Is the Sociological Imagination a useful concept in examining Canadian Society?

Introduction

Many academic disciplines have incorporated a global perspective, such an inclusion is especially important to the sociological perspective because our basic understanding is that where we are placed within some social construct (including global constraints) shapes our experiences as people. Comparative data indicate that Canada is a very wealthy nation where most people enjoy material abundance.

Canadian Sociology

Sociology began in Canada in the early part of the twentieth century, but the traditions differ because of Canada's two major cultures and linguistic communities. A European influence was historically obvious in both French Canadian sociology and the University of Toronto, where the focus was on political and economic issues, while at McGill the American approach to social problems and community studies was in evidence (Curtis & Grabb, 249-74). The works of Harold Innis on Canadian economic development, Marshall McLuhan on the impact of electronic communications, and John Porter on inequality are noted for their influence on Canadian sociology.

Discussion

Sociological Theory

While the sociological perspective provides us with a unique vantage point from which to observe our social world, theory helps us to meaningfully organize and explain the linkages among the specific observations we make (Pat, 44-55). A theory is a statement of how and why specific facts are related. There are a number of research methods available to researchers that are used to evaluate whether a theory is supported by facts. The basis upon which sociologists choose to study particular issues is a “road map” or theoretical approach, "a basic image of society that guides thinking and research.” There are three major theoretical approaches used by sociologists. Each theory focuses the researcher's attention on particular types of questions about how society is organized, and each provides a different explanation about why certain patterns are found in society (Curtis & Grabb, 376-400).

The Structural-Functional Approach

This approach is a framework for building theory guided by the assumption that society is a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability. The two basic components of this approach are social structure, or relatively stable patterns of behavior, and social functions, which refer to consequences for the operation of society as a whole. Structural functionalists often liken society to the human body, with different parts of society being interdependent, much like the various organs of the body. Early structural-functionalists included Herbert Spencer, Durkheim, and Comte (Pat & Armstrong, 56). As sociology developed in the United States during the twentieth century, researcher Robert K. Merton further applied and developed the thinking of these early social scientists. Merton differentiated between what he called manifest functions, or consequences of social structure recognized by people within a society, and latent functions, which are unrecognized or unintended consequences of social structure. Merton further points out those elements of social structure may be functional for one aspect of society and not for others. There may be undesirable effects on the operation of society, or social dysfunctions. In critically evaluating this approach, it is pointed out that ...