Sociological Imagination

Sociological Imagination
The idea of sociological imagination is one that allows us as humans, to formulate connections
intertwined with our personal lives, and the societies that we live in. In order to have a solid grasp
on this concept, it is important to understand that the different perspectives that people have of one
another is generated by the different experience that they have had in the world. As one of the
world's best–known innovators Steve Jobs once said, " A lot of people in our industry haven't had
very diverse experiences. So they don't have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very
linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problems. The broader one's understating of the
humans experience, the better design we will have." ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Why is this? Why does the master status have the greatest effect on our self–identity; why don't the
achieved and/or ascribed status? The answer is because the master status is the way that people see
you and perceive you. A lost of times ones master status is the way that people remember you by,
because it is something that is special to him/her and it makes it easier to remember key physical
things about people. It can be said quite fairly that that ones master status is what people are
thinking of when they are judging you, he/she is coming up with his/hers master status. I personally
feel as if my master status has had an effect on me being marginalized and on my ability to gain
access to social capital. I personally want my master status to be that I am intelligent, honorable,
sticktueness, and kind; I hope that I come off that way and that I hope that I do. The connection that
I can make between marginalization, master status, and social capital, is that if someone thinks of
you as a certain way and that is what they remember of you. What if they remember that you are the
fat kid? That person is then always going to perceive you in a different manner, which means that
they are going to treat you differently. Why could include that they ostracize you, they will not let
themselves be a resource to you. This idea that people are always going to "judge a book by its
cover" then there would come with that racism, and feminist. How so you ask? If you were to put
random people in a room together in a circle and asked them all a bunch of questions and made
them open up. You had different races and genders in the room and then you had everyone fill out a
survey at the end for how they perceived everyone first, before they heard them speak about
themselves, just
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Example Of Sociological Imagination
Defined by C. Wright Mills sociological imagination is being able to detect the relationship between
cultural change and the actions of people. Any behavior can have social imagination applied to it by
thinking outside the box and looking at everyday situations with a new perspective. A person can
look at their own personal issues and compare them to society. For example a person living in
poverty might connect their issues to the government in which they live in. Due to the society
changing every day, many problems people face today are often social problems and similar to
others around the world. The lack of living life is seen as a personal weakness therefore this makes
the problem worse. The idea of sociological imagination can be misused

Sociological Imagination Paper
Sociological imagination is a term that I was not familiar with until taking sociology. I quickly
learned that sociological imagination is a concept that was described by sociologist C. Wright Mills.
Sociological imagination is an awareness of the relationships between an individual and the wider
society. I began to think about this term while I did my observing. I observed three different settings
in order to find out more about the sociological imagination and how it affects our daily lives. The
first setting I observed was a collegiate football game. My family traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma
to watch an Oklahoma State football game. I decided that this would be the perfect atmosphere to
observe the interaction of a large group of people. I quickly learned that a ... Show more content on
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The groups of people I noticed were the OSU marching band, the OSU fans, the cheerleaders, the
coaches, and the opposing fans. I could tell a distinction between each of the different groups. The
second concept I observed was the different racial groups of people in the stadium. The racial
groups I saw were mostly of the Caucasian race but there were African Americans, Chinese, and
Japanese people there to watch the football game. My family sat behind a few fans that were for the
opposing team, the West Virginia Mountaineers. These particular West Virginia fans acted very
obnoxious. This leads me to the next sociological concept I observed: deviance. Deviance is
behavior that violates social norms that are expected in society. In this situation the act of being
obnoxious was not considered unusual but the foul language that the fans were saying was
considered deviant. OSU promotes a family–friendly environment. The words that were being said
from the West Virginia fans were not family–friendly. It is clear that the West Virginia fans did not
have the same values that the surrounding Oklahoma State fans had. A value is a collection

Sociological Imagination Report
Ikea Hicks
September 12, 2015
Professor Goldberg
Introduction to Sociology
Sociological Imagination In order to understand the term "social imagination," it is important to
identify what Sociology is and what do sociologists study. Sociology is the study of society and a
sociologist is a person who studies society. But, what is a society? Society is you! Our families, our
friends, our co–workers are also considered a society as well. Sociologists are always trying to
understand how individual's behaviors are influenced by the social world. For instance, C. Wright
Mills, a famous American sociologist, introduced the concept sociological imagination. According
to C. Wright Mills, sociological imagination is the method to looking at things ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
As stated earlier, sociological imagination allows us to get out of our own mind with regard to how
we think about social issues and allows us to step into other person's shoes to see things from their
perspectives. For instance, I used sociological imagination to overcome my challenges because I am
putting myself in another person point of view about why my problems exist. Remember earlier
when I said, we think that problems are individual problems that are not social problems.
Nevertheless, here is an example. When my professor asks the students how many of them are
struggling to make end meet, a lot of them raise their hands including me. When you think about
why they are struggling to make ends meet, you think that the person is not working hard enough or
they need to have a tighter budget. You are constantly pointing your fingers to the individual. But,
what is a social problem? What if the problem is out of their control? C. Wright Mills want us to get
out of our own mindset and look at "their" situation from their perspective, which deals with the
sociological imagination. Therefore, sociological imagination wants us to try and understand their
situation about struggling. It gets you out of the notion of a fixed mindset that the individuals
created the problem but allows us to look at the situation as a social problem. For

