SocSc 12: Mills and Taylor

personal troubles

refers to how interconnected our personal lives are with what's happening in the world. we are shaped by the historical forces surrounding us

difficulties that are located in individual biographies and their immediate milieu, a seemingly private experience

agency

ability of individuals to make choices and express these choices through behavior; transcending social expectations

mills calls this "biography" or "social troubles"

focus: individual/self, human action

structure

a term loosely applied to any recurring of social
behavior, or more specifically, to the ordered
interrelationships between the different elements of
a society

can be different kinship, religious, political,
economic, and other institutions of a society...as
might such components as its norms, values, social
roles

may be limiting or enabling

mills: history/public issues

focus: society

trapped

we are trapped by the cycle of life, the bureaucracy; we aren't truly free

war

going through events shapes/changes us.

even our careers and college degrees evolve and emerge with time

lifeworld

realm of personal experiences, values, and beliefs formed through direct interaction with others (family, friends, community). It's where norms, culture, and traditions are developed

system

refers to formal institutions and structures like the economy, government, and legal systems. These operate according to rules and efficiency, often detached from personal experience

related to lifeworld diagram

lifeworld and system

The interaction between Lifeworld and System shows how individual experiences (lifeworld) are affected by external societal systems, which can either support or colonize (control) the lifeworld by imposing structures and rules

lifeworld diagram

Represents the everyday, lived experiences and interpersonal relationships that shape individuals' perceptions of the world.

world of experience/s that results from one's context and social location

It is the space where personal communication, shared meanings, and cultural understandings happen

worldview

assumptions and biases that shape the way you come to understand the world around you

acultural

Triumph of The Enlightenment: Emphasizes the dominance of science and rationality as universal ways of understanding the world.

Ethnocentrism: The assumption that one way of thinking (typically Western rationality) is universally applicable.

"outsider's experience"

scientific; evidence-based, rational, logic, facts

FIXED

ethnocentric and prescriptive

"We see as we are": Perception of the world is shaped by cultural background and personal experiences.

cultural

Rooted in the self and local experiences: Emphasizes individual identity shaped by personal and cultural contexts.

Calls for cultural relativism: Advocates understanding cultures based on their own values and contexts, promoting respect for diversity

"insider's perspective"

beliefs, values, world views, habitus, subjectivity (alternate modernities)

individual experiences are VALID => we need to be open to the fact that there are many indiv experiences due to many indiv lifeworlds

contemporary atlantic world

interconnected societies and cultures bordering the Atlantic Ocean, particularly those in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa.

These regions share a history shaped by transatlantic trade, colonialism, slavery, and migration, resulting in complex cultural and social dynamics.

habitus

Socialized behavior or tendencies that guide behavior and thinking: encompasses the learned behaviors, inclinations, and dispositions that shape how individuals act and think.

represents how societal norms, values, and structures are internalized within individuals.

This internalization manifests as enduring dispositions that affect how people think, feel, and act

not fixed or permanent; can be changed under unexpected situations or over a long historical period

neither a result of free will, nor determined by structures, but created by a kind of interplay between the two over time

subjectivity

the 'self-conscious perspective of the person or subject' in relation to how they engage, perceive, and interact with the outside world.

How I make sense of the world may be different from how you make sense of it, but both are considered valid.

includes our meanings and interpretations of our social reality/realities and experiences.

insider's perspective

a cultural phenomenon

taylor views individualism as ____ ___________ ______________.

He argues against the notion that individualism is a neutral, universal human characteristic revealed when traditional beliefs and constraints are shed.

Instead, he emphasizes that our understanding of ourselves as individuals is deeply intertwined with specific cultural understandings of our relationships with others, the good, time, and society

taylor's proposal

cultural theory of modernity

Recognizing Western modernity as a unique blend of values, understandings, and practices, not just universal reason or social evolution.

Taylor highlights the shifts in background understanding and social imaginary as key to modernity, shaping Western culture's distinct character and its break from past eras.

Rejects ethnocentrism, recognizing Western modernity's roots and valuing diverse modernities worldwide.

sociological imagination

Ability to see the connection between personal experiences and larger societal forces.

It helps individuals understand how their private troubles (like job loss or relationship issues) are often linked to broader public issues (such as unemployment rates or societal expectations).

people can step back from their own lives, recognize the impact of historical and social contexts, and see how structure (society) influences agency (individual actions).

taylor historical context

Discussion of European Enlightenment,
science

taylor defn of modernity

A movement from one constellation of
background understandings to another,
which repositions the self in relation to
others and the good

Acultural, cultural modernities

taylor characteristics of modernity

Western modernities: science,
ethnocentrism

alternative modernities

taylor main arguments

Propose a cultural theory of
modernity as opposed to
acultural