The sociological imagination is the process of looking at all types of human behavior patterns and discerning previously unseen connections among them, noting similarities in the actions of individuals with no direct knowledge of one another, and finding subtle forces that mold peoples actions. The sociological imagination focuses on every aspect of society and every relationship among individuals.
It studies the behavior of crowds at ball games and racetracks; shifts in styles of dress and popular music; changing patterns of courtship and marriage; the emergence and fading of different lifestyles, political movements, and religious sects; the distribution of income and access to resources and services; decisions made by the Supreme Court, by congressional committees, and by local zoning boards; and so on. (Tischler) The difference between the two is. Sociological Imagination-provides us with the ability to see the relationship between the individual experience and the larger society.
Sociological Perspective- allows us find out why people do the things they do. The Sociological Perspective would be the way to look at a situation in my life; I would like to see why I did what I did rather than how it relates to my experience or its relativity to society. I usually do things the way I do because that is my choice and Im not afraid to go against the way society feels about me or my actions.
The easiest way for me to research the most popular TV shows among 18-25 year olds is by utilizing the survey method of research. The type of survey that I would conduct would be a semi- structured or open-ended interview, this would allow me to get solid answers and avoid having information fall through the cracks. The first thing that I would do is develop a data base that was broken down by age, gender, and leave open slots for the different TV show names. The second thing that I would do is develop a question format based on the above mentioned areas outlined in my data base. The third thing that I would do is request the assistance of a few reliable individuals to help me out in gathering my information.
This is a vital step in the data collection process, the more reliable the individual, the more reliable the validity of the data collected for the survey. The fourth thing in my research design would be to map out several different areas in the city for the data collection; this will ensure that I get a good cross-section of the different groups of people. The fifth thing that I would do is to ensure that I gave each member of my team a brief on exactly how I want the questions to be asked along with the predetermined questions to be asked.
Once this was done, I would then start my data collection. After a predetermined amount of time has passed and the data was collected, I would sit down and input all of my information into my data base. When I finished the data base and had the results of my survey, I would then do some extensive research in order to find the results of other research that was done prior to mine on the same topic. This would allow me to compare past and present trends and to possibly identify the way society was changing and the perspective that they had on the future.
Type of symbol in the American culture that is different in the Serbian and Bosnian culture is the peace sign. The significance of this is quite unique, in the US, it simply means peace. When traveling in Serbia if you raise the peace sign, it means V for victory in battle. When traveling in Bosnia, it means that you support the Serbian forces that fought against the Bosnians during the war and pray for victory.
The next symbol is the thumbs up sign, in the US it means good to go, great job, thanks, and so on. In Italy, however it is taken as an obscene gesture and impolite. You could be arrested, thrown out of restaurant, or any public establishment for bad behavior. (Tischler).
The last sign or symbol that I want to discuss is waving your left hand in the air.
In the US it is a form of flagging someone down, saying hello, or good-bye. In Arab countries the waving of the left hand or even touching someone with the left hand is a serious offense. In the Muslim culture, the left hand is utilized for wiping ones back side in the bathroom. Then they wash their hand with water and go on about their business. If you wave your left hand or touch them, it is considered unholy and rude. You have insulted them or basically informed them that they are not worthy.
I feel that the Symbolic Interactionism Theory expressed by Mead appeals to me the most. The thought process in Freuds theory doesnt suit me at all. I think that the thought process developed by Mead under the tutelage of Cooley is indicative of society past and present. You as an individual from birth to a certain point in your life do view others and their actions and if what they say and do appeal to you, you imitate that. When you get older in life, you dont bow down to society, because its not your enemy, its your friend. If others feel as you do, you fight for what you believe in and you either win or lose.
In todays society, you see youngsters do what the older kids do. If a young kid hangs around with dope smoking, car jacking gang bangers, then there is a good chance that he will become involved in that type of activity. We do act as individuals to a certain extent, we know what right and wrong is and we generally follow that at all times. The basis for all of the development in life will be set in stone by the time the child reaches 8-10 years old. I dont think that society runs around with a continuous appetite for sex or wants to push its aggression on everyone. I also dont believe that all people are yielding to the societal pressures and living in discontent.
Individuals push the limit of right and wrong on a daily basis and then there are those you who blatantly violate right and wrong with no regard or remorse for the end result. It is those individuals that think that society owes them something just because they were underprivileged or grew up in poverty. There are plenty of prominent figures in our society that started with nothing and wound up with everything. I do believe that the most important years are the first 8-10 years and the parents and the individuals around that child will make the biggest impact in their life.