Sociological Imagination Papers
Aubrey Suri SOC210–003
The Sociological Imagination To see one's self as more than just a person, but as a blade of grass in
a field is to have a sociological imagination. One person being able to factor in current history and
society norms as well as the conditions being placed on them(such as location and culture) at any
given moment posses a wider perspective than a normal person and is able to view the world
sociologically. The sociological imagination can be described as a capacity for viewing the world
through multiple broad perspectives or in C. Wright Mills "The Promise of Sociology" he defins it
as "the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society."
The sociological imagination ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For me my biggest influences have been my family. Naturally they are the people i spend the most
time with and enjoy doing so. I admire something in everyone of my siblings and parents and can
see what i have attained from them pretty clearly. From my brothers I have my music taste and odd
sense of humor, from my mother my passive aggressive under tones but strong belief in self–
discipline, and from my father a subtle belief in religion without active practice. Other things have
also shaped me such as growing up in a decently wealthy town with a familiar atmosphere, but
traveling often and enjoying other cultures i can take into account different views and a more
worldly perspective on things. Politics have also shaped my life even though I am not active in
them, but because of the company I keep. Due to the recent election tension has been created
between many of my friends and has caused conflict because of opposing views. Many other things
account for the way i am and the way i live my life but there are too many to count and even notice

Sociological Imagination Essay
Storrs, Debbie. "Teaching Mills in Tokyo: Developing a Sociological Imagination through
Storytelling." American Sociological Association, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. In this article Storrs
describes her experience in teaching in Japan and the relationship between imagination and
storytelling. Her article would be very useful in my research because she talks about how in Japan
the student's imagination can serve as part of the curriculum for students. Along with how
storytelling awakens the students to imagination. Her experience has taught her that students will
develop their own imagination at their own pace in their own unique way and how storytelling
influences that. Alvarez, Jose L., and Carmen Merchan. "The Role of Narrative Fiction in the
Development of Imagination for Action." Taylor and Francis, Ltd., n.d. ... Show more content on
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This goes well with my research because they mention how both narratives and imagination are
needed in order to allow interpretation within their experiences. They mention how the lack of one
of these can leave us with lack of stories. Since with multiple imagination there is a potential for
multiple stories, but for that we need the imagination of other. Widrich, Leo. "The Science of
Storytelling: What Listening to a Story Does to Our Brains." Buffersocial. N.p., 29 Nov. 2012. Web.
20 Nov. 2015. This article works for my research because Wildrich talks about how storytelling
helps our brain become more active. It also mentions how much storytelling can help shape our
thinking and the way we live. However, it does affect the reader differently than the listener. How
we think of narration in our head all the time, and with that comes imagination. We make up shorts
stories about things in our head. Storrs, Debbie. "Teaching Mills in Tokyo: Developing a
Sociological Imagination through Storytelling." American Sociological Association, n.d. Web. 18
Nov.

Sociology is the study of the origin, development, structure and function of human society. In order
to think like a sociologist you have to apply analytical tools to things you have thought of without
any conscious thought. Sociologist study many different trends and concepts relating to conscious
human actions in which they try to figure out what harms it and what benefits it.
In 1959, C. Wright Mills stated that in the effort to think critically about the social world amongst
us, we need to learn how to use our sociological imagination. Sociological imagination is the ability
to see the connections between our personal experience and the larger forces of history. A simpler
way to understand sociological imagination is to understand that ... Show more content on
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It's the use of imaginative thought to figure out the connections among the forces of society and the
personal lives of an individual. The concept is to understand the distinction between a person's
dilemma and public issues. It is a way of thinking that reminds you that your personal situation is
linked to society and even history. It is having the ability to think away from the daily tasks of
everyday life and look at them from a completely new perspective. You have to ask yourself, at one
point does one personal problem like unemployment shift from being a personal problem to a public
problem? If a small percentage of people are unemployed, that may be a personal trouble but if
millions of people are unemployed, that can be considered a public issue. I think students of
sociology can try to acquire the sociological imagination by learning the skill of differentiating a
personal and public issue. Instead, look at the bigger picture when something in life may not go as
planned for example, failing a class in

Examples Of Sociological Imagination
ISHA NAIR 17060321124
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION ESSAY Sociological imagination is "the vivid awareness of the
relationship between personal experience and the wider society". It is also "the relationship between
individual troubles and the large social forces that are the driving forces between them". In this
essay I will be talking about my individual observation and experience as an example of
sociological imagination. There is often a social stigma attached to the obese especially the obese
females in the society. It is a social problem that is seen worldwide. One of my best friends is one of
them. She has a very positive approach towards life and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They failed to realize how much they were demeaning her. There was a lot of societal pressure on
her to loose weight as many of our neighbours would mock her for her appearance. At one point she
lost all her motivation and positivity. She used to think that she is a burden and that there was some
fault in her. It took a long time for me to convince her that she was perfect just the way she was.
There was a reason why she was gaining so much weight. She was diagnosed with PCOS. Her
parents were feeling very guilty as they never realized what their daughter was going through. It is
now after the diagnosis that people have started respecting her. It is very disheartening to see such
things happening in the 21st century modern world. People without a sociological perspective often
attribute obesity to junk food or leading a sedentary lifestyle. They think from a narrow point of
view. Whereas, people with a higher sociological perspective/ imagination think broadly as to what
could be the factors that led to a person being obese. It could be some health issues or genetic
factors. Sometimes even a lot of stress & worry leads to obesity. Just like how my friend went
through there

Sociological Imagination Analysis
Sociological Imagination is referred to as an understanding of our personal lives and experiences
with our social world. This was introduced by C. Mills in 1959, with the intentions that sociological
imagination can be distinguished between personal trouble and public issues (Leon–Guerrero, 2014,
p. 7). The purpose of it is to assist individuals in recognizing that personal trouble and public issues
are two different aspects. According to Mills the sociological imagination challenges the claim that
the problem is natural or based on an individual failure, instead of how is established from society.
Unemployment, student loan, and obesity are all examples of social issues that individuals have
similar experiences. For an individual to have a sociological imagination they must be able to pull
away from the main situation and think from it in a different ... Show more content on
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Mills explained that unemployment can be a personal issue if only one person is unemployed. The
individual that is got fired at his job my think that the reason behind him being let go of his job
might be because he wasn't a good worker or he was lazy. But we must look at this picture from a
different angle because if it was that just one person was terminated the solution to this problem will
be for that individual to search for a new job and his worry will be over. But when there are
thousands of people without a job unemployment is considered as a public issue. According to Mills
"this is the case not just because of how many people it affects; something becomes an issue
because of the public values it threatens" (Leon, Guerrero, 2014, p. 7). Individuals lost their job not
because of their own faults if not it's due to the economy downturn. "If, so unemployment is best
understood as a public issue rather than a personal trouble" (Sociological Perspective on Social
Problems,

