Is society a prison in which our basic drives are forever in conflict? Are we, it's prisoners, complicit in our own imprisonment? Or are we actors on the stage of society, with a choice over how we are to perform our scripts? In other words, is the goal of freedom possible? These are just a few of the questions a reader is confronted with as Peter L. Berger invites us to look at sociology from a fresh perspective in his classic, 'An Invitation to Sociology.'
He begins with an examination of the image of the sociologist in society. By chapter 2 he is confronting definitions of society and social interaction. In chapter 3 he introduces the concept of society as a prison, discussing the conflict of man versus society, mechanisms of social control and the role of institutions in this 'control.' In the next chapter, 'Society in Man,' Mr. Berger considers how society socializes man and indoctrinates him into his social roles and world view. A couple quotes summarizes this chapter as Professor Berger states, "Society not only controls our movements, but shapes our identity, our thought, and our emotions,” and "The structures of society become the structures of our own consciousness.”
He doesn't stop with this analysis, however. By chapter 5 he dismantles this point of view in a critique illustrating how society is not a prison, but a stage. We are not it's puppets controlled by invisible strings. Instead, we are actors in a drama, and we play our social roles either faithfully or unfaithfully. In short, whether we are aware or not of our own involvement in it's scheme, we permit society to trap us. 'Freedom,' is achieved by becoming aware of how we are trapped, for this awareness gives us the power to choose. Berger then analyzes several methods individuals have utilized to subvert social constrictions, including 1) manipulation, 2) detachment, and 3) transformation. Again, to round out a summary of this chapter, a quote from Berger is pertinent: “Whatever the possibilities of freedom we may have, they cannot be realized if we continue to assume that the 'OKAY WORLD' of reality is the only world there is. Society provides us with warm, reasonably comfortable caves, in which we can huddle with our fellows, beating on the drums that drown out the howling hyenas of the surrounding darkness. 'ECTASY' is the act of stepping outside the caves, alone, to face the night...”
Dr. Berger ends with a chapter that inquires into the goals of sociology, and he encourages a re-assessment of how sociology is taught. He feels that the goals of sociology should be to raise students awareness of society's impacts on themselves; for a raised awareness will give students the power to choose how to act out the social scripts provided to them.
Throughout his analysis Peter L. Berger familiarizes readers with the major theorists whose theories litter these pages, including Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. He also illustrates how sociologists 'see through' the facades of society to perceive what is really going on beneath the layers of conformity.
As a reader what I appreciated the most about this book was how Berger looked at the sociologist, society and the individual from multiple perspectives; providing insights into the functions of society and the individual's participation within it. Mr. Berger compelled me, the reader, to analyze motives behind social interactions instead of merely surveying their patterns. He also offered possibilities for transcendence from the confines of social existence. It is for these reasons that I encourage other readers to pick up this classic.
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Reviews with images
Great book, awful shipment treatment
I had to get this book for my sociology class and I really enjoyed the book. My only complaint is when I received the book it was bent in half.
Top reviews from other countries
Robyn
Prompt delivery, good condition, interesting book
Reviewed in Canada on May 1, 2020Ranjeet Kumar Sharma
Classic book for sociology..
Reviewed in India on October 4, 2020
