:: Personal vs Societal ::

Yesterday’s lecture was really an attention-grabbing one (I think). Especially because the venue of the class already changed to a normal class, making the gap between me and madam was only a few inches. I love it when the lecturers are spreading their words of wisdom and beautiful lectures exactly in front of me. For the past two weeks, my sociology class was stated in the slip as ‘will-be-having-the-lectures’ in Soca Lab. Urgh, it’s not a class. It’s a lab, a long yet narrow so-called class. It was hard for madam to just remain delivering the lessons by standing in front of the class since the ‘back-benches’ might having problem in earshot her words clearly. Due to this reason, for a moment or two, madam was forced to walk to the center of the class, ‘leaving’ me a bit far. I dislike that. I have to turn around my head almost the whole period of the lesson. It’s a tiresome 50 minutes for me.

However, all praises be to ALLAH. Yesterday’s was the beginning of the real excitement. We are now being placed in a proper and better venue to be spent there, thrice in a week. Being given the chance to learn about sociology is a blessing, really. It helps you to understand your ‘location’ in the society, how the society is giving a great impact to your life, plus you also will be exposed about other societies in this world, with their peculiarities, and of course, lots and lots more. More weeks left for me to grab this chance and enjoy learning all those excitements and knowledge.

For yesterday, we were taught about the theory of sociological imagination. A theory grounded by C. Wright Mills. It is a theory about an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the widen society. He stated that the society is highly potent and intoxicating in influencing your decision. Are we really aware of it? Let me give you and example. Our society (in Malaysia) tells that women are pretty in all colors-what to do- but there are certain colors which are strictly considered as women’s colors. For instant, a striking pink color. So, when a guy is choosing his t-shirt in a mall, he would undoubtedly think about others’ perspective towards him as well. He can’t choose a striking pink t-shirt, although he might be the one who are –fortunately- fated as a guy who likes pink. “It’s only for women”, the society said that. Then, it is proved that even in buying your own things; you are not making the decision on your own, the society has a share there. So it’s also a societal decision-making rather than solely personal.

The second example, committing suicide is regarded as a highly personal action. However, is it truly personal? Is there really a sane person who will suddenly kill him/herself right after he/she woke up from sleep, without any reasons? Absolutely the answer is no. The society is the entity which is forcing someone to commit suicide. Take one case, a student in a leading country in this world is committing suicide just because he failed to enter a prominent university, and surprisingly it is not something weird. Why? Because the society in that particular country said, it is better for you to die than to continue living in this world but being humiliated. It is obvious that the society really has a hand in shaping your life.

There are more examples given by madam yesterday but I think it’s enough for us to understand how society –in almost time- is making the decision for us. That’s why it is very vital for us, to choose a very good society in order to lead this life blissfully. However, interestingly said, isn’t it better for us, if in making any decision in our lives, we let Islam to ‘decide’ it for us as well? For example in the case of buying clothes, we are free to choose but it must be in accordance to the guard lines given by ALLAH. As women, when we are buying our stuffs, especially outfits, do we ‘allow’ the Islamic Law to share its views in producing our firm decision? Do we really consider which attire is allowed or not allowed, or which attire will contribute points of sins into our accounts and so on…? A thing to be ponders upon. :)