C1: THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
Introduction
Three Core Foci of Sociology
● Social Inequality
● Social Institutions
● Social Change
Three Core Aims of Sociology
● Reading: “Body Ritual Among the Neuroma” (Horace Miner)
Emile Durkheim and the Study of Suicide
The Sociological Imagination
● Reading: “The Sociological Imagination” (C. Wright Mills)
Research Methods: How Do Sociologists Study Society?
Key Terms
Introduction
● Key founders of sociology:
○ Auguste Comte (coined term “sociology”)
○ Herbert Spencer
○ Karl Marx
○ Emile Durkheim
○ Max Weber
Society
● Society: largest-scale human group that shares a common geographic territory and common
institutions
● Based on and requires social interactions b/w its members
○ Can occur in various settings
○ Connections are important because:
■ Create shared understandings
■ Basis of continued co-operation b/w members of society
○ Interactions help to:
■ Socialise newcomers
■ Enable members to monitor and regulate each other
○ Interactions are shaped by culture
Culture
● Culture: system of behaviour, beliefs, knowledge, practices,values, and materials
● Shapes interactions b/w members of a society by shaping:
○ How we behave
○ Physical elements of society
● Types of culture:
○ Dominant Culture: able to impose its values, beliefs, and behaviours on a given society
because of its political and economic power
○ Counter Culture: Group that rejects certain elements of the dominant culture (e.g; anti-
consumerist groups)
○ Subcultures: Culture within a broader mainstream culture w/ its own separate values,
practices, and beliefs
○ Elite (High) Culture: Culture of society’s elite
○ Popular (Low) Culture: Culture of the majority
Three Core Foci of Sociology
, ● Three core foci:
○ Social inequality
○ Social institutions
○ Social change
Social Inequality
● Inequality: gap b/w advantaged and disadvantaged in society
● Based on the differences b/w people that are consequential for the lives they lead (e.g; social class,
gender, race, ethnicity etc)
● Our characteristics can shape the rights, opportunities, rewards/privileges that individuals enjoy
● Exists in all societies BUT the type and amount of inequality differs
○ Different societies exhibit varying levels of inequality (e.g; Caste System in India vs Class
System in Canada)
○ Inequality may be based on different factors depending on the society
● Able to increase and decrease within a single society
○ E.g; caste system in India has been challenged (indian government has passed legislation to
fight discrimination and marriage b/w castes)
Increase of Class Inequality in Canada
● Visible minorities: persons other than Aboriginal people who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white
in colour
○ Earning less than Canadians who are not visible minorities
Social Institutions
● Institution: norms, values, rules of conduct that structure human interactions
● Physical places and social arrangements for how things should be done (e.g; education institutions)
● Can result in social change
○ Social programs initiated by government of canada have tried to address imbalance
○ E.g; Veterans Rehabilitation Act (1944) - helped WW2 veterans receive post-secondary
education by paying full tuition & living expenses for 4 years
● 5 core institutions in Canada:
○ Family
○ Education
○ Religion
○ Economy
○ Government
● (+) Functions:
○ Provides society w/ standardised way of doing something
○ Help society run smoothly
● (-) Functions:
○ Maintain and reinforce inequality (standardised methods and routines can reinforce
differences b/w people)
Social Change
● Sociologists examine how social institutions can result in more inequality or social change
● If society is based on interactions of people it can change as people do
● Religion’s changing role illustrates key elements in the study of sociology:
○ Important institution in society (set of organised beliefs establish how society attempts to
meet basic social needs)
○ Provides rules of conduct that structure human interactions
○ Shows larger social transformations
○ Changing nature of religion depends on social context in which it is examined
Religion & Social Change
● Secularisation: process of religion losing authority over individuals and social life in general
Introduction
Three Core Foci of Sociology
● Social Inequality
● Social Institutions
● Social Change
Three Core Aims of Sociology
● Reading: “Body Ritual Among the Neuroma” (Horace Miner)
Emile Durkheim and the Study of Suicide
The Sociological Imagination
● Reading: “The Sociological Imagination” (C. Wright Mills)
Research Methods: How Do Sociologists Study Society?
Key Terms
Introduction
● Key founders of sociology:
○ Auguste Comte (coined term “sociology”)
○ Herbert Spencer
○ Karl Marx
○ Emile Durkheim
○ Max Weber
Society
● Society: largest-scale human group that shares a common geographic territory and common
institutions
● Based on and requires social interactions b/w its members
○ Can occur in various settings
○ Connections are important because:
■ Create shared understandings
■ Basis of continued co-operation b/w members of society
○ Interactions help to:
■ Socialise newcomers
■ Enable members to monitor and regulate each other
○ Interactions are shaped by culture
Culture
● Culture: system of behaviour, beliefs, knowledge, practices,values, and materials
● Shapes interactions b/w members of a society by shaping:
○ How we behave
○ Physical elements of society
● Types of culture:
○ Dominant Culture: able to impose its values, beliefs, and behaviours on a given society
because of its political and economic power
○ Counter Culture: Group that rejects certain elements of the dominant culture (e.g; anti-
consumerist groups)
○ Subcultures: Culture within a broader mainstream culture w/ its own separate values,
practices, and beliefs
○ Elite (High) Culture: Culture of society’s elite
○ Popular (Low) Culture: Culture of the majority
Three Core Foci of Sociology
, ● Three core foci:
○ Social inequality
○ Social institutions
○ Social change
Social Inequality
● Inequality: gap b/w advantaged and disadvantaged in society
● Based on the differences b/w people that are consequential for the lives they lead (e.g; social class,
gender, race, ethnicity etc)
● Our characteristics can shape the rights, opportunities, rewards/privileges that individuals enjoy
● Exists in all societies BUT the type and amount of inequality differs
○ Different societies exhibit varying levels of inequality (e.g; Caste System in India vs Class
System in Canada)
○ Inequality may be based on different factors depending on the society
● Able to increase and decrease within a single society
○ E.g; caste system in India has been challenged (indian government has passed legislation to
fight discrimination and marriage b/w castes)
Increase of Class Inequality in Canada
● Visible minorities: persons other than Aboriginal people who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white
in colour
○ Earning less than Canadians who are not visible minorities
Social Institutions
● Institution: norms, values, rules of conduct that structure human interactions
● Physical places and social arrangements for how things should be done (e.g; education institutions)
● Can result in social change
○ Social programs initiated by government of canada have tried to address imbalance
○ E.g; Veterans Rehabilitation Act (1944) - helped WW2 veterans receive post-secondary
education by paying full tuition & living expenses for 4 years
● 5 core institutions in Canada:
○ Family
○ Education
○ Religion
○ Economy
○ Government
● (+) Functions:
○ Provides society w/ standardised way of doing something
○ Help society run smoothly
● (-) Functions:
○ Maintain and reinforce inequality (standardised methods and routines can reinforce
differences b/w people)
Social Change
● Sociologists examine how social institutions can result in more inequality or social change
● If society is based on interactions of people it can change as people do
● Religion’s changing role illustrates key elements in the study of sociology:
○ Important institution in society (set of organised beliefs establish how society attempts to
meet basic social needs)
○ Provides rules of conduct that structure human interactions
○ Shows larger social transformations
○ Changing nature of religion depends on social context in which it is examined
Religion & Social Change
● Secularisation: process of religion losing authority over individuals and social life in general
