15/02/2023 SOC1001F - Intro Into Sociology
The Sociological Imagination - Chapter One
Questions & Key Words Rough Notes:
Milieu - a person’s social “The Promise”
environment - Feel bounded by private orbits (family, job, community)
- The more aware you are of this, the more difficult it seems to
Indifference - those escape
unaware of any cherished - Fast pace changes from feudal to modern and advanced.
values, nor a threat to them
- “The very shaping of history now outpaces the ability of men to
Unease/Anxiety - those orient themselves in accordance with cherished values. And
unaware of any cherished which values?”
values, but still feel the
presence of a threat - Sociological imagination allows you to see and acknowledge
the impact caused by historical influences and the current
“historical” circumstances
- Acknowledge that the limits for ‘human nature’ are scarily
broad
3 sorts of questions asked by some before who showed promise
in their sociological work:
1. How is the society structured, specifically the importance of
each component and how they potentially differ from other
social orders?
2. How is each feature affected/how will it affect the past and
future historical period in which they function?
a. What are the mechanics of change occurring and how
will those impact the development of humanity with full
context
3. What groups/varieties of people now/are soon to prevail during
this period?
a. In what ways are these people selected to prevail,
liberated, repressed - what kinds of “human nature” are
these decisions highlighting
- Sociological imagination recognizes the distinction
between “the personal troubles of milieu” and “the public
issues of social structure”:
- “Troubles” don’t show/follow trends. Can be explained
and dealt with through personal milieu changes.
- “Issues” expose trends that prove a failure in social
structure that impacts many.
- To identify issues and troubles, ask “What values are cherished
but threatened, and what values are cherished and
supported?”
- To be unaware of both cherished values and the experience of
threat to those values is called “indifference”
- To be unaware of any cherished values, but to still feel the
presence of a threat, that is unease & anxiety.
, - Science has turned from a creative and orientating activity to
solve issues, to science machines working at the whim of
economic and military men.
- Much of what is today passed for ‘science’ is felt to be
dubious philosophy and far too localised
(trouble-oriented)
3 Traditional Tendencies of Sociological work:
- Toward a theory of history:
“The theory of man's history can all too readily become
distorted into a trans-historical strait-jacket into which the
materials of human history are forced and out of which issue
prophetic views (usually gloomy ones) of the future.”
- Toward a systematic theory of the nature of mankind & society:
More general and & abstract view of social structures
- Toward empirical studies:
Self explanatory
, 00/02/2023 SOC1001F - Intro Into Sociology
Chapter and Section SECTION
Questions & Key Words Rough Notes
Summary/Reminders
The Sociological Imagination - Chapter One
Questions & Key Words Rough Notes:
Milieu - a person’s social “The Promise”
environment - Feel bounded by private orbits (family, job, community)
- The more aware you are of this, the more difficult it seems to
Indifference - those escape
unaware of any cherished - Fast pace changes from feudal to modern and advanced.
values, nor a threat to them
- “The very shaping of history now outpaces the ability of men to
Unease/Anxiety - those orient themselves in accordance with cherished values. And
unaware of any cherished which values?”
values, but still feel the
presence of a threat - Sociological imagination allows you to see and acknowledge
the impact caused by historical influences and the current
“historical” circumstances
- Acknowledge that the limits for ‘human nature’ are scarily
broad
3 sorts of questions asked by some before who showed promise
in their sociological work:
1. How is the society structured, specifically the importance of
each component and how they potentially differ from other
social orders?
2. How is each feature affected/how will it affect the past and
future historical period in which they function?
a. What are the mechanics of change occurring and how
will those impact the development of humanity with full
context
3. What groups/varieties of people now/are soon to prevail during
this period?
a. In what ways are these people selected to prevail,
liberated, repressed - what kinds of “human nature” are
these decisions highlighting
- Sociological imagination recognizes the distinction
between “the personal troubles of milieu” and “the public
issues of social structure”:
- “Troubles” don’t show/follow trends. Can be explained
and dealt with through personal milieu changes.
- “Issues” expose trends that prove a failure in social
structure that impacts many.
- To identify issues and troubles, ask “What values are cherished
but threatened, and what values are cherished and
supported?”
- To be unaware of both cherished values and the experience of
threat to those values is called “indifference”
- To be unaware of any cherished values, but to still feel the
presence of a threat, that is unease & anxiety.
, - Science has turned from a creative and orientating activity to
solve issues, to science machines working at the whim of
economic and military men.
- Much of what is today passed for ‘science’ is felt to be
dubious philosophy and far too localised
(trouble-oriented)
3 Traditional Tendencies of Sociological work:
- Toward a theory of history:
“The theory of man's history can all too readily become
distorted into a trans-historical strait-jacket into which the
materials of human history are forced and out of which issue
prophetic views (usually gloomy ones) of the future.”
- Toward a systematic theory of the nature of mankind & society:
More general and & abstract view of social structures
- Toward empirical studies:
Self explanatory
, 00/02/2023 SOC1001F - Intro Into Sociology
Chapter and Section SECTION
Questions & Key Words Rough Notes
Summary/Reminders
