Preview

sociological imagination

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
514 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
sociological imagination
In 1959 the term sociological imagination was coined by the American sociologist named C Wright Mills. He described the type of insight offered by the discipline of sociology. Mills argued that sociological imagination is the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and wider society. In other words he believe that society is the cause of poverty and other social ills and not peoples personal failings. The social imagination involves a lot of understanding that social outcomes are influenced by culture, history, actors and other social actions. As such, the sociological imagination is the “capacity to shift from one perspective to another .He believed it would make people use sociological imagination to connect personal problems to public health issues rather than from personal experience. I agree with Mills, there is an historic component to the sociological imagination. The time period in which some people may live in have a different expectation or behaviors than the one were in now. For example back then women didn’t have jobs their job was to stay home and cook or clean while there husband went to work. This has a huge factor on today’s society. Women think they’re not good enough to receive higher positions because of their gender.
Women today have the mindset that they can’t do certain things because of their history back then. A women wouldn’t run for president because they probably think they’re not bright enough and only men is eligible for this job.is is were sociological imagination come in .society plays a huge role into the actions of a women. I believe I’m not working hard enough to meet the ends in need to meet that’s why I struggle.so by knowing that I’m not meeting it I work two jobs seven days of week.
Now that I come to the understanding of social imagination I look at it from a different perspective. I ask myself “what is going on in this structure that is contributing to the problems so the sociologically allows me to get

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The central thesis is that a sociologist cannot understand the history of the society without understanding a life of an individual and vice versa. Mills argues that People do not recognize the connection of the patterns of their lives with the course of history. He directed that we are in a time of lack of enthusiasm and that in order to adjust the issues of society we must understand the society at the individual level. Sociological Imagination allows us to understand the life of individuals in the society and the history of the society as a whole. He posits that there are two types of sociological problems such as troubles and issues. And he demonstrates unemployment as an example, troubles are on the individual level, however, when the…

    • 174 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay #1

    • 831 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Everyone has his or her own perceptions of the world. Among many, there are two that can disguise the naive observer and sociologist. Individualism and sociological imagination are two different ways that people can live their lives. They can blame everything on the individual or look at the bigger picture of different scenarios. In Philip Meyers and Stephanie Coontz’s articles they both discuss scenarios that look at an individual or a group of similar people and talk about the overall view of why situations occur.…

    • 831 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People often blame themselves for crisis in their lives such as the loss of job or dropping out of school. How would a sociological imagination help them understand the larger social forces influencing these events?…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The sociological imagination is a process that involves looking at myself less as an individual who makes independent decisions and more as a piece of the whole society that I am a part of. The sociological imagination involves consciously studying my behavior, decisions, and personality and connecting it to my time period, gender, age, and other surroundings. The sociological imagination can be both comforting and frightening. It is comforting because it helps individuals recognize that they are not alone in their experiences and that they are simply a product of their society. It can be frightening because it is often unsettling to view yourself, someone you believe to be unique and irreplaceable, as a small part of a whole with many others similar to you.…

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    C. Wright Mills, a sociologist who wrote The Sociological Imagination, believes that the sociological imagination enables an individual to comprehend that he or she is a part of a bigger picture in this world, and with that understanding they can then be able to create a link between his personal troubles and public issues. In his own words, Mills claimed “It is the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate features of the human self and to see the relations between the two” (p.2). Mills believed that being able to see the relationship between the ordinary lives of people and the wider social forces was the key to the sociological imagination. Fundamental to Mills’ theory is the differences between…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    According to Mills, the sociological imagination is “a quality of mind” that allows its possessor to employ information and develop reason in order to establish an understanding and a desire to apprehend the relationship between social and historical structures and one’s biography, which is their experiences and individual…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    2. Sociological imagination is the understanding of a relationship between our circumstances and those of a larger social force. The benefit of developing your sociological imagination…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The sociological imagination is a complex concept that involves many components to make it whole. One component of the sociological imagination is that it is inspired by a readiness to view the world from the perspective of others. The imagination also includes stepping back from looking at the individual, and instead taking a focus on the social, economic, and historical circumstances that surround the issue that could have caused the problem. Furthermore, the sociological imagination allows for correlations to be made from the micro level to the macro level and back again. To have the type of mind frame needed to effectively use the sociological imagine, one must be willing to question their structural arrangements that help form the…

