Download The Sociological Perspective

The Sociological Perspective
Studying sociology can help us gain a new view, or perspective, for looking at the world and
ourselves. Rather than relying on common sense, which often turns out to be incorrect,
sociology teaches us to look at social life in a scientific, systematic way. By adopting a
sociological perspective, we are able to look beyond commonly held beliefs to the hidden
meanings behind human actions.
The sociological perspective helps us see that we are social beings. It tells us that our
behavior is the result of social factors and that we have learned our behavior from others.
By using the sociological perspective, we can look at our world and ourselves more
objectively. We also can use the sociological perspective to research areas of great
importance in our lives.
The sociological perspective can help us broaden our view of the social world. It tells us that
there are many different perspectives of social reality. We can see beyond our day-to-day
world by viewing the world through others’ eyes.
Sociology can also help us view our own lives within a larger social and historical context. It
can give us insights into how our social environment shapes us and how we in turn can shape
our environment. This ability to see the connection between the larger world and our
personal lives is what C. Wright Mills called the sociological imagination. According to Mills,
all good sociologists and students of society possess such imagination. With sociological
imagination we become aware that our own behavior is the result of social influences- that
we have learned our behavior from other people.
ASSIGNMENT:
Think about what events have shaped you during your life. Your job is to record the 5 most
influential events or social influences that have made you the person you are today. This list
may include happy events as well as ones of personal tragedy. It may include operations,
having had to move, your parents getting divorced, 9/11, etc. The idea here is to see the
bigger picture and truly reflect on all the things you’ve experienced in your life!! You can
have no more and no fewer than 5 items. Try to place the events in the order that they
occurred as well as your approximate age at the time if you recall. Then, provide a brief
(two or three sentences) explanation of the even and how it has shaped your perspective.
This assignment is worth 20 points.