live on less than $2. 50 per day • How do we explain this? – • Do we blame the poor people for their predicament? Have they been lazy, made poor decisions and been solely responsible for their plight? What about their governments? Have they pursued policies that actually harm successful development? Question: What is it about the way that society is organised that contributes to this phenomena….

SOCIOLOGICAL QUEST OF GLOBAL SOCIETY Reflexivity is not enough: need to examine other societies

SOCIOLOGICAL QUEST OF GLOBAL SOCIETY Reflexivity is not enough: need to examine other societies different to our own Macro level of sociology (remember from this weeks reading on page 17? ) – global sociology How do global structures create inequalities for groups of people.

QUICK QUESTION…. WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS NEXT WEEK Have you heard of

QUICK QUESTION…. WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS NEXT WEEK Have you heard of the term ‘globalisation’? What you? does this term represent to

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY? • Sociology is the systematic study of human behaviour in a

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY? • Sociology is the systematic study of human behaviour in a social context with the aim of understanding the relationship between the individual and society • Sociologists examine the connection between personal troubles/experiences and the social relations and structures surrounding the individual • In other words, sociology offers a framework that is underpinned by the belief that personal troubles are public issues http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=hgqmy. XPKi. NM&fea ture=BFa&list=PL 9221343 E 074828 AB

PERSONAL PROBLEMS ARE PUBLIC ISSUES? What about individual responsibility, perhaps you are thinking? Here

PERSONAL PROBLEMS ARE PUBLIC ISSUES? What about individual responsibility, perhaps you are thinking? Here are some examples of issues that are predominantly framed as individual problems: - unemployment (‘lazy dole bludgers’) - high divorce rates (‘people don’t try hard enough to keep their marriage together’) Sociology attempts to challenge such views by considering: ‘What is it about the way that society is organised that leads to high divorce rates and unemployment’ rather than blaming the victim or people involved

ITS COMMON-SENSE! • We are probably all familiar with these common-sense ways of viewing

ITS COMMON-SENSE! • We are probably all familiar with these common-sense ways of viewing individual behaviour…it’s about choice, right? • • The choices that people make? (to receive government support, leave their husband or wife) Sociology offers us another way of thinking about personal issues that shifts the focus to the structures that surround the individual.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: SOCIAL VERSUS SOCIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS? In the first few pages of this weeks

DISCUSSION QUESTION: SOCIAL VERSUS SOCIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS? In the first few pages of this weeks readings, Willis describes the difference between social problems and sociological problems. What are the differences between the two? Break into small groups and discuss what you think Willis meant by the two different types of problems. Write your responses on the butchers paper provided and we will share as a bigger group

POSSIBLE RESPONSES Sociological problems: Provokes thought and more questions about the phenomenon Why is

POSSIBLE RESPONSES Sociological problems: Provokes thought and more questions about the phenomenon Why is this so? How can this phenomenon be explained? Understanding the phenomenon… Social problems: What can be done about it? Trying to solve the problem

How do we develop our sociological imagination and what are the different forms?

How do we develop our sociological imagination and what are the different forms?

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION – C WRIGHT MILLS • ‘Sociological quest is a form of consciousness

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION – C WRIGHT MILLS • ‘Sociological quest is a form of consciousness which fosters examination of the social world and results in a better understanding of it’ (Berger 1963) • Developing the critical sensibility (some of you may remember from critical literacy) however there is more than just being ‘critical’ which is not being negative but questioning the truth Ask the following questions: 1. What is happening? 2. Why? 3. What are the consequences? 4. How do we know? 5. Who benefits?

EXAMPLE: DIVORCE – ALTERNATIVE TO BLAMING INDIVIDUALS FOR NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH TO KEEP

EXAMPLE: DIVORCE – ALTERNATIVE TO BLAMING INDIVIDUALS FOR NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH TO KEEP FAMILY TOGETHER? What is happening? : High divorce rates? Why? : More dual earning families? Seven year itch? What are the consequences? : Change the way we think about long term marriage? How do you know? : Examine the evidence How could it be otherwise: pre-nuptial contract; focus on those who stay together as a strange phenomena?

ACTIVITY: REFLEXIVITY This weeks readings provides an account of a central concept to developing

ACTIVITY: REFLEXIVITY This weeks readings provides an account of a central concept to developing the sociological imagination – which is ‘reflexivity’ In your groups, write down your understanding of ‘reflexivity’ Come up with a situation where practicing your reflexivity could be beneficial?