Sociological Imagination Summary
Tiana Molino
According to C. Wright Mills the term sociological imagination allows us to understand history and
biography and the relations between the two within society. It is the ability to see things socially and
how things interact and influence each other. The three components that form the sociological
imagination are History: why society is what it is and how it has been changing for a long time and
how history is being made in it. Biography: the nature of "human nature" in a society; what kinds of
people inhabit a particular society. Social Structure: how the various institutional orders in a society
function, which ones are dominant, how they are kept together, how they might be changing Social
outcomes are based on what we do. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He also teaches us to basically question everything, he wants us to think sociologically. What is
going on? What is the purpose? The US is becoming more and more unequal economically. The rich
are becoming richer and they have the most power. In order to solve these problems we need to
open our mind and become aware of what's going on around us. The U.S. in particular has the
greatest gap in wealth among all developed nations, and the problem it is causing is becoming more
obvious every day. There is a huge gap between the middle class and upper class (wealthiest
Americans). The middle class is declining and the number of poor people is growing. With the way
that things are going soon there will only be two classes poor and wealthy. Inequality becomes a
problem when we have a situation where middle class people have to work so hard, harder than all
the other classes just to make decent money for themselves and their families. Middle class workers
make employers even wealthier because they are generating the income for the employer. An
example can be an employee that works at Target. For the most part Target will hire an employee
fresh out of high school or someone

The definition of Sociological Imagination is the ability to see the impact of social forces in our
individual life. Politics in our country effects every citizen and the race for the most prominent
position in the United States is no expectation. Out of a massive field of over 24 candidates only one
can be the victor. The race for the presidency is a very cutthroat endeavor. These candidates seek a
position that well grant them great power to steer the direction of the country anyway they choose.
There discussions effect how every American will live, from what they are taught in schools, to
what they are allowed to eat, to even where an individual can live. These candidates are searching
for ways they can get attention and have people vote

Social Sociological Imagination in the Context of Gender Socialization
Sociological Imagination is a concept proposed by Sociologist C. Wright Mills and it encompasses
the idea that there is a relationship between one's own experiences and society. It allows one to
understand how their own experiences exist in the greater social context. Furthermore, this theory
describes personal problems as issues that arise that affect oneself and those whom surround that
individual and public problems as issues that affect many. Lastly, it is proposed that personal issues
are ultimately related to public issues (Kendall, 2015). Each person's gender socialization can be
examined in the context of sociological imagination. There will be an in depth look ... Show more
Gender socialization starts at birth; we raise our children on which sex they are born. We pass to
them our beliefs about gender and start socialization. Based off what norms we established with our
children, it will influence the peer group they are a part of. Peers play a critical role with gender
socialization as the influence from peer pressure is incredible. Our peers will influence fashion,
attitude towards a different gender, activities such as sports or clubs, and colleges we attend.
Females will choose to participate in less exertive activates as male's will participate in more
competitive actives. Over time, with the change of gender norms, many individuals change their
gender

The concept of "sociological imagination" is one that can be explained many different ways. A
simple way to think of the sociological imagination is to see it as a way a person thinks, where they
know that what they do from day to day in their private lives (like the choices they make), are
sometimes influenced by the larger environment in which they live (Mills 1959, 1). What C.W.
Mills meant by this concept is that it is the ability to "understand the larger historical scene in terms
of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals" (1959, 3). In
other words, the concept of sociological imagination is the ability to realize that the choices people
make and their personal environments are often ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Mills said in his essay, "the most fruitful distinction with which the sociological imagination works
is between 'the personal troubles of milieu' and 'the public issues of social structure'" (1959, 4).
Simon Davis' study of traditional sex stereotypes shows that Davis used sociological imagination
during his study. Davis shows this when he states that his study had some limitations, "It could be
argued that people placing personal ads are not representative of the public in general" (1990, 33).
This shows that even though the study was focused on personal ads in one newspaper, Davis was
aware that it may not fully represent the public in general and therefore the change in sex
stereotypes may or may not still be common. This ability to look beyond the area being studied
when thinking about representing the public and trying to see if it changed (in this case if the sex
stereotypes were still in operation) shows sociological imagination because according to C.W Mills,
"to understand the changes of many personal milieu we are required to look beyond them" (1959,
6).
The article by Charles A. Gallagher proves that Gallagher has a sociological imagination because of
the way he explains the miscounting of races by showing how many people's lack of sociological
imagination causes them to miscount other races. Gallagher makes it clear that the reason why many
whites miscount minorities is that many of their own milieu

