Sociological Imagination
Sociological imagination
C Wright Mills & The Sociological Imagination (Jureidini & Poole, 2003)
To give a definition for ‘sociological imagination’ we must first give a definition for sociology, which is the study of the human society and is the main component of sociological imagination.
(Mills, 1959 )One of the fundamental contributors to the concept of sociological imagination is C. Wright Mills who had a unique approach to sociology. As per C. Wright Mills “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both”. In his book The Sociological Imagination, Mills used the same famous phrase which is used in society today. Sociological imagination is a way of been able to …show more content…
Mills describes the components of sociological imagination as the influences that connect lives (biographies) and history within society`s structure.
To consider the sociological imagination, you must think of the relationship between biography, structure and history within society. The sociological imagination helps a person to understand why there are certain attitudes, behaviours and believes. It gives us ideas and theories on how to analyse what we see and read every day. So that we can evaluate social issues, and link them to our everyday lives and experiences.
Mills considered aspects of both micro (private issues) and macro (public issues) approaches as influences to the study of society. “Personal troubles are privately felt problems while public issues affect society as a whole”. To explain the distinction between a person or private issue and a public issue clearly I will use the following example: If a teenager abuses alcohol at home, this would be a very private issue creating much emotion and pain within the family unit. However, if forty five present of our youth abuses alcohol and there is a whole criminal subculture supporting the maintenance of alcohol abuse then it would be a public issue. This scenario must consider biographical and historical circumstances to evaluate the impact of such an …show more content…
Domestic violence can be seen as a private issue, as it is something that happened between Tokyo and Judy in the privacy of their home and it influenced the individuals involved on a personal level. In a lot of these cases the people involve blame and justify their actions on factors influencing the couple`s relationship. It is normally viewed by the couple as an issue between themselves because it is their own personal relationship. This could also have been the reason why Judy only waited to reveal this issue until the divorce. The experience must also have been very personal and troubling to Judy as it damages ones whole sense of being and self-worth. What happens in the privacy of their home made them think what a lot of people think ‘what goes on in the home is behind closed doors and not talked about with outsiders’. All of the above factors show how this can be seen as a private issue.
All of this then changed when Judy made it public that she was abused by her husband. As woman abuse is a very real issue in society and also a criminal offence makes this a public issue as well. It is said that social factors such as gender inequalities and patriarchal structures influences domestic
C Wright Mills & The Sociological Imagination (Jureidini & Poole, 2003)
To give a definition for ‘sociological imagination’ we must first give a definition for sociology, which is the study of the human society and is the main component of sociological imagination.
(Mills, 1959 )One of the fundamental contributors to the concept of sociological imagination is C. Wright Mills who had a unique approach to sociology. As per C. Wright Mills “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both”. In his book The Sociological Imagination, Mills used the same famous phrase which is used in society today. Sociological imagination is a way of been able to …show more content…
Mills describes the components of sociological imagination as the influences that connect lives (biographies) and history within society`s structure.
To consider the sociological imagination, you must think of the relationship between biography, structure and history within society. The sociological imagination helps a person to understand why there are certain attitudes, behaviours and believes. It gives us ideas and theories on how to analyse what we see and read every day. So that we can evaluate social issues, and link them to our everyday lives and experiences.
Mills considered aspects of both micro (private issues) and macro (public issues) approaches as influences to the study of society. “Personal troubles are privately felt problems while public issues affect society as a whole”. To explain the distinction between a person or private issue and a public issue clearly I will use the following example: If a teenager abuses alcohol at home, this would be a very private issue creating much emotion and pain within the family unit. However, if forty five present of our youth abuses alcohol and there is a whole criminal subculture supporting the maintenance of alcohol abuse then it would be a public issue. This scenario must consider biographical and historical circumstances to evaluate the impact of such an …show more content…
Domestic violence can be seen as a private issue, as it is something that happened between Tokyo and Judy in the privacy of their home and it influenced the individuals involved on a personal level. In a lot of these cases the people involve blame and justify their actions on factors influencing the couple`s relationship. It is normally viewed by the couple as an issue between themselves because it is their own personal relationship. This could also have been the reason why Judy only waited to reveal this issue until the divorce. The experience must also have been very personal and troubling to Judy as it damages ones whole sense of being and self-worth. What happens in the privacy of their home made them think what a lot of people think ‘what goes on in the home is behind closed doors and not talked about with outsiders’. All of the above factors show how this can be seen as a private issue.
All of this then changed when Judy made it public that she was abused by her husband. As woman abuse is a very real issue in society and also a criminal offence makes this a public issue as well. It is said that social factors such as gender inequalities and patriarchal structures influences domestic