Summary Of The Forest And The Trees By Allan G. Johnson

In The Forest and the Trees, Allan G. Johnson specifically explains the crucial ideas and main thoughts of sociology. Johnson describes his study of sociology as a reference to “that core view, that core ground that joins so many different kinds of work.” (Johnson, 2014: 5) Many of Johnson’s points can clearly be understood in Far from Heaven, a movie produced by Jody Allen and directed by Todd Haynes in 2002. Far from Heaven highlights a married couple’s life in the fifties and the conflicts they face due to the beliefs, cultural norms, and specific gender roles that surround them. (Allen & Haynes, 2002) Johnson explicitly explains that each of us are participating in something larger than ourselves, a social system, which effects individuals and the privileges that they receive. To understand the choices that individuals makes one must examine their paths of least resistance, the statuses that they hold, and their sense of self. Social systems are groups that we all participate in and they effect an enormous portion of our lives, social systems in a sense are our lives. As people, especially as Americans, most of us choose to look at issues, events, and values through an individualistic type lens. However, this perspective does not work when trying to understand privilege within a social system and it does not help us understand the way the world functions. (Johnson, 2014) There are
Within specific systems paths of least resistance and statuses are created, which guides behavior and actions. Behavior is also steered by one’s perception of their self and the systems reactions to it. Far from Heaven also shows the extreme differences of culture in the fifties compared to current culture. The movie and Johnson’s book truly emphasizes how social systems and the culture within social systems are constantly