Download Seeing is Believing - Introduction to Sociology - Lecture Notes and more Study notes Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! Introductory Sociology 1 Lecture 5 Social Realism 1. What is Society? Last week John clarified the idea that Sociology is a distinctive way of thinking. But thinking about ‘what’? All definitions of Sociology at some point refer to ‘society’ as the object of Sociological thought. But is society real; does it actually exist? If not then Sociology is a science without a subject, which makes no sense. Why might the existence of society be questioned? a) ‘seeing is believing’: we can’t see society or experience it with any of our other senses; what we see is people/individuals, therefore only they are real re Mrs. Thatcher. Note the commonplace use of the term ‘society’ to a) mean nothing more than ‘everybody’ b) evade personal responsibility as in ‘I blame society for…’ In any case ‘society’ is a recently invented term that originally meant nothing more than ’companionship’ or ‘important people’. Can society be shown to be real? This was the task that the founders of Sociology set themselves. 2. Social Realism 1. Notably Emile Durkheim whose study of suicide showed that this apparently most individualistic of acts is in fact socially distributed. That is, different groups consistently produce relatively high or low rates of suicide among their members. These rates persist over time despite involving completely different individuals. That is the rates are regular or patterned. It is the first task of Sociology to demonstrate the existence of such patterned regularities. These are the structures or framework of society, which persist even though individuals are typically unaware of their existence. These patterns are to be found in everyday life. For instance, several sociologists of education have referred to the hidden curriculum; these are the ideas, beliefs and behaviours that teachers teach and pupils learn without, typically, either group being aware that this is occurring. It is the social context itself that produces these patterns through, in this case, the extent to which individuals are integrated into and controlled by groups; sociability. 3. Explanation of observable events by reference to normally unrecognised regularities is common in science e.g. meteorology, physics. Epidemiology in particular is relevant as a branch of medical science that investigates the patterned distribution of medical conditions among social groups. However, this raises the question of whether some patterns more important than others in producing human experience? According to Karl Marx the patterns produced by the distribution of economic resources have the greatest effect on our individual existence. 4. Social Realism 2. For Marx all animal species take resources from their environment to maintain their survival. Human beings typically do this through cooperation that involves the use of tools and other resources. Consequently, those who own and/or control these economic resources control the chances of survival of non-owners; this is the most basic form of power. Therefore, owners and non-owners constitute distinct groups, classes, which have opposed interests, whether or not their members are aware of this. These opposed interests are expressed in all areas of life affecting individuals e.g. law, religious belief, education etc; the Titanic syndrome. These ideas have docsity.com
