Download Sociological Perspective

SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is the systematic study of human society. At the heart of this discipline is a
distinctive point of view called “the sociological perspective”?
 Peter Berger
He characterized the sociological perspective as seeing the general in the particular.
That is. Sociology helps us see general patterns in the behavior of particular people.
Using the sociological perspective amounts to seeing the strange in the familiar. This
does not mean that sociologists focus on the bizarre elements of society. Rather, it
means that looking at life sociologically requires giving up the familiar idea that
human behavior is simply a matter of what people decide to do in favor of the initially
strange notion that we are creatures of society.
 Invitation to Sociology (1966) Peter Berger
People who like to avoid shocking discoveries, who prefer to believe that society is
just what they were taught in Sunday School, who like the safety of the rules and the
maxims of what Alfred Schutz has called the “world-taken for-granted”, should stay
away from sociology.
People beings, who are content to admire scenery without wondering about the people
who live in those houses on the other side of the river, should probably also stay away
from sociology.
 Invitation to Sociology
The invitation was made by Peter Berger
Sociology makes us see in a new light the very world in which we have lived all our
lives…things are not what they seems.” It can be said that the first wisdom of
sociology is this ---things are not what they seem.”
He suggests to “seeing through” and looks behind.
UNMASKING APPARENT REALITIES (Peter Berger)
 In his essay Invitation to Sociology (1963), Berger observes that people tend to
take for granted the world in which they live and accept rather unquestioningly
the view of reality that has been socially constructed. Yet, as Berger notes, there
is more to social life than meets the eye. Conventional or official interpretation
about the world are not always correct, and even when correct, don’t always
present the “whole story” of events. In other words, what everybody “knows”
and accepts as true does not always represent all of what actually exists. Social
reality involves levels of meaning, not all of which are immediately apparent. He
art of sociological analysis involves looking beyond commonly accepted or
officially defined interpretations in order to more fully understand the
complexities of the social world.
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The art of what Berger calls ”unmasking” social reality requires looking at the
familiar in new light, taking a critical look at commonly accepted phenomenon
in order to more fully understand the complex nature of social reality. The
sociological perspective involves searching for what else is there.

In the middle of 20 century, C. Wright Mills argued for the use of our
sociological imagination. He maintained that personal troubles can be understood
only by viewing their connection to social issue. The individual experience is
part of a broader social-structural and social0historical pattern.
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Finally the contemporary sociologist Peter L. Berger maintains that the art of
sociological analysis involves unmasking apparent realities. The sociologists
must look beyond the obvious for what else is happening.

The art of sociological analysis begins with a “willing suspension of belief”. It is
a conscious decision to ask what lies behind “taken for granted” realities, what
are the consequences of observed social arrangement, and what are the meanings
of social patterns.

There is an art to sociological analysis. This art derives from the unique approach
to the subject matter involved in the sociological perspective.

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Durkheim saw this as the process of discovering social facts and social forces.
C. Wright Mills described that art as a sociological imagination in which
sociohistorical cause and consequences are examined.
 Peter L.Berger speaks of this art as the process of unmasking reality and looking
beyond the obvious.
SOCIOLOGY V.S. COMMON SENSE
Sociology finds common sense, individualistic and natural explanation inadequate to
fully explain social phenomenon.

Common sense
It is a knowledge appears to be true and those knowledge usually comes from
observation on social life.
 An individualistic explanation of behavior
It id through reference to the behavior of individuals
 A naturalistic explanation of behavior
It rests on the assumption that one can readily identify “natural” reasons for behavior.
Benefits of the sociological perspective
1, The sociological perspective help us critically assess the truth of “common sense”
2, Sociological perspective helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives.
(The more we understand the game, the better players we will be)
3, The sociological perspective empowers us to be active participants in our society.
(The more we understand about how society operates, the more active citizen we
become. For some, this may mean supporting society as it is. Others may attempt to
change the world in some ways. Evaluating any aspect of social life—whatever your
goal—includes identifying social forces and assessing their consequences.)
4,The sociological perspective helps us live in a diverse world
There are many people in the world. The place where you live is only part of the
world
The sociological perspective prompts us to think critically about strengths and
weakness of all ways of life, including our own.
"Sociological implication", here is my very brief answer:
When stating what "Sociological implication" you can get from the chosen concepts,
you can explain the concerned concepts with any thing that you have learned from
Sociology. Let that be sociological concepts, theories on particular topics, or
theoretical paradigms of Sociology. The main aim of me asking it is to let you show
me how much understanding you have obtained from Sociology. So each one has no
standard answer, be confident, there is usually no right and wrong answer, but just
HOW WELL you have understood.