EX TENEBRIS CRESCIT FLOS
The Sociological Perspective and the Minority Viewpoint
November 9, 2005
The Sociological Perspective
How can a dry academic term - the sociological perspective [1] - affect me so
personally? Even before taking a sociology class, I saw general patterns in
individual people - this is the sociological perspective. Could this be, in
part, because I am INFP, and this personality type tends to generalize from the
particular, or is it because I am a minority and feel somewhat like an outsider
in my own society? It has been said that minorities have an easy time
viewing people and society through the sociological perspective, and my
personal experience bears this out.
Some Personal Anecdotes
As a child, I was different. I did not fit in well with any group, and was
therefore excluded from most social cliques. As an outsider, I looked upon
other children with disdain, but also with the mildly disinterested view of
one who is not part of the group. I watched boys playing team sports and
drew the conclusion that boys are supposed to be aggressive. Their attempts
to draw me into their silly games or fights further confirmed this. But being
an outsider, I felt the pressure but did not feel like I had to conform. I
simply noted it as a data point, and regarded boys in general as potential
threats. Perhaps I took this general observation and turned it into a
stereotype, but I had to be careful - I needed to avoid trouble. I could
easily see how the larger society was affecting my actions, but I felt like
could not avoid being affected. Even when I resisted socializaton, society
still affected me. At least I could see it happening.
As an engineer, but also as an outsider, I have made a pastime out of observing
engineering society, and seeing how individuals are affected by the environment.
This is perhaps the aspect of being an engineer that fascinates me most -
studying other engineers. Going back to college, I see certain expectations
and individuals subconsciously conforming to them. I even saw myself
conforming in many ways, because I thought it was good to act like an engineer
if I wanted to be one. But I could not help divorcing myself from the
situation and looking at it from the outside. Here are some examples of
the expectations. Engineers are not expected to have a social life, they
are expected to study hard, they are supposed to be geeks (with all the
characteristics that word implies), and they are expected to have very narrow
interests. I bought into some of these, but not all, and I never truly
identified with most of my classmates, so as in my childhood, I was an
outsider. The only people I identified with were the especially eccentric
ones. So, using the same methods I used in childhood, I analyzed the
social group and figured out how to survive within it, but at the same time
without conforming completely. Again, looking at the general characteristics
of the society, which I drew from individual behavior, paid off well.
As my transgendered nature became more clear, I realized that I was adding
yet another aspect to my personality to make me an outsider and a minority.
Again, I stepped back and observed society. Only this time, I compared the
individual behaviors and general expectations of men and women, and I learned
my lessons well. My observations allowed me to socialize myself successfully
as a woman, but also to refuse to conform to this new standard where desired,
and minimize any penalties for non-conformity. It is fascinating how
individual behavior, even the most minor details, stems from social
expectations. Even the way in which men and women walk is different -
observe a mixed group for just a few minutes and it becomes obvious. Men walk
straight forward in a stiff but confident manner, while women sway from
side to side, walking on their hips rather than on their knees like men do.
The way that men and women speak is quite different, even when not taking into
account the pitch of the voice. Women show a good deal more inflection and
emotion than their more monotonous and forceful male counterparts. Even
choice of language varies, with men being more likely to use imperatives and to
get straight to the point. These basic characteristics may seem to be
individual behaviors, but they are so strongly generalized in society that
socialization must have a strong affect on these behaviors. There are many
other examples, and I could go on and on about it. Understanding these and
many other general characteristics helped me to learn how to be a woman in our
society and not run into problems.
Minorities and Sociology
All minorities, since they are deviant from one or more social standards, must
conduct themselves with more care than majority groups in order to avoid
social sanction. Knowing that we are subject to penalties gives us a good
incentive to study the society in which we live so that we can navigate through
the obstacles and live our lives as we wish. Some of us are more successful
than others. In particular, I have learned to use the sociological
perspective to my benefit, fully utilizing the advantages I was born with
(i.e. being white and middle class) and making sure that my disadvantages
(i.e. being transgendered, INFP, and non-Christian) do not hurt me too badly.
As an educated professional situated comfortably within the upper middle
class, and with a good and accepting group of family, friends, and
colleagues, I believe I have done quite well.
Not all minorities do so well, in spite of the excellent sociological
skills they may have developed. Sometimes the disadvantages are too difficult
to overcome, but this knowledge of how society operates still helps the
disadvantages minority survive. Majority and non-disadvantaged groups also
must have some understanding of how society works, or else they would not
know how to conform, but how to conform is all they need to know. How not
to conform and still survive and thrive takes a great deal more knowledge,
and it requires the ability to be a dispassionate observer of the generalities
of society. In order to survive, minorities must truly be amateur
sociologists.
Sources
Explanations of general sociological concepts can be found in the following
textbook, or in other introductory sociology texts.
[1] Macionis, John J., "Sociology." 10th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.
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