The 'Sociological Imagination'

I have really been thinking a lot about this topic today, well for the past few weeks, as I have seen numerous blogs by others in which I have responded in much the same way as I am writing this.  A lot of my time lately has been thinking about social networks and a sense of place in the community, and how a community interacts.

When C. Wright Mills coined the phrase the 'sociological imagination', what was he suggesting?
He was suggesting a way of thinking about and researching people's lives to show how they are connected to a larger pattern of history and social processes.  Social networks produce their effects and are different from individual problems.

We are often unable to make a distinction because we often rely too much on common sense, that we can only understand what is happening and why it is happening by revealing the effects on us of history and society.  There is a larger history shaping our lives which is largely invisible - yet very real and powerful social factors shape what we think, feel and do.  We are free to choose and to act, but that we do not choose in a situation we ourselves have made.  In this way, our capacity to choose and to act freely is constrained by our history and by our larger social context.

A simple example of sociological imagination can be made by talking about a morning cup of coffee (or tea).  Having our coffee, or tea, is in sense a very ordinary everyday activity:  we reach for the cup, get the jar out of the cupboard, boil the kettle, poor the water in the cup, put milk in, sugar, however you like it.... simple right?  Applying the sociological imagination to this everyday event means asking questions and seeking answers to better understand it.  It requires partial disengagement from the small part of the world in which we live and from the common sense knowledge on which we rely.  If we can make this break, we may be able to think about all of the social connections and historical processes that shape our world and the way we live in and understand it.  Drinking a cup of coffee, or tea, then takes on a surprising complexity when we ask questions such as:

Where did the coffee come from?
Who made it?
Why do I make it this way?
Why do I drink it?
What role does advertising play in my decision to drink it?
Why do other people in other times or places start the morning with water, milk, rum, tea, juice?

Developing a sociological imagination means asking what, why and how questions... yet finding these things out is not that easy.  We might want to hold on to the commonsense idea that the world consists of facts, that we can discover by using our senses.  However, that will not get us far with abstract concepts of poverty, inequality, unemployment or crime.

There is simply no such place as a safe, predictable, linear world, but only in the eyes of the people who view it.  People see what they want to see, and this is why so many leading issues are not being addressed properly.  We live in a world of complex systems. organisms, ecosystems, our cities, our communities, our families, countries, and the earth itself are all complex systems, so it is really useful to develop a systems view of the world to be able to see it, whats the word, more accurately and form a better understanding.

We all have a mental model of the world and how it should be, made up of all our beliefs, attitudes and values. What is safe, predictable and linear, is very much how an individual perceives something to be, there is simply no such place as a safe, predictable, linear world, but only in the eyes of the people who view it.

In short, we live in a complex and sometimes confusing world of many different ideas, theories, political or ethical values, research methods, controversy and debate - we must accept that everyone will always share apposing views to our own but in order to succeed in good social networks, we all need a clear vision in order to make some sense of the world around us.

Australia's transport needs for light rail, and quick!

Light rail is a form of urban rail public transport, like a modern tram system, using electric railcars large enough to accommodate up to 60 people as well as wheelchairs and bicycles. Light rail infrastructure has a low impact on the urban environment.

As we move into an era where climate change, petrol prices and traffic congestion are inevitable, it demands that we rethink the way our city works.  Perth can prosper in a carbon-light future if we make decisions now to 'shock-proof' ourselves against the challenges of the 21st century, and a rapid, electrified mass transit system must be a part of this vision.

The Greens have this vision and want people in the outer suburbs to have equal access to fast, efficient and safe mass transit as those living in wealthy inner suburbs.  I think we all would love that!

China has more than 3500 kilometres of rail line capable of speeds of more than 300km/h. Russia is planning a trans-Siberian high-speed rail line, the Mexicans are planning fast rail along the Yucatan peninsula and Turkey has begun construction of a planned 1500 kilometres of fast rail. However Australia is spending billions of dollars subsidising rail lines to get coal from inland mines to port.

The fact is, when we want to build something we do. We find the money, we find the land. But when public investment in fast trains threatens the profits of private owners then it's a different story.  If we wanted to build trains and light rail we could. If we wanted to build more public transport and fewer roads we could. And if we wanted to build more renewable energy and less fossil fuel-fired energy we could. But, at the moment at least, neither the big end of town nor the big end of politics want to. They want to build submarines, airports and coal rail lines instead.  

The easiest way to fund the big infrastructure projects we need is to stop funding the big infrastructure projects we don't need. On average Australians are now among the wealthiest people the world has ever known. Of course the average conceals the extremes of both entrenched poverty in some communities and the fact that Rinehart is now the wealthiest woman the world has ever known.

