Chapter 1 - Private Troubles and Social Problems - Developing a Sociological Imagination PDF

 Chapter 1: Objectives Distinguish between personal and social problems, societal and global problems Understand how the political, economic, and cultural features of a society comprise its social location and influence both individual and societal vulnerability to globa...

 Chapter 1: Objectives Distinguish between personal and social problems, societal and global problems Understand how the political, economic, and cultural features of a society comprise its social location and influence both individual and societal vulnerability to global problems Document global goals for improving people’s life chances and progress made toward those goals Apply theoretical frameworks to the analysis of global problems Outline the major features of the global economy, global governance, and global culture  The Sociological Imagination ◼ C. Wright Mills described this type of creative thinking as the ability to view one’s own society as an outsider. ◼ It allows us to look beyond a limited understanding of things and people in the world, and allows for a broader vision of society ◼ (for example, it provides a link between individual experiences and societal influences - - how is the unemployment of a factory worker in Michigan related to political and economic forces in our society?  Private Troubles, Public Issues ◼ A sociological imagination helps one to see the social dimensions of problems in the global system ◼ We may use our sociological imagination to better understand the global problems and solutions ◼ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BINK6r1Wy78 (watch) ◼ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZDYSNgaCNQ (watch) ◼ To begin studying social problems, we first need to distinguish personal troubles from public issues ◼ What is an example of a personal problem you experience that is part of a broader public issue? ◼ Student loan debt? ◼ Access to healthcare? ◼ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OEqI-UFJ_M (watch)  Personal versus Social Problems ◼ Personal problems. Causes and solutions lie within the individual and his or her own environment. ◼ Social problems. Causes and solutions lie outside the individual and the immediate environment.  Consequences of Problems ◼ People victimized by social problems feel a sense of inadequacy. ▪ Sense of inadequacy: Blaming or downgrading oneself. ▪ Employ individual strategies to cope with problems defined as personal. ▪ Sometimes, solution is found in an escape mechanism. ◼ Defining a problem as a personal problem either blames the victim or castigates the offender. ◼ Defining a problem as a social problem recognizes the need for collective action that attacks factors outside the individual.  Social Problem ◼ Condition or pattern of behavior that: ◼ Contradicts some other condition or pattern of behavior and is defined as incompatible with the desired quality of life. ◼ Is caused, facilitated, or prolonged by factors that operate at multiple levels of social life. ◼ Involves intergroup conflict. ◼ Requires social action to be resolved.  Multiple Levels of Social Problems ◼ Individual level. ◼ Example: Attitudes ◼ Group levels. ◼ Example: Ideologies of terrorist groups. ◼ Societal levels. ◼ Example: The government. ◼ Global levels. ◼ Example: Globalization of the economy.  Vulnerability to Global Problems ◼ Global vulnerability ◼ Many challenges confront the modern world ◼ We face uncertainty in regards to disease, conflict, and more ◼ We must consider how many of these challenges are of our own doing ◼ Manufactured risks and systematic risks ◼ What is an example of a manufactured risk in U.S. society? ◼ Individual vulnerability ◼ Not everyone is equally vulnerable to global risks ◼ Much depends on one’s life chances ◼ Life chances depend heavily on your social location  Vulnerability to Global Problems Individuals from developing and developed countries have very different life chances ◼ Developed societies are generally wealthier ◼ Poorer societies are generally still developing ◼ Individual vulnerability: developed and developing ◼ The income and wealth of a country is related to life chances ◼ Income and wealth are not interchangeable ◼ Some countries do better at providing life chances than countries that have higher income  Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology ◼ Structural functionalism. ◼ Focuses on social systems and the way in which their interdependent parts maintain order. ◼ Conflict theory. ◼ Focuses on contradictory interests of groups, inequalities in society, and the resulting conflict and change. ◼ Symbolic interactionism. ◼ Focuses on the interaction between individuals, the individual's perception of situations, and the ways in which social life is constructed through interaction.  