Simmel explains the significant role of the stranger in society. The stranger can be viewed as someone who “comes today and stays tomorrow.” This implies, that the stranger has a fleeting role in society and is on a different level from the rest. Although the stranger is in close proximity to others, he is mentally far away. Simmel thinks the stranger to be lonely, dissatisfied and mentally displaced. The stranger appears to be stuck in the gray areas of life wherever he visits. Regardless of the estrangement from others, the stranger is an integral part of society.…
“Let every man be his own methodologist, let every man be his own theorist” –C. Wright Mills. The sociological imagination is a way of comprehending circumstances in society that lead to a questioned outcome. Outcomes are usually shaped by: motives, the time period, location, and human influence. Social situations have a large impact on how people think and act. A sociological perspective is in a way a symbiotic relationship between human individuals and society. In order to obtain this perspective; one must extract themselves from the particular situation and have an abstract point of view of the identified circumstance. One must see the situation in a wider and more diverse perspective.…
Erving Goffman was born on the 11th June 1922 in Mannville, Canada. In 1939, Goffman enrolled at the University of Manitoba where he pursued an undergraduate degree in chemistry; however he then took an interest for sociology while working temporarily at the National Film Board in Ottawa. This was the motivation that he then needed to go on and enrol at the University of Toronto where he studied anthropology and sociology, then after graduating with a degree he began a masters in sociology at the University of Chicago, which was one of the centres’ of sociological research in the United States. In the decade from 1959-1969 Goffman published seven significant books, this was a remarkable achievement, and so has been considered as the most influential sociologist of the twentieth century. The focus of his work was the organisation of observable, everyday behaviour, usually but not always among unacquainted in urban settings. He used a variety of qualitative methods; he then developed classifications of the different elements of social interaction. The assumption of this approach was that these classifications were heuristic, simplifying tools for sociological analysis that did not capture the complexity of lived experience. Goffman was heavily influenced by George Mead and Herbert Blumer in his theoretical framework, and went on to pioneer the study of face-to-face interaction, elaborate the “dramaturgical approach” to human interaction, and develop numerous concepts that would have massive influence.…
The Jews in Poland behaved as “the stranger” in Polish society. Georg Simmel, born in 1858 and founder of the German Sociological Association and argues the theory of The Stranger where he specifically discusses the nature of the individual and group cultural differences. He likens the stranger to a social role in which there is a combined quality of nearness and remoteness. Most Jews were self-contained, self-absorbed elitist communities that were insulated from society in general. Intermarriage rates between Poles and Jews were less than one percent. Few of them had friendly relationships with non-Jews that were around them. This self-segregation was the…
According to Simmel, the development of a protective, rational barrier has a profound impact on individuals living in a metropolis. A modern individual becomes indifferent, the “blasé outlook” becomes a consequence of the urban…
Pp. 139- 154 in in Readings in social theory: The classic tradition to post-modernism, 6th…
When it comes to sociology, one of the most important things to remember is the sociological imagination. In McIntyre’s article “Afterword”, she states that “I hope you’ve been persuaded, for example, that the culture and social structure shape human behavior; that the ways in which we carry out our life’s arrangements are shaped but social institutions” (McIntyre, 2014, pg. 266). She believes that remembering the sociological imagination can help you succeed and make your life just a little bit better. (McIntyre, 2014, pg.…
In the following, the definition of sociology will be explained. It will look at how the understanding of this study, individuals/ citizens and social care practitioners can use from the sociologists theories and from being in society as they know it. It will explain the reasons why as human beings living within the social world, act differently in different circumstances and why not everyone holds the same beliefs and values.…
The "sociological imagination" asserts that people do not exist in isolation but within a larger social network (Willis, 1993). Sociology begins with individuals ' experiences in order to explore collective themes and patterns of behaviour that shape…
Georg Simmel grew up as a Jewish boy in an anti-Semitic Germany, causing he to be an outsider throughout his childhood. He constantly was at a stand still throughout his life with one foot in the door and one foot out, never truly belonging. Although seemingly negative, Simmel put a positive spin on the idea of the stranger and cultural difference because for his life he was in fact the…
According to Lange and Grossman, sociological theories are ways to define adult’s ability to adapt on changing roles, relationships, and status within a culture or society (Mauk, 2010, pp. 51). Many of our choices are affected by societal norms. In other words, the heart of sociology focus on views of social backgrounds influencing attitudes, behavior, and life changes. Although each human being differs from one another, there is a common aspect that is shared. These shared qualities are perceived to create a bond that is unique.…
Georg Simmel (1858 - 1918) was living in Berlin at a time when Sociology was beginning to form as a science, most notably with the work of Comte setting up the positivist methodology of studying society. In the intellectual world he was an outsider and struggled, becoming a full professor without a chair only in 1901.…
Growing up in one’s environment is likely to play as a factor in the way they go about things in the life. People cannot change their environment so they sometimes have to change themselves in order to become to fit in with their societies or to become successful person. The sociological perspective better known as the sociological imagination helps individuals see through a broader scope of the society. Being a part of a general category like a working class youth or a student, you must learn how to view the world through by society. My agent of socialization belongs to my university and friends or peer who surrounded me recently because I believe the service-learning that we will be taking part in will help to expand our sociological imaginations.…
The term “sociological imagination” according to C. Wright Mills is defined as the consciousness of how one’s personal social life and the social world have a connection (Schaefer 5). Sociology is the scientific study of this connection. Everyone has their own personal view about their social life, but not many think about their life from the point of view of someone else. After learning to view social aspects of one’s life from an outside source, the vital component of the “sociological imagination” is unlocked. Personal and cultural biases influence one’s personal point of view, which is why this key aspect of the “sociological imagination” is crucial. In addition to this component of “sociological imagination,” personal social aspects also…
What is the study of sociology and why is it important? Sociology is the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. The study of sociology allows a person to become well informed citizens who are aware of the very complex nature of social life and differences in society (plashet.newham.sch.uk). In the study of sociology there are three different sociological perspectives that allow a person to look at society and culture in a variety of ways. These three perspectives are symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory. Each one has their own specific meaning and importance in the research of society.…