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Studying sociology as I did back in the years 1963 to 1966 has been of great use in my understanding of society in the last 40 years. I write the following influenced as I was by one of its many theorists.-Ron Price, Tasmania
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MORE THAN A TRACE
Zygmunt Bauman, one of the leading sociologists at the turn of the millennium, wrote in his book In Search of Politics(Polity Press 1999(1988), p.54) that "sufferings which we tend to experience most of the time do not unite their victims. Our sufferings divide and isolate: our miseries set us apart, tearing up the delicate tissue of human solidarities." In the Baha'i community, as a pioneer in isolated localities, in small and large groups I have found this to be only partly true during these forty years 'on the road,' so to speak. "Belief in the collective destiny and purpose of the social whole," Bauman continues, gives meaning to our "life-pursuits."
Being part of a global collectivity with highly specific goals, purposes and a sense of destiny has not only given meaning to my life-pursuits but it has tended to unite me with my fellows even when isolated from them. It also gives me a special sense of consecrated joy; the consecration comes from the difficulties endured. Although these difficulties seem to tear that "delicate tissue" that Bauman refers to, they also provide some of that cord which binds. -Ron Price, Pioneering Over Four Epochs, 29 July 2002 and updated for MacInsiders on 8/8/'10.
Often it was largely in my head...
that tissue of solidarity, especially
in Frobisher Bay, Whyalla or Zeehan,
on the edge of a universe in those
remote places in planetized culture.
But always, they visited me when I
was sick, somehow they were always
there, but they left me alone, too, for
solitude is as important as community.
For this is a polity which gives you lots
of space when you need it and, if not,
you can go and get it because there's
so much out there in these vast and
spacious lands after uni graduation.
Life is no mere sequence of those
instantaneous experiences without
a trace left behind. Here is a trace
with my inscription of lived time on
astronomical time. This is no singular,
self-same identify, no shared and no
common ancestral, historical, self. A
fractured and fragmented being spread
across two continents and four epochs,
cutting events out of flow turning grief
into lamentation and lamentation into praise
and all this after taking sociology 1a6!!!
For there is a life after university, indeed,
that life is long, stony and tortuous and
you need all the understanding you can get.
See ibid., p.165.
Ron Price
29 July 2002
Updated for:
MacInsiders on 8/8/'10
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married for 48 years, a teacher for 32, a student for 18, a writer and editor for 16, and a Baha'i for 56(in 2015)
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for her research paper if you really read and followed the guidelines you were golden got at least a 70, but with the participation my TA you actually had to participate other TA's didn't care, gave u the mark if u showed up at least that's what i've heard. 
anyone from previous yr still have his/her notes from tutorial? My friend told me that there gonna be 10 out of 80 MC questions on the test came from tutorial. my TA was like talking about the question at last 5 minutes for the first tutorial...awww...i didn't have time to take notes. 
, just do the readings. The best thing about this course for me was the podcasts, i never showed up to class, i just downloaded the podcasts and listed to them on my way to and from school 