Australia is a rich country that can afford to both build the infrastructure our nation needs and to be generous to the mining barons, but we need to rethink how, and we need to get on with it quick sharp!


http://greens.org.au/lightrail

What is the future of nature due to a warmer climate?

It has been so hot the past few days, 39 degrees plus, and certainly over an unusually longer period of time than the 'norm'.  Could this be our climate changing, could this just be a one off exceptionally long summer?  Is this just a normal cycle that the planet goes through over thousands of years?  Well, I have my own views..... but the question that has been on my mind is, how well will nature be able to cope with the climate changes that may, or are, yet to come in this century? 

Obviously, ecosystems have shown some resilience during the past natural climate changes in earth's history.  But, there has also been extinctions too, of many animal and plant species, many which have been no doubt to climate changes.  The difference now, compared to the natural changes over the past two million years or so (what we know believe to be true) are four important things.

The first difference is the speed at which these changes are occurring.  By far the largest global climate changes of the past two million years have been oscillations between ice ages (glacial periods) and warm periods, called interglacials.  The most rapid changes occurred at the end of ice ages, the rate of global warming at the end of ice ages was typically about 0.1 degree Celsius per century.  We are now looking at a rate of what we know as global warming seven times faster during the twentieth century and up to fifty times faster during the twenty-first century than the records show during the past periods.

The second difference is the absolute temperature that will be reached.  Past changes have all played out towards the colder end the scale - according to the data that has been made.  The past two million years have been dominated by a much colder climate than we have now, so it is not surprising that many plants and animals have evolved for colder conditions, now taking them outside the range that most plants and animals have evolved in for millions of years.

The third difference, unprecedented in the history of planet earth, is that humans have completely transformed a large fraction of the land surface for our own use as farmland, managed forest, roads and cities.  Undisturbed nature is often relegated to remnant fragment pockets.  This means that a gradual migration to different latitudes as the climate shifts is impossible in many cases.

The fourth difference is that we are now causing unprecedented changes to the chemistry of the ocean waters that cover over two-thirds of our planet and host over half of the biological productivity on earth.  Acidity of ocean waters will very likely be greater than at any time during at least the past twenty million years.  See the link and watch the documentary on this. 
http://myscienceacademy.org/2013/01/13/acid-test-the-global-challenge-of-ocean-acidification/


Overall, the picture of the expected impacts of global warming on the world's ecosystems is dire.  Simulations with global vegetation models support the conclusion that a large fraction of the earth's surface will be transformed by major shifts in vegetation cover.  These changes will likely turn the land biosphere from a carbon sink into a carbon source some time in the second half of this century, exacerbating atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming.  

It is time to act and re-think how we are living!! 

Today in History - 10th February

On this day in 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Gary Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second.  Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize. An estimated 6 million people worldwide followed the action on the Internet.

Other:

American Revolution:

1779 : The Battle of Carr's Fort 

Automotive 1966 : Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader testifies before Congress 

Civil War 1861 : Davis learns he is president 

Cold War 1962 : Soviets exchange American for captured Russian spy

Crime 1992 : Boxing legend Mike Tyson convicted of raping beauty queen 

1763 : The French and Indian War ends 

1989 : Brown elected chairman of the Democratic Party 

Music 1972 : Ziggy Stardust makes his earthly debut 

Presidential 1899 : Herbert Hoover marries Lou Henry 

Sports 1996 : Deep Blue beats Kasparov at chess 

Vietnam War 1965 : Viet Cong blow up U.S. barracks 

World War I 1916 : U.S. secretary of war resigns 

World War II 1942 : Japanese sub bombards Midway 

Disaster 1970 : Avalanche buries skiers in France

Effects of Global Warming: Seasons and Ecosystems

OK, I have heard many people say, "So, if global warming is happening, then why is it colder, wetter in places??"  It is a good question from anyone who has minimal or no understanding in atmospheric sciences etc... The answer can be quite hard and complicated to explain, so I am certainly not going to go into it in a blog.  You can purchase any atmospheric science or Earth science book that can give you a detailed explanation on how earth systems work.  Global warming is the average warming around the Globe yep?, Climate Change is the changes in climate in specific areas....  just so we are clear ;)


A simple way of explaining it is, less abrupt changes would occur around the world as average temperatures increased. In temperate areas with four seasons, the growing season would be longer with more precipitation. This could be beneficial in many ways for these areas. However, less temperate parts of the world would likely see an increase in temperature and a sharp decrease in precipitation, causing long droughts and potentially creating deserts.

