A Different Viewpoint
Politics makes great stuff to write about! No matter what the candidates say, no matter how black and white it may seem, no matter how cut and dried it may appear everything is always left open for interpretation to what the individual wants or sometimes needs to hear. As the presidential elections draw nearer, we are bombarded by political ads telling us what the candidate’s views are. Their opponents in turn bombard us with ads interpreting those same views from a completely different standpoint. Back and forth this continues leaving one to ponder, “what exactly is the truth and what is a lie anymore?”
Sprague made a point in her article that “Truth is not possible” (Sprague 1997). In saying this, does she mean that everyone is a liar? I’m certain that if you were to talk to Democrats or Republicans they would probably both feel that the other party’s candidate is lying while their candidate speaks the truth, however Sprague makes the argument that truth is all a matter of perspective (1997). Try as we will, it becomes difficult at best to agree upon everything based on our biases of past experiences and reference points. While perhaps there are some that bias their viewpoints intentionally (i.e. politicians vying for votes based on their constituencies beliefs) most form their “truths” based on who they are and what they have experienced throughout their lives.
Sociology is a science based heavily upon observations and interpretations. Try as one will to interpret findings objectively; it becomes difficult to do when looking through the lens of your particular experiences. Sprague makes a point of social theory being “exactly the way it should be, if one is thinking like a white, male capitalist.” She points out that the base of social theory lies in the viewpoints “of a particular, privileged standpoint” and that which is “represented as universalistic” is in actuality biased by “a pattern of selective attention” reflecting the viewpoints of the “dead white men” that have been canonized as the “founding fathers” of sociology (Sprague 1997). While for some, these theories do hold truth, others may find it skewed or completely opposite to their own perspectives. As we had discussed in class, even though we now accept this as one of the problems we face, the basic historical perspectives are taught so that we have something to compare to. Instead of re-inventing the wheel each time something new comes to light, we revise but maintain a base point of reference. Sprague offers solutions to arrive at a more inclusive truth by considering viewpoints of the many over the few. The more widely based the viewpoint is, the more likely it is representative of the real, or at least a more popular truth; much like a larger sampling size would effect the validity of a study.
“Standpoint Theory” is a more modern perspective of looking at society. It acknowledges that who we are, what we believe in, and past experiences affect how we perceive things and what our truth is. As mentioned earlier, in politics, we often see candidates basing their ideology on what they think their constituents want to hear from them. We seek those representing us to represent our values and our beliefs. So from a position based on higher wealth or religious orthodoxy, a person finds commonality among the conservative stance. They may not agree with everything that a candidate says, but based on their most important core beliefs, they gravitate to those who they feel best represent them. Conversely, those that support a more humanistic stance towards society, gravitate towards a more progressive position. Each person takes what they want and adapts it to fortify their belief structure, sometimes completely overlooking the other points that matter as well.
If you look at a satellite image of the UIC complex, you get an overall view of what it is comprised of. You see the buildings, the land, and the pathways but it’s pretty hard to see the most important feature of the campus, it’s people. On the other hand, when you’re gazing up into the sky at millions of stars, it’s hard to see the satellite that is looking down at you. We each have a perspective based on our viewpoint or standpoint, and while it’s very difficult to understand another’s standpoint, to fully understand what truth is we must try to include it or at least consider from where others see things to get the full picture.
Sprague made a point in her article that “Truth is not possible” (Sprague 1997). In saying this, does she mean that everyone is a liar? I’m certain that if you were to talk to Democrats or Republicans they would probably both feel that the other party’s candidate is lying while their candidate speaks the truth, however Sprague makes the argument that truth is all a matter of perspective (1997). Try as we will, it becomes difficult at best to agree upon everything based on our biases of past experiences and reference points. While perhaps there are some that bias their viewpoints intentionally (i.e. politicians vying for votes based on their constituencies beliefs) most form their “truths” based on who they are and what they have experienced throughout their lives.
Sociology is a science based heavily upon observations and interpretations. Try as one will to interpret findings objectively; it becomes difficult to do when looking through the lens of your particular experiences. Sprague makes a point of social theory being “exactly the way it should be, if one is thinking like a white, male capitalist.” She points out that the base of social theory lies in the viewpoints “of a particular, privileged standpoint” and that which is “represented as universalistic” is in actuality biased by “a pattern of selective attention” reflecting the viewpoints of the “dead white men” that have been canonized as the “founding fathers” of sociology (Sprague 1997). While for some, these theories do hold truth, others may find it skewed or completely opposite to their own perspectives. As we had discussed in class, even though we now accept this as one of the problems we face, the basic historical perspectives are taught so that we have something to compare to. Instead of re-inventing the wheel each time something new comes to light, we revise but maintain a base point of reference. Sprague offers solutions to arrive at a more inclusive truth by considering viewpoints of the many over the few. The more widely based the viewpoint is, the more likely it is representative of the real, or at least a more popular truth; much like a larger sampling size would effect the validity of a study.
“Standpoint Theory” is a more modern perspective of looking at society. It acknowledges that who we are, what we believe in, and past experiences affect how we perceive things and what our truth is. As mentioned earlier, in politics, we often see candidates basing their ideology on what they think their constituents want to hear from them. We seek those representing us to represent our values and our beliefs. So from a position based on higher wealth or religious orthodoxy, a person finds commonality among the conservative stance. They may not agree with everything that a candidate says, but based on their most important core beliefs, they gravitate to those who they feel best represent them. Conversely, those that support a more humanistic stance towards society, gravitate towards a more progressive position. Each person takes what they want and adapts it to fortify their belief structure, sometimes completely overlooking the other points that matter as well.
If you look at a satellite image of the UIC complex, you get an overall view of what it is comprised of. You see the buildings, the land, and the pathways but it’s pretty hard to see the most important feature of the campus, it’s people. On the other hand, when you’re gazing up into the sky at millions of stars, it’s hard to see the satellite that is looking down at you. We each have a perspective based on our viewpoint or standpoint, and while it’s very difficult to understand another’s standpoint, to fully understand what truth is we must try to include it or at least consider from where others see things to get the full picture.