Perspectives for Studying Problems ◼ There are several perspectives from which sociologists view the social world ◼ Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and George H. Mead ◼ Conflict theory, structural functionalism, and symbolic interactionism ◼ Based on the work of Marx, conflict theorists center their analyses on competition for and differences in power ◼ The bourgeoisie and the proletariats  Perspectives for Studying Problems ◼ Conflict theory and the forces of production ◼ The bourgeoisie control all institutions in society ◼ They oppress, exploit, and alienate proletariats ◼ The bourgeoisie may use religion to “dupe” the oppressed ◼ “The opiate of the masses” ◼ What does Marx mean by this? ◼ Conflict theory and the forces of production: who benefits? ◼ Laws and policies are written to benefit the elite classes ◼ The irony of capitalism is that industrialization released so much productive power that everyone could have a good life ◼ Instead, many all over the world remain in poverty ◼ What can be done, if anything, to alleviate this?  Perspectives for Studying Problems ◼ Structural functionalism: problems of order within and among systems ◼ Structural functionalists view societies as living organisms Viewing society as an organism focuses attention on structurally different systems Each system has a different function but is related to and depends upon others Manifest and latent functions  Perspectives for Studying Problems ◼ Structural functionalism: the importance of solidarity ◼ The importance of solidarity grew out of the work of Durkheim ◼ People need to feel connected to the social community ◼ There needs to be a moral code to connect individuals to the larger social order—collective values ◼ Mechanical and organic solidarity  Perspectives for Studying Problems ◼ Symbolic interactionism: “if people believe something is real, it is real in its consequences” ◼ Weber maintains that to understand social action, it is necessary to understand the context in which it occurred ◼ The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism ◼ Demonstrates the importance of verstehen ◼ Economic class is not the only source of power in social interactions  Perspectives for Studying Problems ◼ Symbolic interactionism: “if people believe something is real, it is real in its consequences” ◼ Prestige and political office carry power because people ascribe meanings to statuses ◼ Contemporary social structures do not necessarily work for the benefit of all humankind ◼ As more and more of life becomes bureaucratized, people feel increasingly trapped ◼ The Iron Cage  Understanding the Global Order ◼ Theories of the global economy ◼ The global economy is what most people associate with globalization and the world system ◼ The globalization of capitalism ◼ Benefits of the global economy are not shared equally ◼ Where a country is located along the value-added chain determines how wealthy it can become ◼ Theories of the global economy ◼ Inspired by Marxist analysis, World Systems Analysis and Global Systems Analysis focus on economic relations and the expansion of capitalism at the global level as the source of inequality among countries ◼ The production or commodity chain begins at the periphery ◼ The poorest and politically and economically weakest societies  Understanding the Global Order ◼ Theories of the global economy ◼ These societies are a step up on the commodity chain from the periphery ◼ Mix of core and periphery characteristics ◼ Social systems are relatively more developed than the periphery but less than the core ◼ Theories of the global economy: Core ◼ These are the richest and most powerful countries ◼ They have economic and political clout to negotiate favorably with other countries ◼ They control the highest levels of technology  Understanding the Global Order ◼ Appadurai’s global scapes: a theory of global culture ◼ Five global scapes ◼ Ethnoscapes ◼ Mediascapes ◼ Ideoscapes ◼ Technoscapes ◼ Financescapes  Understanding the Global Order ◼ The global community: global civil society ◼ Our neighborhoods, our cities, our country, and the world are all physical communities that we inhabit ◼ Our clubs, organizations, our friendship groups, and the places we volunteer are the social communities that we inhabit ◼ Strong ties and weak ties are the basis of civil society  Understanding the Global Order ◼ The global community: global civil society ◼ Capital is a thing of value that can be put to use to obtain a goal ◼ Human capital is the total resources inherent in the population of a community ◼ Economic capital refers to financial resources ◼ Bridging capital is built among people who differ in characteristics ◼ Bonding capital is the capital built up among people who are alike in characteristics  Understanding the Global Order ◼ The global community: global civil society ◼ World society theory (Meyer et al. 2000) is the counterpoint to global systems theory ◼ Global systems theory centers on the global economy as the driver of global relations ◼ World society theory argues that the global economy grew out of relationships among people  Summary ◼ The study of global problems is complex ◼ Global culture has developed in such a way that mandate for a good society is one that fulfills the potential life chances of all its members ◼ The declaration of human rights has become the centerpiece of global culture ◼ Upholding everyone’s human rights are everyone’s responsibility as members of global society