The Sociological Imagination Summary
The overall concept that is being addressed in the article The Sociological Imagination is the need
for one to grasp an in–depth understanding of how to engage in social issues through a critical
perspective. In the text American sociologist and author, C Wright Mills points out that ones must
have the ability to change their overall perspective from one view to another. This can be known as
the sociological imagination, which allows us to analyze our behavior, beliefs, and actions towards
our everyday challenges and surroundings in a completely different way. As humans, our
imagination is a key element when trying to enhance our approach to the study of humankind and
our daily interactions. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Another contributor who acknowledges the sociological imagination is Anthony Gideons, Gideons
who is a supporter of the sociological imagination mentions the need for us to withdraw from our
daily activities and experiences to gain an understanding of this theory in greater detail. He believes
by withdrawing from our activities, it will assist us in coming to terms of the concept by taking into
consideration the issues and problems that are around us. One of the reasons this is needed is
because it requires us to be more receptive. By being open, we are able to have a sense of freedom
and belonging by being capable to fully incorporate ourselves into society. This includes examining
how all of us are shaped by our external and internal surroundings within our society such as
friends, family, and trends which contribute to the outcomes of who we are. C. Mills stressed the
importance of how imagination allows us to enhance relationships by building connections with
ourselves and in the world because it allows us to step outside of our comfort zone. For instance,
one way in which we can relate to the social problems that Mills was trying to convey in The
Sociological Imagination is by learning how to connect our personal troubles to public issues. This
is important lesson can be

An Example Of Sociological Imagination
Sociological imagination basically opens your eyes to see the bigger picture towards different issues
in our society. Rather than make accusation or "excuses" for why someone has lost their job you
realize that it was not something personal. We allow ourselves to see how everyone in our
community is affected with the same issue and not just single out someone. Allowing yourself to
take a step back and really looks at the situation as a whole, gives you a chance to see all of the
different issues and how to better solve them. An example of sociological perspective is when
someone who is in need of a different job, but refuses to leave and look for another. To some people
it might look like laziness or even judge them as far as telling them they

Tierra Hodge
Dr. Ngeo Boon Lin
Intro to Sociology
October 1, 2014
What is sociological imagination? According to C. Wright Mills sociological imagination is the
ability to see how individual experiences are connected to the larger society. Sociological
perspective enables one to grasp connection to history and biography. History is the background and
biography is the individual's specific experiences. C.Wright Mills came up with the idea that in
order for one to understand their personal lives the need to look beyond personal experiences and
look at larger political, social, and economic issues of others. "It is the capacity to range from the
most impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate ... Show more content on
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In the documentary Moore shows viewers how terrorists at a prison in Guantanamo Bay receive free
government health care. From the experiences of 9/11 volunteers, I understand that the government
appreciates their help towards the tragedy, but not enough to guarantee them health insurance.
Another example of sociological imagination in Sicko was a woman name Adrian who had cervical
cancer. Adrian was denied insurance for her treatments because health care insurance company said
she was too young to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Adrian eventually goes to Canada to
receive medical treatment. Canada's health care is affordable for their citizens. From Adrian's
treatment I understood the struggles some have to go through in order to receive certain medical
treatments.
The third example of sociological imagination within the documentary Sicko is that the citizens of
France, Canada, and the Great Britain, etc. are expected to live longer than Americans. The average
French person lives 3 years longer than an American. British people are also said to be healthier
than Americans. In order for the American society to become better, we as Americans need to look
at the medical treatment in other countries and see what we take for granted and maybe we could
eventually be a better health insured country.
Sicko was an eye opener. I actually had a talk with one of my friends that attend New Jersey City
University, who majors in

Sociological imagination is a concept brought forward by C. Wright Mills in his book by the same
name. The main idea of the sociological imagination is that our personal beliefs or decisions may
actually be influenced by society . Why do we prefer certain foods? or appearances and behaviors ?
It gives us an insight into a bigger a picture , to forgo traditional thinking. In the article sociologist
Murray Melbin has shown the similarities in comparing the social life in American cities at night to
that of the frontiers of the old west. Some of the similarities he noted were that the population was
less and more diverse, there weren't many social constraints , violence and lawlessness was seen
more and certain groups interested in the night or frontier would come out. Melbin also conducted
tests in Boston to substantiate his view that there is more helpfulness and friendliness at night. The
test were carried out at different times during a 24 hour timeframe. He concluded that between 12
AM and 7AM, people were more likely to assist and socialize with a complete stranger, while
knowing the apparent dangers of the night. Melbin's view gives us an understanding of the ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Society has projected an image of beauty be it through ads, media beauty products and social media.
There are various make up products with the words flawless or pore eraser and even anti–aging. Is it
bad to have flaws? Are we supposed to hide the fact that that we are aging? Is aging not a natural
occurrence which happens to every human being? The society we live in has defined beauty for us. I
think I'm not beautiful because of a certain physical trait and this mentality does not affect just me it
affects a majority of our young population. Who are already having to deal with self–esteem issues
and that is because society is promoting an alternate image of

In C.W. Mill's (1959) article "The Promise," he explains that sociological Imagination emphasizes
the need to look at the history of our society in order to understand the individual. It enables
individuals to grasp history, biography, and the relations between the two within our society. Mills
(1959) further explains that the essential tools of sociological imagination are the distinctions
between personal troubles and the public issues of social structure. Personal troubles "occur within
the character of the individual and within the range of his immediate relations with others..." (Mills,
1959, p. 9), while a public issue is seen as a public matter in our society. I agree with Mill's in that
as a society we should shy away from our individualistic ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Individuals with a mental health diagnosis are often subjected to the stigmatization that society
places on them. This generalized idea is an example of how society looks at mental illness and
portrays it as a personal trouble. Individuals who are diagnosed with a mental illness are often
looked at as dangerous, it is assumed that the mental illness they have is self–inflicted, or that
individuals with mental illness are irresponsible. The stigmatization that individuals with mental
illness are exposed to, can make it difficult for them to seek help or services. This stigma may also
limit the employment opportunities the individual gets, they may have trouble finding housing, as
well as trouble being able to be a part of social activities therefor further marginalizing these
individuals in our society. Sanders, Fitzgerald, & Bratteli's (2008) article "Mental Health Services
for Older Adults in Rural Areas: An Ecological Systems Approach," studies the systematic barriers
older individuals can encounter which make it difficult for them to seek mental health services.
Sanders found that one of the microsystem barriers older adults faced in regards to seeking services
was related to the stigma of mental health problems. These individuals felt a sense of "shame, pride,
and embarrassment," (Sanders, Fitzgerald, & Bratteli, 2008, p.256) if they were to seek mental
health services, as well as a fear of losing their independence because the assumption is that you are
somehow

