The Sociological Imagination

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Recommended: What do you mean by sociological imagination

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.

Over the past three and a half years as a student of Sociology at State University, I believe my own sociological imagination has grown exponentially, and I have been able to apply it to different elements of my daily life. With this paper, I will split it up into three main sections regarding my own sociological imagination. The first section takes some of the most popular sociological literature on the topic and applies it to creating a fully fleshed out definition of a “sociological imagination.” The second section covers my own personal journey to creating a strong sociological imagination and how it was internally developed. Finally, the final section showcases the different ways that I have tried to apply this newfound social perspective to the world around me and my life. Therefore, by the end of this paper, I hope to have demonstrated a strong grasp on how my own sociological immigration was developed and how it is currently being applied to how I interact with the world today.

While, the idea of a “sociological imagination” originally came from the influential American sociologist C. Wright Mills in his book “The Sociological Imagination,” there are in...

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... for this stronger progressive mindset is that by better understanding the many different social structures, I feel that I better grasp how I can go ahead and change the world around me. Having this strong sociological imagination actually empowers me because by better understanding how the world works, I can go ahead and try to shape those social structures to more positive and progressive ideals. Therefore, I appreciate my sociological imagination, because I believe it empowers me to actually go out and make a difference in the world.

Works Cited

Berger, Peter L. 1963. Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective. New York: Open Road Integrated Media.

Mills, C. Wright. 1959. The Sociological Imagination. New York. Oxford University Press

Schwalbe, Michael. 2004. The Sociologically Examined Life: Pieces of the Conversation. New York. McGraw-Hill

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