The Importance Of Sociological Mindfulness

When I first began this Intro to Sociology class, I was one of those people the book mentioned who believed that sociology was just “common sense” (p. 31). However, I have come to understand sociological mindfulness as more than just being aware of the world around us. Sociological mindfulness is looking past the everyday stereotypes, prejudices, and human-made categories to truly see how everything is connected on multiple levels (p. 3). From taking this course, I have learned that society is a social construct based on widely accepted human ideals (p. 16). Furthermore, I am able to look deeper in the societal infrastructure to see the reasons behind the organization of today’s society. The few elites in power are able to maintain their power through the control of information (p. 182). Actions always have intended and unintended consequences (p. 149). Human beings are creatures of habit and society reflects the multiple patterned behaviors we exhibit in different relationships (p. 123). These are just a few examples of how I have learned to be sociologically mindful.

I can no longer claim that the work on the engineering project was all my own doing. The successful engineering project was a product of years of education by various teachers, personal practice reciting the presentation, the collection of project materials, the time taken to assemble/create the project, and much more. Every decision/event/action is a result of multiple causes, each with their own multitude of causes – which is why any explanation for a decision/event/action is never a complete answer (p.