Introduction

SOCI1001A INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

LECTURE 01
 The power of society
2

 What would your ideal partner be like

(Ballentine & Korge, 2022; Macionis, 2018)?
 Good look?
 Attractive physique?
 Material wealth?
 A house?
 A car?
 Amicable personality?
 Knowledgeable and wise?
 PhD?
 Or any other traits that you are looking for?

 Conventional wisdom suggests (Ruane &

Cerulo, 2020)
 Love bows to emotions and feelings but not
rational thinking / “Love knows no reason”
 Love is highly individualized and unique

Image source: https://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Poster-Inches-Richard-Madden/dp/B00W0E009K

3

Marriage pattern of Hong Kong

between 1981 and 2011:

Hyper-gamy = wives marrying up

with husbands of higher educational
qualifications

Homo-gamy = Similar educational

qualifications between husbands and
wives

Hypo-gamy = wives marrying down

with husbands of lower educational
qualifications

Source: Zhou, M. Z. (2016). Educational assortative mating in Hong Kong: 1981–2011. Chinese Sociological Review, 48(1), 33-63.
 Marriage pattern of Shanghai :

 Between 1990 and 2009, around

82% of couples in the survey have
shared same level of education in
Shanghai (Qian & Qian, 2017)

 Between 1980 and 1989, family

has retained significant influence
on one’s choice of marriage
partner but it often affects males
and females in different manners
(Tian & Davis, 2019)
 Women – hukou locality
 Men – membership in political party
Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2072313/cost-bridegroom-gifts-secure-permission-marry-soars-china
  A Park in Beijing

 Worried parents engaging in

matchmaking for their left-
over sons and daughters

 A Park in Shanghai

A female accountant promoting

herself and waiting for
matchmaking proposal

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2018/09/21/for-some-women-in-china-love-markets-are-the-last-resort-to-find-a-husband/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4a84f3709374
 A Park in Anhui

 A parent shopping for potential

partner for the elder daughter
for over two years

 University professor, age 36

 Rejected at least 15 times due

to dominant status

 forbidded younger daughter to

enroll in postgraduate studies
and warned her about of risk of
being “left over”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/business/in-a-changing-china-new-matchmaking-markets.html
 “Requirement” in matchmaking
8

For men For women

 Born in Beijing (hukou)  attractive

 Born in Beijing
 A home and car owner
 Preferably a home owner
 Postgraduate level of education
 A car owner
 Salary $50,000
 Undergraduate level of education

 Salary $20,000

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2102712/beijing-marriage-market-putting-price-perfect-match-chinese-park
 Outline of lecture
9

 Introduce the basic ideas of sociology

 What is sociology?

 What is sociological thinking?

 Sociological imagination

 Contemporary relevance and application of sociological thinking

 Introduce assessment requirements

 Q&A
Sociology

 Sociology
A term that is commonly attributed to be invented by Auguste Comte in
the 19th century (Schaefer, 2022)
 A science of society
 Scientist-priest (Schaefer, 2022, p. 7)

 Derived from the following word stems (Henslin, 2019)

 “socius” – “companion” or “being with others”
 “logos” – “study of”

A “scientific study of social behavior and human groups” (Schaefer, 2022,

p.3)
Society

 Society: “ a group of people living in a bounded territory who share

common cultural features such as language, values and basic norms
of behavior.” (Giddens & Sutton, 2021, p. 8)

 Society comprises inter-dependent relationships and networks

between individuals (Bauman & May, 2019)

 As a member of the relationship and network, how may one’s social

actions be affected?

 How may the social actions of the members of the relationship and
network affect those relationships and networks, and hence society?
 Sociological lenses are
 Relational and Contextual (Bauman & May, 2019)

 Relationships are (Ballentine & Korgen, 2022; Macionis, 2018;

Schaefer, 2022)
 Dynamic and fluid

 Multiple and interdependent

 interactive
13

 The recognition of the interactive relationship is also echoed in

natural science - the butterfly effects (Ritzer & Murphy, 2019; Ritzer
& Ryan, 2023)

 An ordinary routine of purchasing coffee are supported by a vast

network of interactive relationships that stretches far beyond the
immediate circle of any given individual (Ballentine & Korgen, 2022)

Source: https://stock.adobe.com/hk/images/people-buying-coffee-in-the-coffee-shop/204605759
 The sociological perspective
14

 The sociological perspective can be characterized by (Macionis,

2018):

 Seeing the general in particular

 Thinkingaway from one’s immediate circumstances to engaging in one’s
wider context – switching points of view

 Seeing the strange in familiar

 Peeling through taken-for-granted commonsense account to reveal the
true state of affairs – “debunking” the commonsense

 Sociological imagination
 Seeing the general in particular
15

 While individuals often think that they act out of their own volition,
but sociologists look for general patterns in the behaviour of
particular individuals. Although every individual is unique, a society
shapes the live experiences of people in various categories
differently

 These categories may include:

 level of education (e.g. university graduate, high school graduate etc.)

 age group (e.g. children and adult etc.)

 gender group (e.g. women and men etc.)

