Theoretical Analysis
TropJ
thesociologicalperspectiveandsociologicalimagination.ppsxThe Sociological Imagination
Dr. Clark
What is Sociology
The scientific study of social behavior and human groups
Focuses on social relationships and how those relationships influence people’s behavior and how societies develop and change
What is Sociology
Sociology focuses on:
How social relationships influence people’s attitudes and behavior
How major social institutions affect us
How we affect other individuals, groups, and organizations
The Sociological Perspective
Helps us to see general social patterns in the behavior of particular individuals.
It allows or forces us to look beyond the outer appearances of our social world and discover new levels of reality
It also encourages us to realize that society guides our thoughts and deeds — to see the strange in the familiar
Sociology also encourages us to see individuality in social context.
The Sociological Imagination
C. Wright Mills
A particular type of critical thinking which allows us to understand our lived experiences in connection with larger social realities (i.e., the individual in relation to society)
People sense a variety of troubles in their personal lives but they do not usually define the troubles they encounter in terms of historical changes and institutional contradiction
Sociology offers us the ability to understand how our personal troubles relate to structural transformations
What does using the sociological imagination look like?
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Personal Troubles v Social Issues
Troubles occur within the character of the individual and within a range of his immediate relations with others—troubles are a private matters
Issues have to do with matters that transcend these local environments of the individual—an issue is a public matter; some value cherished by the public is felt to be threatened
Example: in a city of 100,000 one man is unemployed personal trouble. In a nation of 50 million and 15 million are unemployed issue and its solution cannot be found in one individual.
You can’t question the character of the individual, their skills, nor their work ethic; instead you have to consider the economic and political institutions
Other examples war, marriage, cities/ urban sprawl
So the part of the soicological imagination that NWA is using relates to situating what is going on in life to the broader structure of society. Does anybody know what was going on in LA during late 1980s/early 90s?
Crack epidemic in South Central
1992 murder rates the highest in LA hisotry
Gang violence
Truce between Boods and Crips throughout the Watts projects (as unity against the police)
Beating of rodney King (it was recorded and brought to light the issue of police brutality)
Murder of Latasha Harlins (15 year old killed by a Korean store owner’s sister—got off with with probation and $500 fine)
Officers in Rodney King case found not guilty
Watts Riots
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“Our art is a reflection of our reality”
When Ice Cube Wrote “Fuck tha Police.” He was using his sociological imagination. I’m going to show a clip for Straight Outta Compton and we’ll talk about the history of hip-hop and how it is an example of the use of the sociological imagination. I will then show you some lyrics. And then I want you to tell me why I say that this is an example of sociological imagination.
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Fuck Tha Police (1988-N.W.A.)
“Fuck the police / Coming straight from the underground / A young nigga got it bad ‘cause I’m brown / And not the other color so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority / Fuck that shit, ‘cause I ain’t the one / For a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun / To be beating on, and thrown in jail / We could go toe to toe in the middle of a cell / Fucking with me ‘cause I’m a teenager / With a little bit of gold and a pager / Searching my car, looking for the product / Thinking every nigga is selling narcotics.”
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kelleylcarter/how-fuck-tha-police-started-a-revolution?utm_term=.xl315BarY#.aa3Gm28L1
So the part of the soicological imagination that NWA is using relates to situating what is going on in life to the broader structure of society. Does anybody know what was going on in LA during late 1980s/early 90s?
Crack epidemic in South Central
1992 murder rates the highest in LA hisotry
Gang violence
Truce between Boods and Crips throughout the Watts projects (as unity against the police)
Beating of rodney King (it was recorded and brought to light the issue of police brutality)
Murder of Latasha Harlins (15 year old killed by a Korean store owner’s sister—got off with with probation and $500 fine)
Officers in Rodney King case found not guilty
Watts Riots
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