what is the sociological perspective (imagination) Essay Example For Students

what is the sociological perspective (imagination) Essay Diane Ihlenfeldt February 13, 2004 Question 1: What is the sociological perspective? What is the nature of the social sciences? This is the question that began the study of society, first performed by C. Wright Mills in his development of the idea of the sociological imagination. There are many different aspects to the sociological perspective. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines perspective as the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. Having a sociological perspective means that you view all of societies components and their relationship to the individual. We will write a custom essay on what is the sociological perspective (imagination) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now First I will discuss how individuals are socialized. Next I will point out societal structures role in that socialization. Finally I will discuss how the sociological perspective allows us to view different inequalities in the world. While growing up we rarely think about why we do things the way that we do, and make the decisions that we make. From infancy we are socialized, meaning that we are trained how to exist within our social environment. By developing a sociological perspective we are able to see that we are socialized, and view how our social environment has an effect on the decisions that we make. Social environments differ across many boundaries including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, and class. For example I was raised within a poor, Caucasian, single parent, low class family, which means that the decisions I make may be different from the decisions made by someone raised in a rich, Catholic, Hispanic, two parent, upper middle class family. For example because we were poor, my mother was uneducated, our class was low, and our religion played as more of a financial support system than a moral characterizing system, we consider it okay to have children outside of the structural bounds of marriage. There are different rules, known as norms, by which we must abide in order to be considered well adjusted to society. It is important to understand that one does not spontaneously become the person that they are, and automatically follow the norms that they follow. They must be taught by others in their society such as their parents, as well as by societal structures such as education, and the media. Although most Americans would like to think of themselves as autonomous beings, it is a fact that our choices are shaped by larger social forces around us such as the historical or cultural contexts and social institutions. We make these decisions because we have internalized the values, beliefs, and norms of our culture. Through socialization we learn to perform different roles such as American citizen, mother, or worker. Along with socialization comes our shaping by societal structures. Societal structures refer to the pattern within culture and organization through which social action takes place. A good example of a societal structure is the media. The media has a major affect on how society is conditioned to follow certain norms. For example we learn about what is acceptable and unacceptable by watching the news. The news will cover issues such as murder, rape, and incest, condemning them, making it know that these actions are deviant. Societal structure includes the arrangement of roles, organizations, institutions, and cultural symbols. These roles, organizations, institutions and cultural symbols are often invisible, and remain stable over long periods of time. Having a sociological perspective also allows us to view the inequalities in the world between different classes, races, and genders. We are able to see how someone who is African American has to struggle to get to a high executive office, an office that is easier to attain for a white male. Sociologists find it important to note that the differences between us are not so much biological as they are cultural. We are socialized by our society and societal structures. Those structures often promote the inequalities found within a society. The sociological perspective allows us to see with the naked eye just how society works, and the effects is has on its members. It is important for every person to discover the sociological perspective, allowing them to have a broader understanding of the world around them and themselves. .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .postImageUrl , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:hover , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:visited , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:active { border:0!important; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:active , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Quite literally dying to be thin Essay .

How to Make Real Snow at Home

How to Make Real Snow at Home If you want to see or play in snow, but Mother Nature wont cooperate, you can take matters into your own hands and make snow yourself. This is the homemade version of real water ice snow, just like the snow that falls from the sky. What You Need You need the same things found in nature: water and cold temperature. You turn the water into snow by dispersing it into particles small enough to freeze in the cold air. WaterPressure nozzle There is a handy snowmaking weather tool that will tell you whether you have the proper conditions for making snow. In some climates, the only way youll be able to make snow is if you chill a room indoors (or you can make fake snow), but much of the world can make real snow at least a few days out of the year. Pressure Nozzle You have several options: Pressure washer (own or rent, use a fine mist nozzle or use a nozzle specially designed for producing snow)Snow cannon (not affordable to buy, but can be rented)Garden hose with a snow attachment (makes less snow per hour than the pressure washer or snow cannon, but still fun) Note: Simply using a mister attached to a garden hose isnt likely to work unless the temperature is very cold. The mist particles may not be small enough or far enough apart to turn water into ice. Fine Mist All you need to do is spray a fine mist of water into the air so it cools down enough to freeze into water ice or snow. Theres a technique to this. Spray at Angle   Youll get much better results if you point your water spray upward at a 45-degree angle rather than straight up. The amount of air you get mixed in with the water makes a difference, so you want to maximize this. Water Cold as Possible You also want the water to be as cold as possible, so water from a cold stream will work better than, say, heated water from your home. Impurities Are Good The water from a stream or river also has the advantage of containing impurities which can act as nucleation sites to provide a surface on which snow crystals can grow. Add a Nucleating Agent Its also possible to add what is called a nucleating agent to your water which will accomplish the same purpose, essentially allowing you to produce snow at slightly warmer temperatures. The nucleating agent typically is a non-toxic polymer. Snow machines for ski resorts can use this effect to make snow even if the temperature is above freezing. If your water supply naturally contains a bit of sand, this can help you make snow at slightly warmer temperatures than if you were using pure water. You need only a few hours of cold to make a lot of snow. The snow will last longer if the temperature stays cold, but it will take a while to melt even if it warms up. Use Boiling Water If the temperature outdoors is extremely cold, its actually easier to make snow using boiling hot water than cold water. This technique works reliably only if the temperature is at least 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (below -32  °C). To do this, throw a pan of freshly boiled water into the air. Easy and Spectacular It seems counter-intuitive that boiling water would readily turn to snow. How does it work? Boiling water has a high vapor pressure. The water is very close to making the transition between a liquid and a gas. Throwing the boiling water into the air offers the molecules a lot of surface area exposed to freezing temperatures. The transition is easy and spectacular. Protect Hands and Face While its likely anyone performing this process would be bundled up against the extreme cold, take care to protect your hands and face from the boiling water. Sloshing a pan of boiling water onto skin by accident can cause a burn. The cold weather numbs skin, so theres an increased risk of getting a burn and not noticing it right away. Similarly, at such a cold temperature, there is a significant risk of frostbite to exposed skin.