Because the Earth's climate is so complex, no one is really sure how much a change to one region's climate will affect other regions. For example, scientists at the University of Colorado theorize that the decrease in sea ice in the Arctic could reduce snowfall in Colorado because Arctic cold fronts would be less intense. This could impact everything from farmlands to the ski industry.

The most devastating effects, and also the hardest to predict, are the effects on the world's living ecosystems. Many ecosystems are very delicate, and the slightest change can kill off several species as well as any other species that depend on them. Most ecosystems are interconnected, so the chain reaction of effects could be immeasurable. The results could be something like a forest gradually dying off and turning to grassland or entire coral reefs dying. Many species of plants and animals would adapt or move to deal with the shift in climate, but many would become extinct.

Some ecosystems are already changing drastically due to a shift in climate. The University of Alberta reports that much of what once was tundra in northern Canada is turning into forests. They also noticed that the change from tundra to forest isn't linear; instead, it seems that the change happens in sudden spurts.
The human cost of global warming is hard to quantify. Thousands of lives per year could be lost as the elderly or ill suffer from heat stroke and other heat-related trauma. Poor and underdeveloped nations would suffer the worst effects, since they would not have the financial resources to deal with the problems that come with an increase in temperature. Huge numbers of people could die from starvation if a decrease in precipitation limits crop growth and from disease if coastal flooding leads to widespread water-borne illness.

The Carnegie Institution estimates that around $5 billion in crop losses per year are due to global warming. Farmers see a decrease of about 40 million metric tons of cereal grains like wheat, barley and corn each year. Scientists discovered that an increase of 1 degree Fahrenheit in average temperature results in a 3 to 5 percent drop in crop yields, this is huge! I came across a website with numerous videos regarding global warming and I urge you to check them out.  It is up to you what you think, but this is real, it is happening and I personally think that it is the lack of education as to why people are so skeptical about it - I was unaware of the extent myself before I actually started Uni.

Some people think that the science is being "hyped" in some way - an interesting documentary about Climate Doubt is here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2295533310

This is why I started my blog - more to educate people than anything.  Most people who read this, I am positive are well educated on such topics, fantastic, but there is still a few out there that I really hope I can help, the best way I know how, to spread the message and create an awareness of my own.

I appreciate all of you who reads my blogs, it means a lot to me :)

Janine

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/science/global-warming-videos-playlist.htm#video-30552

Litter and Plastics - Fremantle plastic bag reduction law passed

The seas in all parts of the world are littered with man-made debris, most of it plastics, which are practically indestructible.  Occasionally the litter is derived from onshore sources, such as waste tips on the coast, but most comes from shipping and high concentrations of plastic debris are found near busy shipping lanes and fishing areas. About 2kg per person per day is generated on ships and for a cruise liner and the amount of garbage to be disposed of can easily overwhelm the facilities of the ports it visits.

Most of the litter at sea or on the coast is primary or secondary packaging, commonly plastic bags, cups and bottles, tampon applicators, and pieces of polystyrene.  Plastics are inert to marine organisms and while floating at sea may acquire a fauna of encrusting organisms such as algae, barnacles, hydroids, and tunicates.  Larger animals ingest plastic objects: large fish and about 59% of beach turtles have been found with plastic cups and other objects lodged in their digestive tract amongst many other animals.  This is just not acceptable. 

Small particles of polyethylene, polypropylene, and sometimes polystyrene 3-4mm in diameter are widespread in all oceans.  These small particles include weathered fragments of larger plastic articles, but a large proportion of plastic pellets which are 'feedstock' to the plastics industry.  These particles have been found in the stomachs of flying squid, turtles and other animals.

So, what do we do about this?  The need to reduce the manufacturing of plastic to other forms of biodegradable material is essential for a start.  Cities need to put in place strong policies that reduce the amount of plastic used and I am extremely excited that the city of Fremantle has become the first local government in Western Australia to ban retailers from issuing single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags.

The Plastic Bag Reduction Local Law 2012, which was adopted by council this week will not only reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, but will also limit the risk of harmful non-biodegradable plastic bags making their way into the local marine environment.  

I will be working on this for the next semester of my internship and I am extremely excited to be a part of this wonderful project.  I will keep you posted on it's progress as I am sure this will be a very successful one indeed.

Read more from our very own Fremantle Mayor Dr Brad Pettitt:

http://cofremantle.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/fremantle-plastic-bag-reduction-law-passed/

Watch this documentary,   "Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic (Part 1/3)" , where a team take a trip on the ocean to 
spot where currents spin and cycle, churning up tons of plastic into a giant pool of chemical soup, flecked with bits and whole chunks of refuse that cannot biodegrade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D41rO7mL6zM