Phenomenological sociology: concepts and applications

¶ … sociology [...] specific readings and their concepts, linkages, and a summary of the text. Phenomenological sociology literally looks at how we are in the world - how we interact with the world and how we view it. The study also expects students to question their views and ideas, "suspend" their preconceived notions, and look at the world from a fresh point-of-view, like that of a child or a newcomer to that particular society.

A summary of the section on "Feminist Theory" by the textbook author and the writings by Dorothy Smith follows. Because phenomenological sociology questions established patterns and behaviors, it is a natural study for oppressed groups, such as women, and Smith delves into this in her discussion of "Feminist Theory." The author maintains that real analysis and discovery came about with the roots of the women's movement in the 1960s and 70s, and that feminism is a natural topic for specific theories of sociology and psychology. Modern feminist theory is based on the work of many famous theorists, including Freud and Marx, and it tends to question and seek answers to the differences between men and women and why they see situations and react to certain situations far differently. These differences include economic and social variations. Most theories conclude that differences between men and women are sociological rather than biological, and much inequality is clearly linked to sexism. The author defines liberal feminism, and gives examples of some women's organizations that adhere to it, such as the National Organization of Women (NOW). Liberal feminists seek change by legal and political venues, and a true equalization of women in society. The author goes on to define the many different types of feminism and how they differ, along with their commonalities. The author also discusses "social reality" and what methods of questioning are best suited to the study of sociology. The author then presents an essay by Dorothy Smith: "Women's Experiences as a Radical Critique of Sociology." Smith first defines her ideas on rule and ruling, and how they affect society. She sees sociologists, economists, business schools and other institutions as the ones who truly govern society, and decides that sociology is not a science, but more of an abstract. Smith defines her own ideas about sociology, the study, and "objectivity" in the study, including how to unbias results of a study. She feels sociologists "enter" into the society they begin to study, and they work with "facts and information" from their studies and the studies of others, then they fit that information into a "framework" and create a model and a viable discussion of their findings.

Smith then goes on to discuss gender as it applies to her theories, especially as it pertains to the male sociologist. She clearly establishes that a male perspective and experience is far different than a female perspective, simply because of the "management" of our society and who is doing most of the teaching - men. She maintains that women are "excluded from the governing conceptual model" (Smith 374), and so, when gender is studied by men, they have a far different outlook than women. Smith states "Women's work in and around professional and managerial settings performs analogous functions" (Smith 374), and this is a key concept in her essay. She maintains women traditionally do the clerical work, from taking messages,-word processing, and caring for patients. They do the "mediating" for men, who then do the "real" work of healing, managing, and governing. She shows how gender differences and biases totally separate society and suppress women.

She goes on to explore female sociologists and the "contradiction between sociology and experience" (Smith 375). Clearly, if she feels male sociologists cannot effectively study gender, then women are just as disadvantaged, because they are in the middle of their own female experiences. She says women are not capable of effective study because they have "been canceled in the procedures that objectify and separate her from knowledge" (Smith 375). She sees this as a practical problem that must be solved, but certainly a difficult and demanding problem. She discusses many of the social problems facing women today, from working and raising a family, to managing the household, schoolwork, and career, usually with little help from her male partner. Smith shows how this affects sociological study, and basically feels gender excludes men from certain understanding and women from certain understanding in their sociological studies. She feels women have a unique perspective on society, and feels that the women's view could "transform" much in how we view society. She feels sociology does not currently have a balanced view, and it will take a woman's viewpoint to help balance the study and the science. Smith wants a transformation in sociology that recognizes our differences as well as our commonalities, and shows how she thinks this transformation can take place.

Some of the concepts I found useful in this reading were:

Liberal feminism, which the author says is geared around several feminists who "believe that sexist attitudes disadvantage women through socialization into submissive gender roles" (Author 369).

Marxist feminism, which comes from Karl Marx's social theory and writings by Engels, which state that "the status of women is not biologically determined by results from the economic system of ownership and private property" (Author 370).

Radical feminists, who see "social institutions as tools of male domination which support patriarchy and the oppression of women" (Author 370).

Socialist feminists, who "combine Marxian and radical feminism in an attempt at theoretical synthesis, breadth, and precision, and an explicit method for social analysis and change" (Author 370).

Bifurcation, defined by the author as "a conceptual distinction between the world as we experience it and the world as we come to know it through the conceptual frameworks that science invents" (Author 371).

Management, which Smith defines as including "the government and the activities of those who are selecting, training, and indoctrinating those who will be its governors" (Smith 372). She uses this as a basis for her ideas on society, which include a wider view of simple government as it relates to politics and political organizations.

Objectivity, which is vital in any study or any analysis. Smith defines it as "concerned primarily with the separations of knowers from what they know and in particular with the separation of what is known from knowers' interests, "biases," and so forth, that are not authorized by the discipline" (Smith 373).

Analogous functions, which Smith says women perform. "Analogous" means the same or similar, or corresponding, so women work on the same playing field as men, but they have different functions, and almost always these functions are to serve the men in some way or another.

The Woman's Perspective, which Smith feels can change the strategies that separate sociology. She says, "As it is now, these strategies separate a sociologically constructed world from that of direct experience; it is precisely that separation that must be undone" (Smith 376).

Experience, which Smith defines as not a synonym of "perspective," but "not at a reiteration of what we already 'tacitly' know, but at an exploration of what passes beyond that knowledge and is deeply implicated in how it is" (Smith 376).

Many of the linkages I found in these readings came from the value of seeing them from a woman's point-of-view. As a woman, I can identify with many of the feminist theories and concepts the author provides, including economic and social status. As an Asian woman, we are often taught to follow rather than lead, which leads to a submissive pattern throughout our lives, especially when it comes to male/female relationships. I have been taught not to question my father's authority or ideas, and this often leads to anger inside me that has no way of coming out. These feminist theories make it clear I am following a pattern of behavior that affects of areas of my life, and it is something I must question and think about for the future. While I truly value and appreciate Smith's specific views, I find her outlook just a bit too