The Greatest Storyteller

Why Study Sociology?

Studying sociology helps us achieve a greater understanding of

o the social world (social practices, attitudes, institutions)

o ourselves (how individuals relate to social patterns)

o others in the multicultural context of Canada

 Putting Social Life into Perspective

o Sociology is the systematic study of human society and social

interaction using scientific techniques

o Sociologists develop theories about how behaviour is shaped by

group life and how group life is affected by individuals

o Sociologists are interested in knowing what is really going on

behind the scenes. It is more important to study how people act
rather than how people say they will act.
 Putting Social Life into Perspective

The study of social behaviour and relationships examines

o the effects of society and group membership on human

behaviour

o people’s perceptions of their social environment

o the effects of these perceptions on their behaviour and social

interaction.
 Putting Social Life into Perspective

o Sociologists are interested in knowing what is really going on

behind the scenes

o This approach sometimes brings sociologists into conflict with

people who feel threatened by that information – usually those
holding powerful economic and political positions – which is all
part of the adventure and risk of being a sociologist.
 Seeing the Broader Social Context

o Sociological imagination
o C. Wright Mills (1959)

o “The sociological imagination or perspective enables us to grasp

the connection between history and biography.”

o “It gives us the ability to see the relationship between individual

experiences and the larger society.”
 The Sociological Imagination

Personal troubles
o affect individuals
o networks of people one associates with on a regular basis

Public issues
o affect groups
o matters beyond an individual’s control
o caused by problems originating at societal level
 Levels of Sociological Analysis

Macrosociology
o examines and interprets large scale forces that influence
people’s conduct in public and private spaces

Microsociology
o emphasis is placed on social interaction or what people do
when they come together
 Social Institutions

Family

Education Religion

Economy Politics
 The Greatest Storyteller

o Advertising is now considered by many to be one of our social

institutions. Advertising reflects our stereotypes, shows us who
has status, and tells us what it takes to appear successful. It tells
us who is important – who counts – in our society, so when we
see how women, the elderly, disabled, etc. are represented it
reflects our societal attitudes to those groups. It also illustrates
what ideas and values are important.

o Ads make up the most consistent body of material in mass

media, and we have come to expect ads everywhere – even in
our most personal spaces.
 Sociologists Studying Advertising

McLuhan, a Canadian communications scholar, wrote in a letter to

professors at UWO on August 15th 1968. “Advertising is a very
considerable part of our total culture. It is not separable from any
of the other activities of our world.”
Marshall McLuhan (1968)

o He is considered by many to be the first father

and leading prophet of the electronic age.

o He wrote the famous work entitled The

Medium is the Message and is quoted as
saying “All advertising advertises advertising”.
 Why Sociologists Study Advertising

o There are many reasons for advertising to be object of social-

scientific attention. We can look at three of them.

1. Advertising is a major institutions that is responsible for how

vast amounts of our economic and social resources will be
distributed.

2. It has a staggering ability to reach every one of us with

thousands of messages every day, so it has a massive impact on
society as a whole. It is a major contributor to cultural content
of society.
 Why Sociologists Study Advertising

3. Advertising is thought to be most powerful force determining

human behaviour in our society. It is a powerful agent of social
control, acts as a normative institution creating and reinforcing
the values and norms of other societal institutions, and
influencing collective behaviour. It also acts as an agent of
social control. In a survey conducted in Canada asking what has
more of an impact on our society – advertising or the public
school system – 42% said advertising,

BUT despite the massive impact advertising has on society it is

virtually ignored in sociological literature.
 ‘Privileged Forms of Discourse’

o Advertising represents a ‘privileged form of discourse’, which

simply means it has a place of special prominence in our lives.

o A century ago in North America and western Europe forms of

privileged discourse that touched the lives of ordinary persons
were church sermons, political oratory, and the words of family
elders.

o Such influences remain today, but their prominence and moral

authority have diminished now. Now, discourse is through and
about objects. Individuals send ‘signals’ to others about their
attitudes, expectations, and sense of identity through objects,
like cars, clothes, etc.