Sociology imagination
what is sociological imagination?
In summary, sociological imagination is an ability to see the context which shapes
your individual decision making, as well as the decisions made by others. But the
reason why it's useful is because it allows us to better identify and question
various aspects of society, as opposed to passively living within it.
What is perhaps the most common example of the sociological imagination
pertaining to unemployment. An individual facing unemployment might feel
defeated, depleted and discouraged. That person is likely to look in the mirror and
say, "You didn't work hard enough. You didn't try hard enough …" You, you, you.
If Mills were around, he'd say, "Not you. The world around you." Mills believed
things only worked when you saw "the vivid awareness of the relationship
between experience and the wider society." He encouraged people to stop
focusing on themselves alone and to look at the wider landscape of society.
If you take Mills' stance, you'll start to believe that every problem faced by an
individual has roots in society as a whole and is faced by many others. There's
some truth to that, isn't there? It's unlikely that every struggle you face is unique
to you alone. There are hundreds or thousands, if not millions of others who are
going through the same struggle. However, Mills never thought sociology alone
was the ultimate science. He felt sociologists, psychologists, economists, and
political scientists should all work together. This makes sense, given the broad
lens through which he viewed the world.
Example: Everyday Behavior and Sociological Imagination
As soon as you start to think about various issues or activities in perspectives that
differ from your own, you're entering the realm of the sociological imagination.
Everyday behavior is a fun place to start because it allows you to see how almost
any behavior can have the sociological imagination applied to it.
