Trinity Cover

Prof. Kolysh

SOC 101

01 Feb 2021

Reading Response 1

In Chapter 1 of ​Introduction to Sociology​, the term “sociological imagination” was

mentioned. I have never heard of this before and was surprised that the word imagination is used.

When I hear or see “imagination,” I think about things that are not real, or make believe.

However, sociology and its relation to history and social structure are, indeed, very real. I feel it

could have been called something along the lines of “sociological relation” instead.

On another note, I took a Sociology class in my senior year of high school, and I never

once heard of Emmanuel-Joseph Siey​ès​. I feel that he would have been an important person to

learn about given he is the one who coined the term “sociology.” Now that I think of it, and that

class the only person we really focused on was Karl Marx. One of Marx's views that stuck with

me is his belief that societies grew and changed as a result of the struggles of different social

classes over the means of production. I, too, believe that the production of products contributed

strongly to the divide between social classes, which continues into today. Upper class business

owners’ wealth increases daily, meanwhile, their workers make little money, in comparison to

them, and just get by.

In regards to ethical concerns, I need some clarification. I know the text informs us that

sociologists must protect The privacy of research participants even if pressured by authorities,

but are they truly allowed to keep potential evidence from a case being investigated? For
instance, someone they research was a suspected murderer, are the sociologists allowed to reject

the authorities, and the authorities just back off?

Lastly, I found the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy interesting. It sort of reminds me of

manifestation, which has become quite popular since COVID quarantine started last March. The

idea that ​even a false idea can become true if it is acted upon is slightly similar to how

manifestation works. Manifestation is the process of bringing something into existence through

words, thoughts, and actions. So even something that is not true in your life currently can be

made true if you convince yourself it is. For instance, if I wish to have more financial stability, I

have to act as if I already am in good wealth. I can do this through “I am” affirmations, imagery

of a wealthy life, etc. So I guess I am wondering if self-fulfilling prophecy and manifestation are

the same thing, just phrased differently?

These are all concepts and questions I look forward to diving deeper into during this

course, and I hope I find the answers and gain more knowledge about relations between me as an

individual with the people around me.