Are You An Insider?

According to Max Webber, a key to sociology is verstehen, “researchers imagining themselves in the place of their subject” (46).  Basically, sociologists need to put themselves in the subject’s shoes.  They need empathy.  This idea is closely related to the insider v. outsider debate – can a sociologist really understand a certain culture if they are not a part of it?  I think not. 

A common example used when debating whether sociologists can better study a culture if they are included in said culture versus observing as an outsider is race.  Can a white person ever truly know what it’s like to be African American?  Or Asian?  Or Latino?  No.  The observer must rely solely on their observations and the accounts of others.  As much as one may try to put him or her self in the shoes of another, a lifetime of experience as an African American person cannot completely be summed up by an interview or a survey.  The feelings associated with each small differentiation based on race can’t always be put into words. 

But if the sociologists can’t get 100% immersed in whatever culture they are studying, they do have one advantage: immersion in the culture won’t sway their views.  As an insider one could end up with much more biased results.  Although bias is an issue, I believe that it is much more beneficial to be fully immersed and a part of the culture being studied.  

Hugs, Doors, and Yes Ma'ams

            In my sociology class, we have spent some time talking about how culture is broken up into two sections: material culture and nonmaterial culture.  Material culture is fairly self-explanatory.  It includes “objects created in a given society” (Anderson & Taylor, 54), and is apparent to on-lookers.  Nonmaterial culture isn’t as visible.  The norms and values shared by each specific culture aren’t tangible – they aren’t even concrete.  Many of them are simply assumed or implied. 

            As children we learn to watch our parents and the other people around us, and we mimic them.  By doing so, we get general ideas about the nonmaterial aspects of culture.  How else other than observation and imitation would we learn things such as waiting one’s turn in line or appropriate body language or ways of speech for certain situations?  For example, my parents never explicitly told me whom to hug upon seeing, but I have learned over time that with people like friends and family that is the appropriate greeting.  However, if I were to greet a teacher or a waitress at a restaurant, a hug would not be fitting.  In coming to Dallas from Chicago, I realized that nonmaterial culture varies from location to location.  In Dallas, it is expected that boys will hold open doors for girls, but in Chicago if I were to wait for someone to open the door for me people would find it strange and somewhat pretentious.  Also, the use of the words “ma’am” and “sir” are much more prevalent in the south – in Chicago it make come across as somewhat sarcastic. 

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To Drive or Not To Drive

Every teenager goes through the same conversation with their parents as they’re about to go off to college – the ‘can I have a/take my car please’ conversation.  As I went through it with my dad, the number 978 was brought up: nine hundred and seventy eight miles from my home in the North suburbs of Chicago to Dallas, Texas.  My dad sure didn’t want to drive that far, and neither did I, though I would have if it meant I got to bring my car to school. 

            Upon arriving at SMU I was surprised at the number of freshmen that had cars, and even more surprised at how close I would have been allowed to park.  My dad reminded me that basically everything I would need was on campus, or at least in walking distance.  With restaurants in Snyder Plaza and the CVS just down the road he was confident that I would be alright. 

            As the first week went by, he was right.  I really didn’t find the need for a car because I was so wrapped up in being on campus and seeing people wherever I went.  Now, however, that I have made friends and have eaten at Umphrey Lee for three meals a day seven days a week I start to wonder how my experience would be different if I did have that car.  Times like Saturday and Sunday afternoons it would be nice to be able to drive around Dallas, do some shopping, get some food that isn’t from the cafeteria for a change.  Even something as simple as a trip to CVS would be made easier by a car – who wants to walk from the dorms to CVS carrying a big package of 24 water bottles? 

            Thinking into the future I wonder how I will be able to get around next year without a car.  I’m currently thinking about getting an off campus apartment next year, but will that be feasible without a convenient and constant mode of transportation?