Licence plates in different countires

Description

This picture is of different licence plates from different counties such as are Las Vegas, New Mexico, Africa and Saskatchewan.

Sociological Imagination

These licence plates are from different countries and they stand for "symbols" for different people. A symbol is defined as "a gesture or sign that has an arbitrary, cultural, learned meaning opposed to one that is species wide"(Knuttila 49). The licence plates classify people into different groups. Since everyone in the world does not all live in the same way, dress in the same way, eat the same food or even speak the same languages. We are all taught different behaviours and are raised differently from other people in the world. "Agents of socilization" is defined as "institutions, groups, social situations and locations within which we are socialized"(Knuttila 97). We are all raised in different cultural and social situations which helps us act and react to different situations with which we are faced with.

For instance if we are raised in a small city such as Regina and move to a bigger place such as Africa it would take us awhile to adjust to their values. Knuttila defines a "value" as a "general abstract principle or idea related to what is appropiate and inappropriate"( Knuttila 66). If we learned to drive in Regina and moved to Africa it would be very difficult for one to learn how to drive in a much bigger and busier place then learing to drive in a small city. Also we would have to understand the "Generalized other" which is "understanding the attitudes, values, norms, expectations and actions of others in different communities"(Knuttila 117). Everyone has their own ways of living and if we were to move somewhere we would need to learn how their society funtions. What behaviours are appropiate and which are not. We would have to learn how to adjust to another countries surroundings and be able to accept their way of life.