Image source: https://hongkongfp.com/2021/05/06/young-educated-hongkongers-earning-25-less-than-25-years-ago-govt-data/
 Eats too much

Eats too less

Letches at boys
Ride a bike

 Further questions for thoughts:

 What characteristics do you think make a good boy / girl in Hong Kong?
 Are there any differences from that in India?
17
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-31535455
 What’s wrong with the pictures?

Source: Conley (2020, p. 127)

Source: (Macionis, 2018, p. 32)
19
Source:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.economist.com%2Fchina%2F2022%2F02%2F25%2Fhong-kongs-refusal-to-live-with-covid-19-is-causing-chaos&psig=AOvVaw2yi-3EEqlmVfw5-
9J-fotb&ust=1725258465693000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBUQjhxqFwoTCKjequaOoYgDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1u5RZ7CcKbU&psig=AOvVaw2yi-3EEqlmVfw5-9J-
fotb&ust=1725258465693000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBUQjhxqFwoTCKjequaOoYgDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAT
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60329578
 Seeing the Strange in familiar
21

 Sociologists try to see the taken-for-granted (e.g. widely accepted ways of

doing things) world around you afresh by looking at it with the eyes of a
stranger.

 In other words, sociologists try to question the common-sense

understanding of the world and seek to understand the causes and
consequences as well as the process through which those patterns emerge
and develop

 For examples:
 Why are women usually responsible for housework at home?

 Why are some acts defined as “crime” in one society, but may be defined as “normal” in
another?

 Why do more and more women go to university?

 Gender division of labour at home
in Hong Kong

A large portion of male (38.5%)

shoulder no responsibility of
household chores

A portion of female (22.3%)

shoulder over 80% responsibility of
household chores

22
Source: https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=C0000068&scode=500
Image Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/gay-marriage-around-the-world/
Image source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/05/china/same-sex-marriage-ruling-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/islams-punitive-line-on-homosexuality-1465859532
 The distribution of boys and girls in university, 2007 to 2015

Source: 趙永佳, 葉仲茵, 李鏗编。(2016)。燥動青春 : 香港新世代處境觀察。香港 : 中華書局(香港)有限公司。

 Sociological imagination (社會學想象)
26

 Sociological imagination
 “an awareness of the relationship between individual and the
wider society, both today and in the past” (Schaefer, 2022, p.
3)

 To contemplate and understand the relationship between

personal experiences and societal changes over time (Mills,
2000)

 Enable us to recognize and comprehend the social sources

of our individual dilemmas (Giddens & Sutton, 2021)
 To distinguish between personal troubles and public issues
 Personal troubles: private problems that affect individuals and the
networks of people with which they regularly associate

 Public issue: problems that affect large numbers of people and

often require solutions at the societal level
 Public issues Personal Troubles

problems that often affect private problems that often

large numbers of people and affect individuals and the
often require solutions at the networks of people with
societal level which they regularly associate

Social structure &

Individual Experience
Institution
Individual biography
Societal changes
27
 My parents gave me
Young people would not be able to buy house if they ten thousand dollars
are not willing to sacrifice movie nights and trips to on my tenth
Japan birthday…

Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/15/australian-millionaire-millennials-avocado-toast-house

https://topick.hket.com/article/605363/%E5%8A%89%E9%B3%B4%E7%85%92%E7%9A%84%E6%9C%88%E8%96%AA%E8%90%AC%E4%BA%94%E4%B8%8A%E8%BB%8A%E5%A4%A7%E6%B3%
95%20%20%20%E4%BD%A0%E6%87%82%E7%9A%84%EF%BC%81

https://www.hk01.com/%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E/229096/%E5%8A%89%E9%B3%B4%E7%85%92%E6%B8%AF%E5%8F%B0%E7%AF%80%E7%9B%AE%E8%87%AA%E7%
88%86-%E5%8D%81%E6%AD%B2%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E6%9B%BE%E6%94%B6%E7%88%B6%E6%AF%8D10%E8%90%AC%E5%85%83-
28
%E6%9C%80%E7%B5%82%E5%AD%98%E5%85%A5%E9%8A%80%E8%A1%8C

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170530-the-avocado-toast-index-how-many-breakfasts-to-buy-a-house
 29

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2022430/theyre-just-us-exhibition-shines-light-hong-kongs
 Is this a private trouble or a public issue?

 How individuals’ decision may be

shaped and influenced by other
factors?

