Fall 2015SOC 10035W 9/3 Week One Discussion Samantha Henry Social Imagination by definition is “the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual’s life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces.” This term coined by C. Wright Mills describes the mindset that a sociologist must immerse themselves in to be able to look at the social world in a critical manner. Mills goes on to explain social imagination as, “enabling us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise. To recognize this task and this promise is the mark of the classic social analyst.” A key idea throughout the description of social imagination is that sociologists make connections. …show more content…
In the text I saw the roots of how I would develop a social imagination through the example illustrated through a scene of Pulp Fiction. Rather than sharing the reaction of Jules, who acted appalled that in Holland they dip fries in mayonnaise rather than conventional ketchup, I thought about why do we use ketchup. In a different perspective, perhaps the thought of dipping fries in ketchup can be viewed as unusual. I mean isn’t ketchup simply creamed tomatoes and salt, perhaps if I wasn’t surrounded by a culture who uses ketchup as condiment for nearly every food group, I would be disgusted by the thought of ketchup itself. This is just the start of the development of social imagination, questioning things that are considered normal. Dialect, I believe can be a prime example to illustrate social imagination, since it varies from country to country, state to state, even county to county. It is something I have just …show more content…
How I pronounce tournament, which sounds more like ‘ tornament’ compared to how they say it as ‘turnament’, and how when I order pizza I say a large cheese pie rather than a large cheese pizza represent just a few examples of the different dialects of Long Island and upstate New York. They look at me as if I’m the crazy one, but from my point of view the way they speak is incorrect. Now for the social imagination part, why do I speak in a different dialect? I have to make the way I speak, seem strange to myself, and question my own reason for speaking in such a manner. Now to make the connection, from my personal experience to a broader concept. Through the context of social imagination I link the way in which I speak to the more inclusive idea that I speak like a Long Islander. Its due to my surroundings and social encounters while living on Long Island, that contribute to what others perceive as odd dialect. Its the culture that I was immersed in that has affected the way in which I communicate, and only now I have begun to realize such because my normal terminology here is viewed as
things that are affecting their everyday lives. No matter how someone looks at an accent,
As an elementary student, I had a slight accent as I spoke, and I would get bullied for not being able to talk as fluently as the other kids. The way the other students would act
Social Imagination is being aware of the way your actions will be perceived by the majority of society and their age group. An example of this would be when children look at adults and think that being an adult is great and they can’t wait to grow up. Another example of this would be a person who grows up in a “ghetto” or “slum” or have a past criminal
Mary Pipher’s “Writing to Connect” focuses on persuading its reader through personal experience, expert testimonies, and figurative language that his writing can change the world. At the end of the text, Pipher hopes that her reader believes that one’s words have value and can impact others.
Imagination encourages the diversity of religious beliefs, but may lead to the conflicts between people with different religious beliefs. The conflicts may be diminished if knowledge and imagination are integrated.
The news claimed california would receive approximately four inches of rain. There's some sort of unspoken rule that; when it rains, soup has to be eaten. Coincidently, prior to this storm, I had never before eaten this impressive delegacy that the french call ‘French Onion Soup’. French Onion soup has been around since the Roman times. However, Roman Onion soup is not the topic, the diversified and accommodating French Onion soup from the 18th century made in beef broth is the topic at hand.
The human imagination is a very powerful thing. It sets humanity apart from the rest of the creatures that roam the planet by giving them the ability to make creative choices. The imaginary world is unavoidably intertwined with the real world and there are many ways by which to illustrate this through literature, either realistically or exaggerated. Almost everything people surround themselves with is based on the unreal. Everything from the food we eat to the books we read had to have been thought of by someone and their imagination. The imagination empowers humans.^1 It allows people to speculate or to see into the future. It allows artists to create, inventors to invent, and even scientists and mathematicians to solve problems. J.R. Tolken wrote “Lord of the Rings” by sitting in his backyard and imagining everything coming to life.^2 He thought about all the “what if” possibilities. But this method of storytelling can be used in much more subtle and/or sophisticated ways than in science fiction or fantasy novels. Through such works as the short story Dreams and the novel “Headhunter” by Timothy Findley, the film “the Matrix”, and the short story the Telltale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, one can see how a writer can use the concept of the imaginary invading reality to write their story.
The Communication Accommodation Theory states when people interact they alter their speech to fit in or accommodate for others. CAT describes the psychological, social, and linguistic behaviors that people exhibit when communicating with each other (Coupland, Coupland, Giles, Henwood, 1988). Each individual has his or her own personality and motivation when involved in a conversation, this attribute is reflected in how the individual speaks, listens and then responds to the other person involved in the conversation. According to this theory, communication between two people can at any time be adjusted by either party in response to actual, perceived, or stereotyped expectations of the other person (Coupland, et al., 1988). This means that either party can change their communication style based on what they feel or pick up on during the conversation.
history, was intrinsically linked to the current situation of both the individual and the society in which they exist. Mills directly stated that “no social study that does not come back to the problems of biography, of history and of their intersections within a society has completed its intellectual journey” (p. 6). According to Mills, not overcoming the hurdles presented by such an intersection severely limited the features of the social reality that has been examined, and therefore severely impaired the efficacy of programs designed to raise up the social structure as a whole. An individual concerned with preserving the legitimacy and efficacy of their work in improving the existing social structure must therefore ask 3 questions according to Mills’ framework. These questions are elaborated upon within the following
My social dialect is that of a young black woman. Not someone from the deep South or someone from Oakland, just someone from Brooklyn.
Our minds as humans are very complex. Our brains are unique and have functions like helping us create memories and use our imaginations. Our imagination allows us to think of alternative endings for situations ultimately making them better or worse. When we expand our thoughts we sometimes change situations to the point where our mind overexaggerates what we were imagining. In some instances our imagination can stretch situations to the point where they become unrealistic. Imagination has the ability to overcome reason, as it can enlarge little fears or cause new ones.
onions glued to the surface of the sauce. The rice, darkened to the color of
The imagination is a wonderful escapism that allows one to deal with reality in another form.
Every great invention, business, book, or song has all had on thing in common. They share the fact that they were founded on a successful idea that first started out in the imagination of a certain individual. Obviously it’s not just seeing the idea that makes someone successful, it’s how they go about turning their thoughts into reality, which can take a lot of hard work and planning to finally reach ones ultimate goal. Imagination is a constant companion throughout that journey to success, it’s a key aspect in this ever-changing world to find new and innovative ways to improve ones ideas, and problem solving along the way.
The imagination is an extremely powerful force. It has the power to create, to comfort, to ruin, and to destroy. It has any ability that is placed upon it, and can save a person from a terrible fate if used actively and in earnest. This largely overrated part of our most basic being can change everything we know about our lives, and substitute it with better alternatives for ourselves. As Mythbusters co-host Adam Savage has famously said, “I reject your reality and substitute it for my own.” In The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Neftalí uses his extremely vivid and potent imagination as a tool to escape from the harshness of the reality he finds himself in, creating a better revised edition in which he is able to take solace.