What is Sociology?

Today we cleared up some issues that were lingering from the creation of the blogs.  Remember the blogs are a school assignment and should be treated as such.  Keep them professional and school appropriate.  Let the blog emulate your personality but keep in mind its function.

Your assignment tonight is to read the intro to "Outliers".  It will help you understand the topic of Sociological Imagination.   Reflect on the idea of how there are outside forces that affect who we are even though we may not even notice.

Remember for all the readings for this class to do three things:

1) What is the thesis of the reading?  What is the author trying to prove?
2) What proof does the author give?
3) What questions or challenges do you have from the reading?  Any thing that interested you particularly?

We also addressed the issue WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?  WHAT WILL WE DOING? 

We will try to look at the world through a sociological perspective.  Try to sit back and look at the world as an outside observer and not as a member of certain group. Then look for reasons why groups/individuals react a certain way.  What are the outside forces/influences that are creating their Sociological Imagination?

We tend to think a lot of our actions are due to biological wiring but in reality they are do to our social environment.  Think of the example of the girl with the credit card debt. We may think it was because she has a biological impulse issue.  But what about social pressures or norms?  Perhaps it's the constant image of the "Jay-Z lifestyle" that makes her feel like she needs to put out a certain image. Or perhaps it's due to low wages.  We need to always reflect on these outside influences.