Peter,
I agree. But why? I think it damages our credibility. On the other
hand the term problem has multiple meanings, such as research
problem/question.
As mush as we talk about problems little attention is given to solving
problems.
Solutions?
Del
Grahame Peter wrote:
Sociology's topic is the entire
social world (or worlds, if you like), not just problems, troubles,
ills, etc. A few years ago Randall Collins wrote a short article in
Contemporary Sociology that pointed out that American sociology is
dominated, and hampered, by a "social problems" orientation. I think
Ritzer and perhaps Lemert also published short pieces in CS making a
similar point. I don't see this as much in sociology outside of the
U.S. It's interesting that areas like sociology of food and sociology
of tourism are flourishing with very substantial European input. The
wider scope of interests in social history, anthropology, and geography
seems instructive--these areas share much with sociology but are less
dominated by doom and gloom scenarios. Of course it's important to be
able to bring a critical focus on society's most pressing problems, but
sociology can have a larger vision.
Peter Grahame
Dickinson College
-----
Original Message -----
Sent:
Friday, January 20, 2006 10:57 AM
Subject:
TEACHSOC: Escape from sociology The full picture
A question.
There have been several posts suggesting that sociology only presents
the negative, the depressing. It appears that we are
set upon shocking our students and showing them the truth about the
world they live in. Sometimes the perfect is allowed
to be the enemy of the good. One of our colleagues teaching in what
they considered a conservative area sees there job as telling
".....students that I am a missionary sent here by the forces of reason
to drag the population, kicking and screaming, into the 21st Century"
However, over the years when I have asked the list for examples of
break through in sociology the list has been silent. So much for
bringing
anyone into the 21st century.
Perhaps a prime example of this narrow negative vision is found in the
sociological imagination. SI claims that personal troubles/problems
are linked to social structure. Or in his own words SI is "By such
means the personal uneasiness of individuals is focused upon explicit
troubles
and the indifference of publics is transformed into involvement with
public issues." True to its parent Social Darwinism as C W Mills
states," It is
characteristic of Herbert Spencer - turgid, polysyllabic,
comprehensive;"
My question is, are only personal/psychological troubles/uneasiness
linked to public issues/social structure? What about personal
victories,
achievements or glories? Durkheim advises, "To this we reply that, by
revealing the causes of phenomena, science furnishes the means
of producing them." (Durkheim, 1964, p48). As an applied sociologist I
am interested in using social technologies in producing victories, and
achievements not uneasiness and troubles.
Given the variety of classroom troubles reported on the list,
tardiness, not working, anger etc. perhaps we should focus on the
science of sociology
and go beyond the negative.
Del
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