Sociological Imagination In Australia
A way to approach sociology is to carry out a sociological imagination.One way to describe
sociological imagination is"the ability to think yourself away from the familiar everyday life"
(quoted from C. Wright Mills) and to look at society with an entirely different perspective. Its about
thinking outside of your own mind and your way of seeing things.This essay will discuss gender
inequality by looking at society with a sociological imagination.Candace West and Don Zimmerman
stated that "gender is a routine accomplishment".The sociological imagination has been discovered
to see how everyday situations in society play out in seeing how people are different in terms of
their places in society , their beliefs and history. Its a way of thinking ... Show more content on
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Organisations are a key to understanding gender inequality. gender inequality within organisations
has been debated for several years and yet still today is a touchy subject with organisations being
discriminative right from the interview stage.Some organisations prefer to hire a man rather than a
women because women are more likely to take maternity leave and days off to look after sick kids
they are considered 'weaker' than men even though women may perform better than men at certain
tasks within an organisation and yet still may receive a lack of encouragement from men.Formal
rights have now been put in place in certain country's though not all countries have these rights in
place In certain countries they have laws in place thats state that women cannot own land or
property and in certain institutions and organisations they go through terrible actions such as
violence and sexual harassment. In Australia we have the violence against women's act and the civil
rights act for women so that they are treated equally but these certain acts don't stop women from
being discriminated against at work where women earn 81c to a mans

Mills begins to describe the sociological imagination by introducing the discipline of sociology as
how individuals are influenced and changed by their environments and societies, either by other
individuals within the society or circumstances that affect it as a whole such as war. He also states
that people become trapped in their own lives as spectators because they do not have sociological
imaginations that allow them to realize this basic fact. Had they trained themselves in the
sociological discipline, they would be able to see this "big picture", allowing them to correctly
discover their true selves and what they are capable of. The sociological imagination makes this
possible by giving the possessor the tools to recognize the effect

Gaines uses Mill's concept of the Sociological Imagination by viewing the world as a detached
observer. This means that a sociologist removes themselves from whatever they are examining and
attempts to observes as an outsider would. Gaines does this when she goes and interacts with other
students to inquire the reason why the four Suburban kids had committed suicide. Gain is seeing
through a sociological perspective rather than personal. Gaines states "how in the white suburban
high schools in towns like Bergenfield, the "burnouts" are often the kids near the bottom
academically, economically, and sociologically" (Gaines, p. 11). She went and met other teens who
were also labelled as 'burnouts" to see and feel what it is like to be called a burnout. She was curious
to see for herself how been labelled as a "burnout" would ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Troubles are one's private matter while issues belong to a larger social structure. Sociological
Imagination plays a crucial role because it can relate personal troubles to public issues which
connects biography and history. Being labelled as a "burnout" causes problems in both the school
and home environment, and also between peers. Gaines wanted to examine how the home problems
and peer pressure affects the teens. Gains imply this sociological aspect in her study and thinks that
one possible motivation of the death could be family problems. The kids might be upset about what
is going on in their homes, get tired of it, and ultimately think there is no way to get rid of these
problems other than taking their own lives. She started asking questions like, "What kind of lives
did they have? What resources were available for them? What choices did they have? What were
their hopes and fears?" (Gaines, p. 11). In asking these questions to identify personal problems,
Gaines is using Sociological Imagination to link this issue with the larger social

What Is The Sociological Imagination
C. Wright Mills published this book in 1959. The Sociological Imagination is the awareness of the
relationship between personal experience and wider society. His main goal of the book was to merge
two different concepts of social reality, the individual and society. The ability to see things socially
and how they interact and influence each other. Mills emphasized the importance of seeing the
connections between social structure and individual experience and agency. He also talks about
personal troubles and public issues. What we often see and experience as personal troubles, like
being unemployed and not being able to pay yours bill are actually public issues. These are the
result of social problems that goes on in society and affect many

The intent of the sociological imagination is the capacity to see things socially and how they
associate and impact each other. Having a sociological imagination is important because individuals
can relate their personal issues to the issues of society at large. If an individual is not able to create
these relations, they are not capable of seeing how social issues affect them and everyone around
them.
Many individuals in today's society have dealt with or still is dealing with one or more social
problems. For instance, many are unemployed, have family issues, and even marital issues. A
judgmental person would probably think that the individual is the reason for their own difficulties.
However, sociology stresses that an individual problem often stems from society overall. Mills state
that one needs to distinguish between personal troubles and society's issue. The personal troubles
are personal when they occur because of the individual's life, and the social issue refers to issues
which are direct results of the problem with society. A personal trouble, such as divorce, can affect
the individual on so many levels. It causes emotions of anger and pain, which can have a long or
short–term effect on the individual. Infidelity and financial assets ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Some people lose their jobs of no liability on their end while others may be unemployed because of
idleness. At times, more than one issue can be a contributing factor which makes it harder to get out
of being unemployed. A more structural explanation is needed to explain why so many people are
unemployed. Let's say a retail store closes due to the business not making any money, other
individuals along with their families are also affected by this problem. Mills is basically arguing that
this should be treated as a social issue rather than a personal