 Is bearing a child a private

decision by the couples only?
 “To win before being conceived”
 「赢在射精前」

 Calculate prudently the time of

 Is parenting styles and practices
conceiving a baby so that we can
private decisions by the parents
gain the highest probability of
only?
being admitted into top
 “To win at the starting line” kindergarten
 「赢在起跑線」

Image source:
https://www.hk01.com/%E7%86%B1%E7%88%86%E8%A9%B1%E9%A1%8C/27180/%E8%B4%8F%E5%9C%A8%E5%B0%84%E7%B2%BE%E5%89%8D-
%E6%B2%92%E6%9C%89%E8%B5%B7%E8%B7%91%E7%B7%9A-%E9%A1%A7%E5%95%8F-
%E8%A8%88%E7%AE%97%E5%8F%97%E5%AD%95%E6%99%82%E9%96%93%E4%B8%8D%E7%BD%95%E8%A6%8B
 Is having children a private
decision made by the couples
only?

 In some countries, the decision

to have children are apparently
not only a private trouble but
also a matter involving
economic, political, and cultural
considerations

 To bear a child is as much a

family issue as a national issue
(生娃是家事也是国事)

31

Source: http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2018-08/06/content_1872810.htm
 Social generation (社會世代) (Pilcher, 1994; White, 2013)
A group with distinctive consciousness shaped by major social changes
during their formative years – having values and norms that are separate
and independent from other social generations

 Specific temporal and spatial locations – generational location – with its

specific historical and cultural milieu as well as happenings shape and
influence the consciousness of those who inhabit those locations
 Major social events
 Major structural changes

 The concept of social generation enables us to examine and compare how

different social factors affects individuals based on various generational
groupings
 A classic example of application of social
generation in the context of Hong Kong
is the book entitled “Four generations of
Hong Kong people” published by Lui
(2007).

 Attempted to connect the attitudes,

values and norms espoused by different
generations to successive social and
historical changes (social location) of that
particular generation

 Generated heated discussion about the

problems and challenges that the “fourth
generation” (the younger generation) face
in Hong Kong as well as debate about the
underlying the causes and consequences

Image source: https://www.hkbookcity.com/showbook2.php?serial_no=118225

The “Lost generation” of China

 The “lost generation” often

refers to those who were born
between 1948 - 1957 (Hung, &
Chiu, 2003)

 The growing up experiences of

this generation were closely
related to the major social
changes in China both before and
after reform and opening up

 critical life transition

 Being born
 First admission to school
 First job in society
 First marriage and family
formation

Image source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/24/world/asia/china-lost-generation/index.html
 Critical Life transition
Being born
First admission to school
First job in society
First marriage and family formation

Source:
Hung, E. P. W., & Chiu, S. W. K. (2003). The lost generation: Life course dynamics and xiagang in China. Modern China, 29(2), 204–236.
  The sociological approach comprises a widely diversified set of
concepts, theories, and perspectives

Society

Individual

36
Sociological perspective and theory

 A theory refers to
 “statements regarding how and why facts are related to each
other and the connections between these facts” (Ballantine,
Hammack, & Stuber, 2017, p.16)

 Different theories focus on processes at different level of

analysis (Turner, 1991)
 Macro
 Tends to focus on larger sectors or fields
 Examples: relationships between economic and political structures
and institutions

 Micro
 Tends to focus on individuals and their interactions
 Examples: relationships among teachers, students, administrators,
parents, etc.
 Bibliography
38

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 Ballentine, J. H., & Korgen, K. O. (2022). Our social world: Introduction to sociology (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California :
SAGE Publications

 Ballantine, J. H., Hammack, F. M., & Stuber, J. M. (2017). Sociology of education: A unique perspective for understanding
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pp. 3-44). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 Conley, D. (2020). You May Ask Yourself : An Introduction to Thinking like a Sociologist (7th Ed.). New York: W.W. Norton.

 Giddens, A., & Sutton, P. W. (2021). Sociology (9th ed.). Cambridge: Polity Press.

 Henslin, J. M. (2019). Sociology: A down-to-earth approach (14th ed.). New York: Pearson.

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204–236.

 Lui, T. L. (2007). 香港四代人 [Four generation of Hong Kong people]. Hong Kong: Step Forward Multi Media Company
Limited
 Macionis, J. J. (2018). Sociology. (global 16th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education.

 Mills, C. W. (2000). The sociological imagination (40th anniversary edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Original work
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 Qian, Y., & Qian, Z. C. (2017). Assortative mating by education and hukou in Shanghai. Chinese Sociological Review, 49(3), 239-262.

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 Ruane, J. M, & Karen, A. C. (2020). Second Thoughts : Sociology Challenges Conventional Wisdom (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California:
SAGE Publications, Inc.

 Schaefer, R. T. (2022). Sociology: A Brief Introduction (14th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hall.

 Standing, G. (2011). The precariat: The new dangerous class. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

 Tian, F. F., & Davis, D. S. (2019). Reinstating the family: Intergenerational influence on assortative mating in China. Chinese Sociological
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 Turner, J. (1991). The structure of sociological theory (5th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub.

 White, J. (2013). Thinking generations. The British journal of sociology, 64(2), 216-247.