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION There are four main forms of the sociological imagination: 1. Historical events

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION There are four main forms of the sociological imagination: 1. Historical events are taken into account as they can tell us about the shape our current society takes. To understand some aspects of society, we first need to study the past. For example: What does Nazi Germany teach us about appropriate refugee policy today?

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Historical: Where does it stand in

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Historical: Where does it stand in human history and the development of humanity as a whole? (Willis 2007, p. 27). Questions Can you look back in time and see how certain events, policies, people, ideas contributed to your phenomena? We don’t just wake up one day and suddenly… -people are fearful of Muslims -men earn money but are discouraged from crying In your groups, write down some events or explanations for why people may be fearful of Muslims or men are discouraged from crying?

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 2. Cultural In sociology, culture refers to the non-biological aspects of society,

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 2. Cultural In sociology, culture refers to the non-biological aspects of society, all of things which are learnt or are symbolic such as beliefs, values, ways of life. It encourages the development of a cultural sensitivity and not judge the cultural practices of other cultures by their own notions of what is appropriate behaviour This is one of the trickier aspects of developing the sociological imagination – we will explore this in more detail next week

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Cultural: What categories of people dominate

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Cultural: What categories of people dominate in society at this particular time and how is this changing? (Willis 2007, p. 27). Questions… What are the competing/dominant meanings about your chosen identity marker? Racist ideas, patriarchal ideas, culturally imperialist ideas, ‘classist’ ideas…belief systems or ideologies What is culture and how has culture contributed to your phenomena or help explain it? Each society has dominant culture (shared meanings) that leads to ethnocentrism if cultural relativism is not practiced. In your groups, identify a stereotype that exists that may impact on life chances for that group?

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 3. Structural This is where we ask: what is it about the

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 3. Structural This is where we ask: what is it about the way that society is organised as a whole that would explain this phenomenon? How does the structure of society affect the behaviour of the individuals within it? Structure is represented in the institutions; organisations; families; dominant cultural views & other elements which manage the ordering of society

STRUCTURAL NATURE OF INEQUALITY • Belief systems – patriarchy; religion; capitalism; cultural imperialism •

STRUCTURAL NATURE OF INEQUALITY • Belief systems – patriarchy; religion; capitalism; cultural imperialism • Culture = ideologies (ideas with power) • Identities = gender/race/ethnicity/religion/age/sexuality/ social class • Access to social, economic, political life = housing, health, education, income/employment • Institutions – family; education; health; media; government

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Structural: What is the structure of

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Structural: What is the structure of this particular society as a whole and how do the parts relate to one another and to the whole? (Willis 2007, p. 27) Questions… How have specific institutions contributed to phenomenon? How has the media contributed to phenomenon (link between culture and the media here)? In your groups, identify the structures that have posed limits on your life in the past?

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 4. Critical Involves being reflexive (being aware of one’s own place in

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 4. Critical Involves being reflexive (being aware of one’s own place in the social world) as well as assessing the ‘evidence’. This form of the sociological imagination is the aspect which has given sociology its controversial character: as sociologists challenge official explanations for things or challenge those in authority who have a vested interest in reality being portrayed in a particular way. This relates to the question of ‘who benefits’?

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Critical: being reflexive or sceptical about

APPLYING WILLIS’S 4 FORMS OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION… Critical: being reflexive or sceptical about the social world and of being engaged in a critique of the existing social world (Willis 2007, p. 105). Questions: What is the evidence? How do you know? How could it be otherwise? Who benefits?

APPLYING SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION It is a question of the relative combination of individual agency

APPLYING SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION It is a question of the relative combination of individual agency (power and freedom over actions) and structural factors which need to be considered? Return to Nazi Germany questions from the beginning of the lecture.

ACTIVITY: TEST YOUR SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION We can apply the tools of sociology to almost

ACTIVITY: TEST YOUR SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION We can apply the tools of sociology to almost any daily practice to reveal its social value and or the power relations involved. Making a cup of coffee? 1. Where did the coffee come from? 2. Who made it? 3. Why do I drink it this way? 4. What role does advertising play in my decision to drink it? 5. Why do other people in other times or places start the morning with water, milk, rum or cow’s blood?

ACTIVITY: JOURNAL Please turn to page ? of your study guide for the guidelines

ACTIVITY: JOURNAL Please turn to page ? of your study guide for the guidelines of the journal. We will discuss these guidelines together.