Occasionally everyone has suffered from depression, weather it was long term or short term. Feeling
hopelessness, irritablity, or feeling anxious or "empty" these symptoms can greatly effect people's
daily routines. Suddenly, waking up in the morning, trying to fall asleep or simply interacting with
other people becomes one of the most difficult challenges. Depression can be cause by many things
such as financial issues, relationship problems, family problems or an individual just may not be
happy. Although, if this person uses their social imagination it may be a little easier for them to cope
with their depression. Looking at their problems in a more general perspective helps them realize
they are not alone and these are daily problems ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Work Cited
https://mysociologicalimagination.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/turning–our–sociological–
imagination–on/
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml#part_145397
C. Wright Mills: The

Every individual in the world has their own personal problems that they deal with every day. Some
people do not realize that many other people go through the same hardships as well. From
unemployment to psychological issues, there are many factors that disrupt individuals' lives. Even
though it is easier to place blame on one's self, there is usually an underlying sociological problem
that is the concern. One individual comprehended all these matters and created a concept that placed
a relationship between individuals and society and the importance behind it.
The Sociological Imagination was a book written by C. Wright Mills in 1959. It coined the term
from understanding the relationship between individual problems and the society surrounding them.
This concept sets the distinction between personal and public issues. Personal troubles are issues
complicating an individual ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Being able to look at the world with myself as a part of it will help me extend the view of myself
and the surroundings I am enclosed too. When I get out on my own, this concept will help me with
several aspects of my life such as pursuing a career, becoming a parent, and spending money. With
the right judgment, any private trouble can be perceived as a social problem. One example is
unemployment, which Mills examined himself. He explained that if only a few individuals were
unemployed, it would be obvious to diagnose why this is. We would diagnose these people as being
lazy or lacking good work ethics which would ultimately be their own personal trouble. Yet, when
millions of individuals are suffering from unemployment, this issue becomes a public problem. This
causes people to look away from themselves and acknowledge the societal problem that is at hand.
This concept takes blame away from these people and allows them to look at the bigger picture
rather than through the lens of personal

In chapter one of The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills writes, "Seldom aware of the
intricate connection between the patterns of their own lives and the course of world history, ordinary
people do not usually know what this connection means for the kinds of people they are becoming
and for the kinds of history–making in which they might take part" (Mills). Essentially, Mills is
saying that people have tunnel vision when they do not use the sociological imagination, which is
the awareness of the connection between an individual's experience and the history of society. We
tend to only focus on what is directly affecting us while staying unaware of what is affecting our
entire society. We do not see that all of our significant life events are merely products of history. I
find value in Mills' ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Without a sociological view, the average person would see that my parents left the Philippines for
personal reasons. They wanted to raise a family and give their children a better life, so they
immigrated to America. Now, using what Mills calls the sociological imagination, it becomes clear
that my parents actually left the Philippines due to a cultural aspect affecting their country and
society. Basically, in the Filipino culture, families take care of their elders so there are few nursing
homes in the country. My mother is a physical therapist who works in nursing homes, so she would
not have had a job in the Philippines. In America, however, there are plenty of nursing homes
meaning more working opportunities for my mother, thus my parents immigrated to America. The
culture and history of Filipino society is the main reason that I grew up in America, not just because
my parents wanted a better life. With the sociological imagination, people can learn more about
themselves by understanding how the history of the world has affected

A sociological imagination is a useful tool when it comes to studying society. It is the ability to look
at public issues as an outsider and understand them in a way that is not bias or related to one's own
culture, religion or personal beliefs. It can be useful in understanding health problems as social
issues (Germov, 2013). A sociological imagination can help us to understand why the incidence of
obesity is increasing despite knowing the health risks that come with it. In this essay I will describe
what a sociological imagination is and how it is used to understand why people are obese despite
knowing the health risks. Mills, (1959) presented the idea of the sociological imagination and he
described it as the concept of being able to "think ourselves away" from the familiar routines of our
daily lives in order to look at them anew. The sociological imagination allows us to go beyond
personal experiences to recognise that what may seem personal is actually a reflection of wider
public issues (Schaefer, 2006). This is useful in forming a new understanding of social processes as
we are influenced to have an objective view of personal troubles and public issues. ... Show more
These factors could explain why the incidence of obesity is rising. In my life I try to exercise and
watch what I eat to prevent becoming overweight and living an unhealthy lifestyle. This is my
choice because I know that obesity can lead to both physical and emotional health problems such as
diabetes or depression. (Gavin, 2012) Many people frown upon others who are overweight because
they are viewed as embarrassing and unhealthy. This however is only one point of view. Using a
sociological imagination, we are able to pull away from the situation and think from an alternative
point of view which in this case is viewing obesity as positive. (Crossman,

The Sociological Imagination Summary
C. Wright Mills' The Sociological Imagination brings forth a way of thinking where in order to
understand the biography of a distinct individual or the overall history of society, the two entities
must be understood as one reciprocal relationship. He states that one cannot be understand without
the other, and it is a thought that emphasizes how interlaced and dependent an individual is of
society, and a society is of the individuals that compose it. As a result, readers are invited in
moments of self–evaluation of their own respective lives, their roles in society, and how society has
shaped them, through a new way of thinking. At first, the idea seems a bit overwhelming, especially
considering his opening paragraph that emphasizes a key

