Introduction to Sociology: Contemporary Ideas

We shall examine two sets of contemporary ideas about society: postmodernism and moral economy.

Postmodernism

- Michel Foucault and Scott Lash are the key thinkers.

a) There is a sense of dramatic changes in industrial societies. Change is fast and far-reaching:

e.g., technological changes, political systems collapsing, new family lifestyles, economic global operations and modern leisure pursuits.

Though these changes are not accompanied by a sense of progress, that we are moving towards something better - there is no unity, integrity, coherence or totality. In fact, modern society can be characterised as a) fragmented geographically (inner-city ghettoes, social enclaves, divided communities), politically (beyond traditional party lines) and socially (new cultural identities, sub-cultures and fashions); b) absence of clear social identities (e.g., English-European, Anglo-Indian, working-middle class status); and c) a diversity pf social institutions no longer forming a singular establishment (different forms of religious movements, different political parties and campaign groups and social clubs and gatherings).

Instead of unity and integration as in functionalism, there is fragmentation and diversity of practices and patterns. Instead of struggles for progress as in Marxism, there is playful diversity, no heroes, just celebrations, carnival-like existence (like wearing new clothes, people choose and play with different styles, images and identities).

b) Postmodernists argue that socialisation, social class, ethnicity, gender and age have less importance in shaping social behaviour. Instead, people are much freer to choose their own identity and lifestyle.

e.g., they have more choice where to live, what clothes to wear, where to travel and with whom to mix.

Boundaries between social groups are breaking down, and behaviour is less predictable than before.

c) Postmodernists argue that modern sociologists are wrong to believe that sociology can discover truth. Knowledge is merely subjective and personal; it merely expresses personal viewpoints, which can never be proved to be correct. Attempts to produce facts and truth are doomed to failure. Life and the social world are too complex to be captured by a grand theory, such as Marxism or functionalism.

All viewpoints are equally valid; none is superior:

e.g., Was the Iraq based on real evidence, political motivated and undertaken to control the oil supplies? Are fundamentalists and Islamists terrorists, freedom fighters or bandits?

d) Postmodernists emphasise differences between people rather than their similarities. Sociologists should abandon trying to find common patterns amongst social groups and instead describe differences:

e.g., regional difference among working class across England.

 

 

 

Moral Economy

- Edward. P. Thompson and Andrew Sayer are key thinkers.

a) Often human agents are treated as either self-interested, calculating individuals, or creatures of habits, socialised into behaving in particular ways. Yet, there is a fundamental feature of human beings - 'we care':

- we care about our lives and lives of others (family members, friends, distant others and generation generations); and we care about things that will affect our well-being and suffering, as well as well-being and suffering of others.

We care about how we ought to live, to behave and to treat others, what is and is not worth striving for, what is of value, what goods ought to be sold or give, what responsibilities we have to our children, what obligations does an organisation have to its workers?

b) Class and gender inequalities matter, and concern us because we think such inequalities ought not to occur - it is unjust and unfair. We do not say when discrimination or oppression occurs, 'Yes, why not? What's wrong with domination?'

In opposing injustice (say inequality), we appeal to values, and not to personal preferences or mere conventions and habits. In the case of gender inequality, the reason we object to it is because we regard each person deserving equal recognition, and is of equal worth.

c) Moral judgement is what we always already exercise in virtue of being immersed in a network of human relationships because we have responsibilities, respect and feelings towards others:

e.g., responsibilities to neighbours and family; respect and recognition to colleagues and workmates; and sympathy and compassion to members of community and strangers.

Of course, there is no guarantee that individuals will act in moral ways. Human beings can behave immorally:

e.g., abandon responsibilities s and obligations to others; show a lack of recognition and worth to others; and be unsympathetic and cold to others in need.

Often, structures and conditions place human agents in positions where they have seemingly no choice but to be immoral:

e.g., competitive conditions for resources; herd-mentality of conforming to other's expectations and norms; and mistaken about our own needs and goals.