Discussion Prompt
Hello class. I major in sociology. I have 27 years old, and I am married. My wife’s name is Jessica. She is an elementary school teacher. I have a son who is two years old, named Mathew. I teach woodworking to grade 9 to 12 children at a high school in my locality. Besides, I have a bachelor’s degree in sociology, human resource, and English from Texas Tech University. I am aiming at becoming a college professor at a local community college. I am currently working as a teacher. Also, I am pursuing my degree program at Amarillo College in an associate of arts in Drafting. Upon completion of my master’s degree, I wish to take a doctorate level. I feel good regarding my progress up to this level. Just like you, this year has been traumatic and challenging. I anticipate the school system and routine to come back to normalcy in the middle of this pandemic.
The sociological wisdom that strikes as the most interesting, most understanding, and most important is “Analyzing with Our Brains but Not with Our Hearts.” When it comes to being involved in significant social movements, living in Washington, DC has its benefits. In the year 2017, I came across and interacted with individuals who planned for the March for Science. Since I am a social scientist, I found it amazing to take part in the event. Unluckily, the ‘real’ scientists asked me to back out because they felt that social scientists were among those who brought science problems. I didn’t know that few of the natural scientists claimed that some social scientists allowed media commentators, activists, and journalists to use social sciences as a weapon for philosophical warfare. As most of my colleagues in social sciences believe, the need for the March for Science is to settle this mess. This story shows the significance of scientific research and theory in sociology. A country that is polarized with the media and leaders promoting a culture of war to gain a higher rating in the televisions needs scientific facts (Thompson 42). Sociologists are responsible for fighting the misinformation and hype channeled through media arenas by showing the credibility of scientific facts via conducting detailed scientific researches using statistical methods of collection, assessment, and interpretation of data.
The other most interesting sociological wisdom is “When You Were Born You Were Not Yet You.” The reason why this approach is interesting is that human beings undergo a complicated process for them to be who they are. This entire process goes beyond biological aspects. Socialization enables people to internalize their cultural norms and develop of sense of self. The perspective of symbolic interactionism states that human beings’ actions towards things depend on the meanings attached to those things (Bressler 181). Besides, the meanings are captured from social interactions, and they can be changed/modified through interpretation and interaction. Thus, we continuously create ourselves based on the perspectives of social interaction.
“Things Are Not What They Seem.” I have found this as the least critical and least important sociological wisdom. Of course, for people to know more about the world, they have to develop a robust social imagination that would separate them from daily routines and better understand themselves. People need to have a close look at these ‘routines’ with critical and unbiased eyes. Since people live with tons of information at their lips and fingertips, they must understand how to process information, rather than mindlessly downloading it critically. To understand human behavior and society better, critical thinking is necessary.
One more sociological wisdom that I would add is “We Are Both Person and Machine.” Almost all the sociological wisdoms discussed in this reading have a Twitter Hashtag. This is an indication that digital culture is now the new normal in the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people realize how technology shapes how they think, communicate, and interact. What most people think is how technology at home and all over their bodies has become literal extensions of human beings. Technology has changed how we live. This means a lot to the future self.
Works Cited
Bressler, Marvin. “The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 326 (1959): 181-2.
Thompson, William E., and Mica L. Thompson. Sociological Wisdom. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.