1008ccj Intro – Week 1

What is Sociology?

“Focuses on the study of human behaviour and social interaction to understand how
societies are organised, develop and change” – TASA

• Picking apart common-sense or taken for granted knowledge.

o Example: When having a baby – The Sex – Pink or blue clothes > What does
that say about society?
Divide society into two components?
- The way society is organised into different parts
• Structure
Institutions Religion, Education, Government, Family, Economy, Media
Social Groups – Church, Individual family groups, schools, Political Parties
Statuses – Mother, Teacher, Priest, Politician
Roles – Mother as nurture for children, nurse as working with the doctor and
helping the patient, politician as helping his own party and working with
opposing party members and helping the public achieve better outcomes.
• Culture
The meaning and ways of life that characterise society
Beliefs – what is real or true – the beliefs of a group influence the way they view
the society. What is considered a social problem is dependent on our beliefs.
Examples: does second hand smoke affect others? Does violence in video games
and movies lead to aggression in children? Working hard will lead to success and
wealth. Buying cosmetics makes you attractive?
Values – Social agreements about what is considered right or wrong. And good or
bad - Honesty, Aggression, Faithfulness, wealth, health, freedom, safety, Beauty,
marriage, success, comfort,
Norms and sanctions – What is norm behaviour? – Example no pushing inline,
Buying cosmetic products, Finishing school, finding a life long partner
Sanctions are a form of social control. A way to encourage conformity and
consequences for violating norms
Symbols – Anything that means something else – Example hand gestures,
language, emoji, magazines, objects.

Sociological Imagination
- The ability to see connections between our personal life and society around us.
- Able to tell the difference between private troubles and public issues

Sociological Imagination Vs. Common Sense

Common Sense
- Common sense is basic knowledge and experience we all share as a society.
- Common sense is an ideology we share.
- Common sense is taken for granted and can be confused for real.
- However the common sense can be different for different societies – Is culture
centred
 - Common sense requires not evidence as it is expected knowledge that society takes
for granted as real.
Sociological Imagination
- Seeks to questions this assumed knowledge and question what is going on around
them.
- Sociological imagination challenges per conceived ideas.

Common sense and sociological imagination are very different in how the explain social
problems and why they exist.

• Common sense relies on per convinced ideas that exist in a society and don’t have to
contain evidence.
• Sociological Imagination does not take problems at face value, it questions and
asked why things are the way they are. It uses evidence and research to find reason
to why things happen.

1. To see connections between personal lives and border social word (why does
unemployment occur?)
2. A recognition of the importance of understanding experience and behaviour in social
and historical context (Is alcohol abuse a result of previous historical events?)
3. Understanding “freedom of choice” and responsibility for action are limited and
shaped by social structure and culture (Poverty – can you get yourself out of
poverty?)
4. Sociological imagination unpacks the significance and meaning of social events. (why
are children toys labelled to sexes?)

Social Problems
Interpret what is a problem and what is not
- They vary between different social groups in society.
o Example: Abortion – Some society members believe that the availability of
abortion as a social problem. Whereas, others view restriction on abortion as
a social problem.
- These varies are due to different values and beliefs in the society structure.
- Social problems change over time – Wife punishment is now referred to as domestic
violence.
- Social problems contain two elements:
o An Objective social condition – Refers to the existence of a social issue.
Become aware of condition through life experience, media, education.
Example: we see homelessness, hear about Terrorism, read about employee
losing their jobs as businesses downsize or close, education, limited energy
supplies, health care, aging
o Objective interpretation of that condition. – Social condition is harmful to
society or a certain part of society. Should or can be changed. Crime, racism,
violence, poverty, terrorism, pollution exist and are social conditions
Social conditions are not considered social problems unless a segment of
society believes that these conditions diminish the quality of human life.
- Combining these you get the definition
Definition: A social problem is a social condition that a large enough section of society views
as harmful to members of society and in need of remedy.

- Sociology is a framework that can view social problems

When think about a social Problem:

1. What makes it a problem (not a neutral fact)?
2. For whom is it a problem?
3. Who says it is a problem?
4. Who determines how it is responded to?
5. How might the following effect the issue?
a. Culture and sub-culture?
b. The socialisation processes?
c. Social class, race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and age
d. Social institutions such as the media, economy, law and politics
6. How can sociological theories be used to explain the problem?