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ASC101_TRI-1_2025_Waurn Ponds_KA3.406_Lecture_2025-03-11-13_00_00_2025-03-11-13_50_00_default_9b8ca9b7

Introduction

  • Topic: Sociological Imagination in Introduction to Sociology

  • Building towards first assignment due in four weeks.

  • Various topics planned for subsequent weeks, including sociological theory and socialization.

Early Sociology

  • Sociology emerged in the 19th century during significant social changes.

  • Influential factors: Industrial Revolution, urbanization, secularization, women's rights movement.

Industrialization and Urbanization

  • Shift from rural to urban living due to factory demands.

  • Cities like Geelong and Melbourne grew rapidly; issues of poverty and health emerged.

Impact on Women

  • Women lacked rights, including bodily autonomy and voting rights.

  • Campaigns for women's suffrage began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Formation of Sociology as a Discipline

  • Universities began to incorporate social sciences, with sociology rooted in empirical research.

  • Early sociologists included Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim; focused on class struggles and social solidarity.

Founders of Sociology

  • Karl Marx: Studied capitalism and class conflict.

  • Max Weber: Examined rationalization, authority, and bureaucracy.

  • Emile Durkheim: Investigated social solidarity and cohesion.

  • Contributions from women like Harriet Martineau and Jane Addams also significant but often overlooked.

Sociology in Australia

  • First sociology department established in 1959 at the University of New South Wales.

  • Deakin University includes sociology as a founding discipline since 1975.

Sociological Imagination

  • Concept introduced by sociologist C. Wright Mills.

  • Bridges personal experiences and broader social structures.

  • Emphasizes understanding personal troubles as linked to public issues.

Characteristics of Sociological Thinking

  • Utilizes broader social forces to explain individual choices.

  • Encourages questioning societal norms and customs.

  • Stresses the importance of empirical research in addressing social problems.

Application of Sociological Imagination

  • Example from criminal justice: Elwood Jones, convicted in Ohio, highlights systemic racial biases.

  • Illustrates how personal troubles (arrest) connect to public issues (racial inequities).

Historical Context

  • Historical patterns influence current social justice issues.

  • Systematic inequalities in the justice system disproportionately affect racial minorities.

Conclusion

  • Using sociological imagination can lead to understanding and addressing systemic issues in various social domains, such as criminal justice.

  • Encouraged to continue discussions in tutorials and future lectures.