Example Of Sociological Imagination
1. What is Sociological Imagination (SI)? What major historical/social events have influenced the
biographies of people in your generation, in your parent's generation, and in your grandparents'
generation? What does this say about the influence of social forces and history on biography? The
sociological imagination in its simplest for is thinking outside the box. The ability to take what you
see and use or react to it in a way that is not the "normal" way the majority of society would. As I
am what is considered a Generation X child, some of the things I remember most from my
childhood are: The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, Oklahoma City bombing, the end of
the Cold War and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, MTV and the beginnings of the Internet, Apple
computers, Star Wars both the movies and the defense initiative. My parents were from the baby
boomer ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Events like the moon landing, Vietnam war, and the assassination of Presidents John F. Kennedy to
name some. But they also have World War 2 and Korea, the boxing of Muhammad Ali, D–day, and
the Great Depression are some of the major ones that come to mind. What I see when I look back
over this list, there is a great deal of struggle for each one of our generations. But along with that has
come some great advances and changes in how life is lived. From my grandparents to myself, things
have changed from families at home together after work, to now working later and longer, and less
time together as a family. There is less person to person communication and more messaging/emails
to keep contact. Every generation will have its defining moments, some with great difficulties and
triumphs as well. Giant advances in technology and innovation. 2. Briefly summarize any one of the
classical theories of Marx, Weber, or Durkheim from the Chapter. What is their contribution to the

Explaining A Sociological Imagination
Before I begin to explain what a sociological imagination is I would like to explain when this
physical theory started and tell you that it was once called something else before that. Sociology
was discovered in the early 17th century in "The Age of Enlighten "Where the scholars wanted a
more scientific theory then just basing everything off of things being super natural. Sociology was
once called "social physics "by August Comte. Sociological imagination is when you take all your
personal beliefs and opinions on things out of the equation and truly try to understand the situation
for what it actually is and grasp that there are going to be certain scenarios that happen that are not
always self–inflicting.
I don't think I really could comprehend

Benefits Of Sociological Imagination
Sociological Imagination is defined as "enables its possessor to understand the larger historical
scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individual" in
the reading by Garth Massey. This meaning that it allows the individual to take accounts for all
personal framework of experiences and also plays a role in self–consciousness. We are going to go
over the benefits of sociological imagination, understand how it plays a huge concept in the world
we live in, and finally the relation sociological imagination play in suicide and eating disorders.
Benefits of sociological imagination are that Mills theory does provide us with a better
understanding of how people do communicate. There is a quote that says, " we all go through the
same experiences but we each handle them differently." This quote I found to best explain the terms
of Mills theory. An individual must find a social ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Durkheim went into detail about three–suicide types: anomic, altruistic, and egotistic. Anomic
suicide makes individuals feel lost or alone in society. For example teen suicide, the teen cannot
relate to another individual. Altruistic suicide is based on excessive regulations of individuals by
social force. For example political or social pressure makes and individual feel disconnected with
society or themselves. Egotistic suicide is a total detachment from society. He argues that suicide is
a social factor. The social factors he argues are social surroundings and whether the individual is
integrated in social structure. He does state as well does Mills that men have a higher rate of suicide
than woman do. Mills believed that men were unable to make the connection between social and
individual life. Durkheim and Mills both have different perspectives however they both believed
that our society and individuals needed to make a connection in order to

We live in a world consisting of billions of people with different ideology, culture, language, and
social class. Each one of us as an individual may have different goals in life, different behavior, or
different language. However, we are all connected; this connection can be viewed in different levels.
For example, a person may feel connected to his friend because they are classmates. In a broader
level, they are connected because they both attend the same school. In the society, we can affiliate
ourselves to certain groups, views, or historical events. "Sociological Imagination" is the ability that
allows us to connect our personal experience to the "historical forces" (Conley, pg. 4). Through
sociological imagination, we can understand the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For example, if we want to attend college to further our education in a desired field, we can see all
the positive and negative sides of our decision. We can look at the statistics regarding the average
salaries of college graduates versus high school graduates. Financially, we may have to spend
thousands of dollars on tuition, board, and books. However, we can earn more after graduation. We
can also use other sources or study other statistical data about the projected growth of our desired
field of study. Based on different reasons (i.e. financial reasons, job projections, etc.), we can decide
whether we want to proceed with the enrollment in college or not. Graduation from a college and
receipt of a degree can be viewed in two different ways: first, as social theorist Randall Collins has
proposed, "credentials are what matter most" (Conley, pg. 11–12). Higher education can be seen as a
way to receive credentials while not significantly contributing to a meaningful learning experience.
Second, higher education can be viewed as an opportunity to learn new materials/techniques and to
receive real–world training that can help us in the job market and beyond. Therefore, for many
people, higher

The founder himself as coined by C. Wright Mills, has described the concept of the sociological
imagination, of a way of thinking and researching people's lives to show how they are connected to
larger patterns of history and social processes. In everyday life, the use of the 'Sociological
imagination' involves an individual asking questions about what is seemingly natural and obvious.
Giddens (2009:6) states that It (sociological imagination) requires us to "think ourselves away from
the familiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them anew".
Components of the sociological imagination include considering; Historical factors (How have past
event influenced the present?), Cultural factors (What influences do tradition, cultural

From The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills addresses a distinction between personal
troubles and public issues. Mills uses specific examples like unemployment and societal
development. Mills explains the ability to connect the individual problems with societal problems.
Throughout the text, we can see how Mills uses the perspective of an individual to explain the
perspective of society and vice versa. Using sociological imagination, I will explain how education
is influenced by society and history, and how there is positive and negative lessons to be taken out
of The Sociological Imagination. In the text (From The Sociological Imagination), Mills uses
sociological imagination to discuss the differences between "personal ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
For myself and most people in Canadian society, education is a major part of our lives. Most people
will spend at least a quarter of their lives in the educational system. Using the school system as an
example, in my experience knowing people that have failed a subject, it was due to the fact they
didn't study or do the work which put them at a disadvantage compared to the other students in the
grade, but there could be social, economic, or historical reasons which lead to you doing those
things. If you come from a poor family, for example, you might need to spend so much time
working that you do not have time to study. A societal issue of this would involve in the whole grade
failing this course. If this happens, then the solution would not be an individual one, rather the
solution would be the school system taking a look into this and making any required changes to the
course. A reason for this many students failing could be that the students were not given the
resources necessary to succeed. Potentially the school did not have the funding to teach a course
properly. This societal issue could result in many students not move further in their education which
puts them at a disadvantage. This then can cause long lasting historical problems as it becomes a
vicious cycle. A person comes from a poor family and goes to a bad school, they then do badly in
school and either don't complete it or move on

