Status Quo: 101

I had my first sociology class today. This is my second shot at post-secondary, and dear me is it sloooooooow.

I skipped first year the first time around because I completed the International Baccalaureate program, and was given that privilege. Plus I challenged my way through most of the classes that I already knew the material for. In other words, I skipped all the intro classes.

My professor seems like a nice enough guy. A little self-deprecating, but on the whole I get the sense that he's quite a competent professor. He did say something severely problematic though.

"...I could give you an entire lecture on a cup of coffee. I could talk about all of the injustices that happened in order to bring your coffee here. But you shouldn't change behaviour because of analysis. Some of us still need coffee to function this early in the morning."

Okay... WHAT? He had just talked at length about Canadian First Nations apartheid, and how it creates social inequalities. But don't do anything about it. You still enjoy the privileges that this system gives you (if you are of another ethic group that is). He said that a doctor who identifies a product as causing cancer has no responsibility, and in fact cannot do anything about the fact that it is on the market and that the public is not aware of how harmful it can be. He directly said that you wouldn't be able to live your life if you go about things this way. If you challenge what your friends say, you will become very unpopular.

My view:

1. The doctor in his example has an ethical responsibility to take action
• Because of their claim to authority, this doctor has many tools available to them
• Conduct a scientific study
• Get the media interested
• Start an advocacy group
• Talk to existing advocacy groups
2. Individuals constitute society. If enough individuals change their views, this becomes subculture, and eventually it becomes de facto culture.
• If you have the privilege of being charismatic, you can cause change in many people
• You need to be the change you wish to see in the world
• What is generally an unpopular mode of interaction today (high degree of analysis) could become the social norm
3. My professor is advocating for the status quo. As a sociologist, he should know that social change happens, and that it happens because of people challenging the status quo. Every new idea does this.

My professor has managed to resurrect the beast that was my insatiable drive of my first time in post-secondary 5 years ago. He has an adversary. I will challenge this view of his using the tools that he supplies. I will do the course readings, I will do the suggested extra course readings, and I will go the the original texts that these are based on to further my understanding of the material vastly beyond what he will expect from a first-year student. And I will use it to challenge him publicly (in class) and privately (office hours). He will not enjoy it.

I will teach my teacher.