SOC150H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Universal Rule, Antonio Gramsci, Defamiliarization
Document Summary
Words "in theory" have a bad reputation for being used to describe idealized thinking that doesn"t fit reality. Example: in theory something may happen, while something else is the result in reality. Trust your senses: what you see is the real truth. Theory: an idealized system of thought that does not necessarily correspond to reality. Theoretical thinking is essential to our daily lives. Richard hyman: people cannot act without theory, theory is a way of seeing, understanding, and planning. Theoretical thinking is about generalization, relating a new situation to an old one in order to discern patterns and figure out what is likely to happen. What should happen (theory) doesn"t always happen (experience) Constructing a universal rule to cover all circumstances out of a very narrow base of experience is flawed. We all do this and refine generalizations when they don"t fit reality. We supplement generalizations with previous experience (anecdotes or theoretical statements)
