Description
Presents a powerful narrative that situates the individual within the inescapable framework of social forces
In a world increasingly defined by inequality and existential threats, Sociological Realism: Society as the Walls of Our Imprisonment offers a bold reinterpretation of society’s role in shaping the individual. Beginning with the premise that society is a reality sui generis—a unique and formative system—Sal Restivo carefully constructs an argument about how institutions, cultural traditions, and historical processes shape our identities, behaviours, and beliefs. Tracing the development of the sociological imagination from antiquity to the present day, the author introduces foundational thinkers whilst anchoring abstract theory in personal narrative and lived experience.
This distinctive volume—part introductory sociology, part sociobiography—confronts dominant ideas about free will, agency, and the autonomous self. Engaging with contemporary issues including class, race, sex, gender, and mortality, the book explores the metaphorical ”walls” that constrain human potential. It also considers possible ”escape tunnels” as suggested by sociologists such as Peter Berger and Erving Goffman. Through original theories—such as the social construction of the brain, the logic of power and free will, and a social-network approach to creativity— Sociological Realism challenges the myth of individualism and portrays the self as a socially embedded phenomenon. Restivo’s own reflections act as a vivid case study in sociological imagination, enriching the text with immediacy and authenticity.
Challenging readers to reconceptualise the boundaries between mind, self, and society, Sociological Realism: Society as the Walls of Our Imprisonment:
- Offers a unique blend of personal memoir and academic reflection to stimulate sociological imagination
- Provides a concise yet comprehensive history of sociological thought from antiquity to the present
- Presents original theories on the social construction of the brain and creativity
- Applies sociological analysis to contemporary topics such as sex, gender, race, and mortality
- Integrates classic and contemporary sociological texts through brief, accessible excerpts
Sociological Realism: Society as the Walls of Our Imprisonment is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying sociology, behavioural science, social psychology, or social work. It is an ideal core or supplementary text for courses such as Introduction to Sociology, Social Theory, or Behavioural Science, and fits into degree programmes across the social sciences. It also speaks to general readers seeking insight into how society shapes thought, action, and identity in a rapidly changing world.
Table of Contents
About the Author xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Chapter 1: Society as the Walls of Our Imprisonment 1
On the Concept of Natural Kinds in Science 4
The Road to Sociology 6
Conclusion: On Perspective 9
Chapter 2: Science and Sociology 10
Science and Morals 12
The Ethos of Science 13
Chapter 3: Founders and Founding Ideas 19
Origins 20
Intervention on the Study of Culture 26
Ibn Khaldun Again 27
The Founding Ideas of the Sociological Imagination 28
Themes 33
The Role of Women in the Founding Moments of the Sociological Imagination 37
Modern Era in Sociology and Anthropology 38
Chapter 4: Key Literary Moments in My Sociological Biography 48
Flashback 52
Intervention: A Note on Numbers and Economics 57
An Era of Crisis 59
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) 61
Conclusion 62
Chapter 5: Tolstoy’s Perspective on Human Being and Conduct 63
Capturing the Life of a People 64
Interlude: Physics Intervenes 69
Tolstoy Again 70
Free Will 70
Conclusion 77
Epilogue: On Power 78
Chapter 6: Humans Among the Social Species 81
The Decline of Face-to-Face as an Existential Threat 85
Conclusion 92
Caveat 93
Epilogue: The Bonobos Natural Experiment 93
Chapter 7: Gumplowicz and the Myth of the Individual 96
Morals 103
Basic Principles of Human Being and Conduct 103
Rights 107
Rights and the State 108
Rights and Morals 109
Conclusion 112
Coda 113
Chapter 8: The Social Origins of God 114
How Can We Know A God Outside of Space and Time? 117
A Case Study in Christian Philosophy 119
I Discover God 122
Moments of Awakening 125
The Career of the Mythic Hero 128
Sacred and Profane 130
Collective Effervescence 131
The Awakening Continues 132
Conclusion: Religion, God, and the Sociological Imagination 135
Chapter 9: The Social Brain 137
Connectomes 138
Genius, and Social Networks: Einstein and John Coltrane 139
The Woman in Einstein’s Social Brain 141
The Social Brain 142
The Sociology of Improvisation: John Coltrane 143
The Work Itself 145
Not Anything Goes 146
Networks of Jazz 150
The Jazz Machine 153
Conclusion: Creativity and the Anarchist Brain 156
Chapter 10: Institutional Walls of Imprisonment 158
The Concept of Total Institution 160
A Methodological Intervention: The Ideal Type 161
Institutions Once More 161
Society and Survival 162
Chapter 11: Social Class, Sex, and Gender: Case Studies in Walls of Imprisonment 165
Social Class 165
Ragged Dick 168
Sex and Gender 168
Are Escape Tunnels Illusions? 172
Conclusion 173
Epilogue on Non-Binary Concepts 174
Definitions in Common Use 174
Transgender and Transsexual 175
Some Terms to Avoid 176
Chapter 12: Race and Racism: A Case Study in Walls of Imprisonment 177
Systemic Racism/Institutional Racism 178
The Credential Society: Education and Social Stratification 179
The Souls of Black Folk 181
Intersectionality 183
Racial Capitalism 183
Critical Race Theory 184
Culture Wars 185
DEI and Affirmation Action 187
Epilogue: Terms of Reference 188
Chapter 13: Escape Tunnels in the Walls of Our Imprisonment 190
The Story of a Wall of Imprisonment 191
The Great Wall of China 192
The Lesson of Concrete Walls 193
Escape Tunnels in the Walls of Our Imprisonment 196
Chapter 14: The Ultimate Wall: The Sociology of Death and Dying IT’S a Mystery 202
Sex and Death: Where Walls of Imprisonment Meet 205
Growing Old and Facing Death 207
What is Life? 210
The Pleasure of Death 213
Enter Victor Frankl and Bruno Bettelheim 215
The Medicalization of Dying 216
When you and Others DIE 217
Tolstoy Redux 217
Enter Stage Right, David Brooks, 2025 219
Exit Stage Left, Sal Restivo, 2025 220
The Meaning of Life 221
Ernest Becker (1924–1974) 222
References 224
Bibliography 231
Index 000