Society needs to understand or have a sociological imagination because it might be helpful with
their life and it could affect others. You need to understand why this or that happened the way it is.
You might be able to connect everything together. A sociological imagination is the way how people
think and see about the world by having sociological questions and answers. It might be useful
because having a questions or answers about sociological can see what people think and it might be
able to help with their problems and it might even be useful to help with the public issue. Think
about if you are thinking sociologically you might see the world different from what you used to
see. A personal trouble is what each people experienced in

Sociological Imagination: Cars
Sociological Imagination: Cars According to About.com Education, Sociological Imagination is
defined as, "the concept of being able to 'think ourselves away' from the familiar routines of our
daily lives in order to look at them anew". In my opinion, sociological imagination offers a new
perspective into a simple occurrence. This concept breaks down the broad over–generalization of
everyday tasks and objects and give it a multi–dimensional purpose that either benefits or harms
society. To the common individual, a car is simply a means of transportation. However, from the
social stand point, the automobile impacts people's daily lives in a larger aspect. The modern
automobile was inspired by a toy made for a Chinese emperor. The toy was not ... Show more
The adrenaline rush young adults get from a cars engine roaring and seeing the pin on the
speedometer. Although a car's main purpose is to transport passengers, other cultures have
revolutionized it into a past time. Singapore has a huge tuner culture. Late at night it is common to
stumble across a parking lot filled with cars that have been detailed and modify to the owner's
liking. The Singaporean police force have no turf over these cars because they have been modifying.
Base price for these cars start at $100,000 and groups of 20 cars or so will cruise throughout the
empty roads and highways at 1:30 AM. Fellow car lover explains, "'We don't do drugs, we don't
gamble, and we don't cause trouble. We just love cars and hanging out with friends. What's wrong
with that?'" ("Singapore Nightlife & Car Culture"). It is hard to understand why people chose to
drive their cars rather than going to bed. Tuner culture give car enthusiasts a way to express their
creative ideas and it is an outlet to a long day at

Hailey Gunter
Sociology 101: General Education Assignment
Sociological Imagination and What That Means in Regard to the Wage Gap According to Ballentine
in "Our Social World" the sociological imagination can be best understood as "[understanding] our
personal experiences and problems by examining their broader social context – by looking at the big
picture" (Ballentine, pg. 8). This term was coined by sociologist C. Wright Mills in his book
published in 1959. Mills believed that problems in our personal lives were usually caused by
discrepancies or issues with our society or world as a whole. One example of this type of problem
deals with the wage gap between males and females in the United States.
The impact that the sociological imagination

According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination is when an individual views his society
as the potential reason for his or her daily successes and/or failures. People often view their personal
issues as social problems and try to connect their individual experiences with the mechanisms of
society. Mills believes that this is the way for individuals to gain an understanding of their personal
predicaments. The sociological imagination helps people connect their own problems with public
problems and their history.
In order for an individual to figure out the causes of their problems, they first have to be able to
understand the causes of the problems in the society in which they are living in. The sociological
imagination tries to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A trouble occurs within an individual's relations with others. A "trouble" is a private matter where
personal values are felt to be threatened. "Issues," on the other hand, deal with matters that go
beyond the immediate environment of an individual. Issues are public matters. Where values shared
by publics are threatened. An issue, Mills explains, often involves a crisis in institutional
arrangements.
If people are suffering due to public institutions – whether by design or through their failures – we
as a society need to recognize the patters. Not at the individual "trouble" level, but as a public issue.
Wright Mills' major focus was mainly focused on social inequality, the authority of elites, the
declining middle class, the relationship between individuals and society, and the importance of an
historical perspective as a key part of sociological thinking.
The empowering nature of the sociological imagination points to another fundamentally significant
aspect of the sociological perspective that society and all that happens within it is made by people.
Society is a social product, and as such, its structures, its institutions, norms, ways of life, and
problems are changeable. Just as social structures and forces act on us and shape our lives, we act on
them with our choices and actions. Throughout our daily lives and sometimes momentous ways, our
behavior both validates and reproduces society as it is, or it

Sociological Imagination Definition
The definition of Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills according to the class notes is "to
think ourselves away from the familiar routines of our daily lives to look at them anew. This concept
allows us to see connections between individual concerns and larger social issues". Sociological
imagination is our ability to look on our own situations and circumstances in different ways or
angles and trying to see if there's any connection between our personal struggles and the issues of
the society. The impact of the issue is based on biography, history and social structure.
One example of using sociological imagination is going to college. Personally, obtaining an
education is such a very important thing for me. Just like my parents said when I was young,
obtaining an education or a college degree is a personal wealth that no one can take away from you.
My family values education and most of them have college degrees. For me, going to college is a
step for me to accomplish my dreams and aspirations in life. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
I have struggled with being over weight for a few years now and until now it is still a struggle.
According to my BMI, I am considered obese. Obesity is a big social issue and society may think of
obese people differently. People may assume that obesity stemmed out from not exercising and over
eating and being thin or sexy is the norm. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with Bell's palsy and
was put on steroid drugs. One of the side effects of steroid drugs is weight gain. My weight gain
started because of the steroid drugs that I took. I was also put on birth control pills due to my
irregular menses and I noticed a big change in my food intake. I was craving for food like crazy. My
exercise routine declined due to my busy work and school schedules. It is still a current struggle for
me now, but I am changing my eating habits and food intake and hope to be active in playing sports

Sociological Imagination

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