    • 1641 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sociological Imagination

    • 1844 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Sociology begins with individuals ' experiences in order to explore the collective themes and patterns of human behaviour that shape our society and the distribution of health within it (Willis, 1993). This essay will describe the "sociological imagination" and then apply the concepts of the sociological enterprise to Aboriginal health and illness. The discussion will include how a sociological perspective contributes to understanding social exclusion and its affects on aboriginal mental illness .…

    • 1844 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In my own words sociological imagination to me means how individuals in their everyday daily lives look at their situation and often then become upset are conscious of their social positions. There are many people who look at there lives and see that things in there lives could be better but as of now they are not going right and they do not look like they are getting better which means there stuck in a trap. They began to look at there everyday troubles and how bad they are and then the start to think that it will be impossible to get over them. Sometimes this just may be they case. Mills believed that being able to see the relationship between the ordinary lives of people and the wider social forces was the key to the sociological imagination. In C. Wright Mills article The Sociological Imagination the promise. He states that “ the more aware they become, however vaguely, of ambitions and of threats which transcend their immediate locales, the more trapped they seem to feel (Mills 1). This means the more they began to know about there problems the more they feel helpless and refuses to react are do something about it.…

    • 341 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociological Imagination

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This can be seen because certain cultures or races tend to follow their history. The Native Americans once roamed the land of America with freedom, until a greater population came and took over, they were then used for their advancements of the the land. Along with the loss of their land came loss of their traditions, “Many tribes (today) have become more active in preserving sacred sites and demanding repatriation of sacred objects from museums.” (Thio 218) Similar to the Native Americans are African Americans, although the African Americans came to America they were put to work as slaves and the Jim Crow laws were developed. These laws “were enacted to segregate blacks from whites in all kinds of public and private facilities.” (Thio 239) Although, slavery has been abolished it still exist today. Like the Native Americans, African Americans are still trying to prosper in the world, “they have attained an advanced education and the skills required by the technological changes in the U.S. economy,” (Thio 240). This goes to show that even though history has changed the world in many ways, it still finds its way into our daily life and I believe that was part of the Sociological Imagination concept.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The concept of sociological imagination is the ability to see the relationship between individuals and society; more specifically the relationship between private problems and society’s problems. Many social institutions influence our lives and beliefs, two institutions that influenced my life in a big way are education and race. Choosing to go into higher education and being a Chicana have shaped my character and beliefs.…

    • 1825 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociological Imagination

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages

    and by using the sociological imagination. The influence of history placed on us as individuals we can explain private problems in social issues such as divorce, births and child behavior and contribute to its increase.…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociological Imagination

    • 544 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The sociological imagination is the ability to identify the connection between everyday life events and how they shape our lives, as well as how we play a role in shaping society around us. As my sociological imagination develops I am realizing how my life has been greatly affected by historic events that would otherwise seem unrelated. These events such as the Mariel boatlift, Reagonomics and September 11th have seemed to have the biggest impact on my family’s life and further shaped our morals and ambitions.…

    • 544 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The idea of having sociological imagination comes from the way people live and experience their lives. As a person grows, they develop troubles, perspectives and learn to possess qualities that create a biography. Every individual goes through certain experiences or troubles that enable them to withdraw from their routine and look at things differently. This particular way of thinking defines the thought of sociological imagination. Whenever a person takes ahold of biography and history and can use it to imagine life from a different perspective, they possess sociological imagination. This imagination we go through is an outcome of the troubles and discipline of society that come from our social norms, values, roles, and statuses. Another way…

    • 144 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics