Sociology and The Sociological Imagination

Study Notes

Sociology studies human society and social interactions.
Primary goals include understanding individual lives in the context of larger social influences over time.
Sociologists explore topics like social institutions, culture, social change, gender, sexuality, and environmental interactions.
Other social science disciplines include anthropology, psychology, political science, economics, geography, and criminology.
Unlike anthropology, which focuses on human cultures, sociology emphasizes social interactions and structures.
The sociological imagination connects personal experiences (biography) to wider societal issues (history).
Recognizing everyday life’s ordinariness can offer deeper meaning; this concept is explored in “This is Water.”
Making the familiar strange involves questioning and re-evaluating routine perceptions.

Founders include Auguste Comte (Father of Sociology), Harriet Martineau (first female sociologist), Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Georg Simmel.
Comte's positivism advocates for a scientific approach to social study.
Martineau emphasized societal effects on happiness and translated Comte's works.
Durkheim institutionalized sociology and investigated social phenomena such as suicide.
Marx critiqued capitalism and described class struggles between the bourgeoisie and proletariat.
Weber applied interpretative sociology and criticized both positivism and Marx’s class-centric focus.
Simmel focused on micro-level interactions and introduced early network theory.
Jane Addams promoted social justice and founded Hull House to advocate for the poor.
W.E.B. Du Bois studied race, emphasizing that poverty among African Americans stems from systemic prejudice.

Conflict Theory sees competition among interests as a driver of social change (Karl Marx).
Symbolic Interactionism focuses on shared meanings and social constructions derived from interactions, with key figures like George Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman.

The research model helps organize and understand research components.
Deductive research starts with theory; inductive research begins with observation to form theory.
Research methods fall into three broad categories: qualitative, quantitative, and experimental.
Correlation indicates simultaneous occurrence; causation shows one factor affecting another, with causation preferred in sociology for its significance.
Four types of research methods are: surveys, field research, secondary data analysis, and experiments.
Public sociology engages with societal debates and discussions.
A hypothesis states expected findings and should be falsifiable for effective validation.
Variables in research include:
- Dependent: the outcome being measured.
- Independent: the presumed cause of the dependent variable.
- Mediating: explains how the independent affects the dependent (e.g., socioeconomic status on child reading ability).
- Moderating: describes the strength of the relationship (e.g., exercise on heart rate).
Validity checks what is measured; reliability assesses result consistency; generalizability considers applicability to broader populations.
Ethical research standards are regulated by Institutional Review Boards (IRB) to safeguard against various forms of harm.

Culture encompasses shared language, beliefs, values, and behaviors passed through generations.
Material culture includes physical objects (e.g., books, fashion), while non-material culture encompasses values and social norms.
Cultural lag refers to delays in societal adaptation to material culture changes (e.g., technology outpacing societal responses to cyber issues).
Cultural relativism promotes recognizing cultural differences without judgment.
Culture shock arises from adjusting to new cultural environments, often causing confusion or anxiety.
Code switching involves adapting language and behavior to fit different cultural contexts.
Cultural scripts are non-universal behavioral guidelines.
A subculture represents distinct cultural beliefs and norms within the wider culture (e.g., goths, punks).
Media are channels for communication, encompassing formats like books, radio, and websites.
Culture jamming subverts media power by repurposing symbols or messages.
Social media serves as a form of cultural currency, shaping identity and social interactions, particularly discussed in the context of “Generation Like.”