Ch 1 - Sociological Perspectives, Sociological Imagination and Sociological Inquiry

Chapter 1 SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINA IMAGINATION TION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY 

Chapter 1 SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINA IMAGINATION TION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY 

Chapter Outline

I.

Mean Meanin ing g of Soci Sociol olog ogic ical al Pers Perspe pecti ctive ves, s, Soci Sociol olog ogic ical al Imagination and Sociological Inquiry II. Char Charac acte teri risti stics cs of Soci Sociol olog ogic ical al Pers Perspe pect ctiv ives es III. III. Goal Goal of Soci Sociol olog ogic ical al Inqu Inquir iry y IV. IV. Steps Steps or Proced Procedure ures s in Soci Sociolo ologic gical al Inqui Inquiry ry V. Method Methods, s, Te Techniqu chniques es and To Tools in Socio Sociolog logica icall Inquiry Inquiry VI. Traits raits and ehaviora ehaviorall Charac Characteris teristics tics !equired !equired in Sociological Inquiry VII. VII. Summa ummary ry VIII.Study "elps "elps I#. $or%sheets

Chapter Objectives  &fter studying the chapter the students should 'e a'le to( ) *+plain the concepts  of sociological imagination and sociological perspectives ) -iscuss the characteristics of sociological perspectives ) Give e+amples to illustrate the characteristics of sociological perspectives ) State the goal of sociological inquiry ) *+plain the procedures in sociological inquiry ) Identify the methods, techniques  and tools  in sociological inquiry )  &ppreciate the or%s and contri'utions of the sociologists and social scientist for the 'etterment of society and ) Give the traits and 'ehavioural characteristics  required in sociological inquiry.

Chapter Group Activity -irections( /. Thin% of a particular social pro'lem 'ased on your personal or communal e+perience. 0. Tell something a'out the pro'lem(

) )

Its causes 1reason for e+istence2 Its effects  3  3

4n you 4n community5society

6. $hat course5courses of action can you suggest in order to minimi7e if not eradicate the said social pro'lem. 8. -emonstrate your output through sym'olic act or through songs.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

S4CI494G: ) The scientific study of human societies. )  & 'ranch of social science.  3 Social Science 3 a 'ody of systematically arranged %noledge that shos the operation of general las. It consists of all those disciplines that apply scientific methods to the study of the society and human 'ehavior. 1Tischler, /;;to>face interaction to the macro level of societies at large.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* )  & distinct ay of thin%ing hich theori7es that the social orld guides our actions, thin%ing and life choices. ) It focuses not on individuals 'ut their group, or society, and attempts to e+plain human social structures and forms of activity and interpersonal relations using social facts or social forces. !u'ington 10??02 )  & sociological ay of loo%ing at the things hich includes a 'asic orienting idea from hich one@s conceptuali7ation and analysis follo, and it reflects a particular set of ideas and assumptions regarding the nature of people and society.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* )  &ims of Sociological Perspective  3 /. To help us to see general social patterns in the 'ehavior of particular individuals and  3 0. To offer insights a'out the social orld that e+tend far 'eyond e+planations that rely on individual quir%s and personalities.

) Sociologists(  3  &re not limited to common sense %noledge  3 Try to investigate hat lies 'eyond the commonly accepted reality and understand some of the rules that govern human 'ehavior in the society.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

C"&!&CT*!ISTICS 4A S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* Maciones, B. 1/;;2

/. Seeing the general in the particular.  3 Sociologist( 9oo% for general patterns in the 'ehavior of particular individuals. 1Peter erger2 ) Dniqueness of individuals are not erased. ) Social forces( impinge on our lives 3 so many unseen yet significant ays. ) rich vs. poor, men vs. omen, educated vs. illiterate, children vs. adult.

0. Seeing the strange in the familiar.  3 EThings are not alays hat they seem.F 1Peter erger2  3 Society guides our thoughts and deeds.  3 "uman 'ehavior is not =ust simply a matter of hat people decide to do.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

C"&!&CT*!ISTICS 4A S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* Maciones, B. 1/;;2

6. "uman 'ehavior is not as individualistic as e thin%, 'ut rather social forces affect human 'ehavior.  3 Some categories of people ere more li%ely than others to ta%e their on lives. 1*mile -ur%heim2.  3 Men, Protestants, ealthy people, and the unmarried had significantly higher suicide rates compared to omen, Catholics and Bes, the poor and married people.  3 -ur%heim deduced that these differences corresponded to people@s degree of social integration.

) 9o suicide rates characteri7ed categories of people ith strong social ties. ) "igh suicide rates ere found among those ho ere more socially isolated and individualistic.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

C"&!&CT*!ISTICS 4A S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* Maciones, B. 1/;;2

8. Sociological perspective has a glo'al perspective, the study of the larger orld and our society@s place in it.  3 Glo'al aareness is seeing the orld as a glo'al village  3 Glo'al aareness is a logical e+tension of the sociological perspective ) $here e are placed in our society affects our individual e+perience. ) The position of our society in the larger orld system also affects everyone in our country. ) 4ur glo'al village indicates that people the orld over are far from equal in their quality of life.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

C"&!&CT*!ISTICS 4A S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* Maciones, B. 1/;;2 ) 4ur glo'al village indicates that people the orld over are far from equal in their quality of life.

/. "igh>income countries are industriali7ed nations in hich most people en=oy material a'undance. 



4n the average, individuals in these countries live ell, not 'ecause they are particularly 'right or e+ceptionally hard>or%ing 'ut 'ecause they have the good fortune to have 'een 'orn in an affluent region of the orld. The sociological perspective tells us that many of the achievements e attri'ute to our personal a'ilities are also products of the privileged position e occupy in the orld>ide system.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

C"&!&CT*!ISTICS 4A S4CI494GIC&9 P*!SP*CTIV* Maciones, B. 1/;;2 ) 4ur glo'al village indicates that people the orld over are far from equal in their quality of life.

0. Middle>income countries are nations characteri7ed 'y limited industriali7ation and moderate personal income. 6. 9o>income countries are nations ith industriali7ation and ith severe poverty is the rule.

little

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION  C. Wright Mills !"#"$% A&erican sociologist ) )

'e coine( the ter& sociological i&agination.

Socioloical i!ai"atio"  3  The process o) lin*ing in(ivi(ual e+perience ,ith social institutions an( one-s place in history.  3 It &eans the vivi( a,areness o) the relationship bet,een one-s personal e+periences an( the ,i(er society.  3 It is the ability to connect see&ingly i&personal an( re&ote historical )orces to the inci(ents o) an in(ivi(ual-s li)e.  3 It suggests that people loo* at their o,n personal proble&s as social issues an( in general try to connect their o,n in(ivi(ual e+periences ,ith the ,or*ings o) society.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION  C. Wright Mills !"#"$% A&erican sociologist )

Socioloical i!ai"atio"  3 /or e+a&ple% One-s reaction to being poor an( une&ploye(. An in(ivi(ual &ay attribute his0her poverty or inability to 1n( a job to his personal characteristics rather than the larger social )orces at ,or* such as the poor econo&y an( job &ar*et.  3 In(ivi(uals ,ho )eel this ,ay are trappe( (ue to their narro,e( vision o) the proble& o) une&ploy&ent or poor econo&y.  3 Solution% sociological i&agination 2 a 3uality o) &in( that enables one to (o the )ollo,ing%

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION  C. Wright Mills !"#"$% A&erican sociologist )

Socioloical i!ai"ati on  3 Solution% sociological i&agination 2 a 3uality o) &in( that enables one to (o the )ollo,ing% !. See ,hat is going on in the ,orl( an( ,hat &ay be happening ,ithin ourselves. 4. See that society 2 not our o,n )oibles or )ailings 2 is responsible )or &any o) our proble&s. 5. See that &any o) our personal proble&s can be trans)or&e( into political issues. 6. See the po,er o) society to shape our o,n in(ivi(ual lives. #. 7e1ne the troubles ,e en(ure in ter&s o) historical change.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION  C. Wright Mills !"#"$% A&erican sociologist )

Socioloical i!ai"atio"  3 Solution% sociological i&agination 2 a 3uality o) &in( that enables one to (o the )ollo,ing% 8. See the intricate connection bet,een the patterns o) our o,n lives an( the course o) ,orl( history. 9. :no, ,hat this connection &eans )or the *in( o) &en ,e are beco&ing an( )or the *in(s o) history;&a*ing in ,hich ,e &ight ta*e part.  3 In short% #ocioloical i!ai"atio" is that 3uality o) the &in( essential to grasp the interplay o) &en an( society o) biography an( history o) sel) an( ,orl(.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION  C. Wright Mills !"#"$% A&erican sociologist )

Socioloical i!ai"atio"  3 In short% sociological i&agination is a ,ay o) loo*ing at our personal e+periences in ter&s o) ,hat is going on in the ,orl( aroun( us.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

 T'< SOCIOLOGIST AN7 SOCIOLOGICAL IN=>I?@ ) )

)

)

Sociolo$ 2 is the scienti1c stu(y o) hu&an societies. Socioloi#t  2 one ,ho stu(ies the institutions an( (evelop&ent o) society. 'e is a person ,ith pro)essional *no,le(ge an( s*ills in stu(ying the )acts o) society an( social behavior through rigorous scienti1c in3uiry in or(er to arrive at certain generaliations an( truths about social li)e an( society.  The &ain tas* o) sociologist is to stu(y hu&an groups an( )urnishe( the specialie( sciences ,ith the scienti1c (ata they nee( to carry on their ,or* success)ully. In short% sociologist un(erta*es sociological in3uiries or sociological researches )or a better un(erstan(ing o) hu&an societies.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

 T'< SOCIOLOGIST AN7 SOCIOLOGICAL IN=>I?@ )

Socioloical i"%&ir$ 2 re)ers to scienti1c investigation or intellectual an( rigorous research on a particular issue proble& concern or situation )or a better un(erstan(ing o) the sa&e.

)

It is concerne( ,ith the repetitive patterns in hu&an behavior presente( accor(ing to logically relate( hypotheses an( supporte( by e&pirical evi(ence.

)  To be &eaning)ul these )acts have to be or(ere( accor(ing to a conceptual sche&e or theoretical )ra&e,or*.

I. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

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