Assignment #1: Exercising Your Sociological Imagination
Working hard has never been a problem in my life; it 's the question of "Will it ever be enough," that plagues my mind. I am from London, Ohio, which is a small town twenty minutes west of Columbus. The town in which I grew up is predominantly white; blacks make up about 5% of the total population. By the standards of our society I am within that 5%, being born of a black man and a white woman. It wasn 't far along in my education that I learned I started behind. Not only was I African-American but a member of the poor working class. The school system was a decent one, but it doesn 't compare to that of private schools. A private Catholic High School that is twenty minutes from
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Once my parents instilled upon me the importance of an education I knew I had to go to college. I chose one of the best in the country, knowing that it would be my key to a successful future. After arriving at the University of Michigan I have noticed many of the same stereotypes hold true on a said "culturally diverse" environment. My friends and I walk everywhere and when we do I see the faces of those in my hometown. A quick look in the face then they look away or to the ground, everywhere you go the same thing occurs. A black man is not given credit for much except being intimidating. The do-rag and backwards hat seem to scare people and in their cowardice they perpetuate all the stereotypes and notions of black people. Blacks are not expected to be here in vast numbers and if they are it was probably a mistake. Even the educated community of Michigan holds beliefs that are true of our society. I believe that if people just stopped and talked with me for a few minutes they would see how wrong they were. They could see that being educated does not apply just to the rich and white, that those who are poor or of a minority are capable of those things also. I am a poor class black man. There are certain things I am just not supposed to do or be. When you start out life behind you have to work that much harder to get ahead. I believe that our society is unjust. Those who are poor are viewed as lazy no matter how hard they work. They must
Exercising: Exercising is not only beneficial for the individual engaging in it, but for the whole society. Exercising is scientifically proven to lower disease and improve happiness. When a society is more happy they engage in more positive behavior. A society that is more engaged will more likely advocate for justice and the well being of others.
Throughout this essay the sociological imagination is used to analyse the historical, cultural and structural reasons for drug use and abuse. Within this parameter the sociological imagination is applied, using studies research conducted in the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia and the United States. The sociological imagination was defined by Charles Write Mills as a ‘quality of mind’. (Mills quoted by Germov, Poole 2007: 4 ) It is stimulated by an awareness to view the social world by looking at how one’s own personal problems and experiences form a relationship to the wider society. In Victorian society the majority of people believed there was no ‘drug problem.' (Berridge, 1999) The substances used in Britain at the time like opium
The definition of Sociological Imagination is the ability to see the impact of social forces in our individual life.
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
Great satisfaction does come from hard work, especially when knowing a person put their all into accomplishing the task goes a long way. To say whether or not one would agree with the statement of through hard work, everybody can succeed in American society really does depend on who is making the statement. History is everything. Knowing where you began does help a person plan on their tomorrow. The division between social classes has always been there and will always be. Those who are fortunate enough to get “the break” they were looking for often times come off of their brow. Many are born with a so-called silver spoon in their mouth, but for many, that is not always the case. With social class being measured by income and wealth,
I remember when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s in the south, and just listening to some of the older brothers that work in the cotton mill (textile mill) brag about how much money they were making per hour. Some of them were making 9.50 an hour; some were making 11.00 per hour. When I think back on those times, now I see why they always wore nice clothes and nice shoes, and had a fast car. I say that to say this, growing up in a family of 10 in the Deep South was not as bad for me as it was for my parents, however, they taught me how to take what you have and make it work for you and your family. I know that if it was not for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Rev Jessie Jackson, and the entire Civil Rights activist group of the 50s, 60s and so forth who persuaded President Kennedy and President Johnson to sign the Civil Right Act of 1964, we as a people would probably be still doing
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
The sociological imagination is an idea or a way of thinking that interlocks an individual in a society with the society as a whole. Most people refer to sociology as the study of how people or individuals interact with each other. In order to fully understand sociology and the concept of the sociological imagination as proposed by C. Wright Mills, one has to be able to envision the individual and the society working together to better understand the role each plays in the social order. C. Wright Mills states that "Sociology must make a connection between the individual and the social. It must allow the individual to see the larger context in which his or her life is lived, and in
Sociological imagination is merely the connection between a person and the society. Every person is connected to and influenced by society to a different extent. Some people are completely absorbed in society and feel obligated to keep up with the trends, or else they feel like an outlier. On the other hand, some people do not keep up with the trends of society because they could care less about others opinions. Sociological imagination can be used to show the relationship between both those types of people and the society, and it can be used to explain how people view society from their point of view. When people look at societies from an outsider’s point of view, “rather than only from the perspective of personal experiences and cultural biases” (Schaefer 4), they are able to notice the things that shape and mold their character. The outsider perspective also provides them with a better understanding of themselves by understanding the relationship between them and society.
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
“Sociological Imagination,” by Charles Wright Mills is a book about the linkage of an individual’s biography to public issues and world history. Mills creates a concept that allows one to view where their presence is in society. The whole point is to evaluate the larger things that lead one to where they are now. Using the correlation between society and yourself allows one to view your issues as society’s issues. Education is among these issues that can be traced as a social issue. Moreover, my education achievements can be traced back before I was born.
Social Imagination is defined as the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual’s life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces (Conley, 2012, 5). C.Wright Mills’s theory was thought to help us connect what happens to us on a personal level to what is happening to society as a greater whole. This concept can be seen as a way to also help us realize we are not alone in our struggles and decisions. I will be using this concept and applying it to a situation that I went through almost twelve years ago, when I married my husband just two weeks after I graduated high school.
Think about a problem or challenge you are facing or have faced. Using the sociological imagination, describe that problem or challenge: (1) as if it were a trouble and (2) as if it were an issue. How might globalization impact this issue?
The human attitudes have always been a curiosity that captivated most of the great social theorists like Karl Marx, Engels and Durkheim. One of the most unhumble attitude of the humanity was Racism and stereotyping.
My personal condensed definition of “the sociological imagination” is that it is the idea one should be aware of the societal structures around themselves, and how those structures can influence a person and vice-versa. In addition, I think that having a “sociological imagination” also involves a deep appreciation for the importance of society and culture. Consequently, for a person that has completed a basic introduction to sociology college course and actually paid attention, I would hope that they have been exposed to some basic taste of the sociological imagination.