Importance Of Sociological Imagination

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When laid off work the first thing we often ask ourselves is “Was it my fault?”, “What could I have done differently?” We often blame ourselves and believe that maybe there was something different we could have done. That kind of thinking does not show “sociological imagination.” Sociological Imagination allows us to question “things” or issues which are common and familiar to us and to find its deeper meaning, such as unemployment, crime and even drug use. Utilizing “sociological imagination” is a way of thinking, we are able to find reasoning and uncover why many things in society are the way they are. The “sociological imagination” doesn’t attempt to understand the individual and his or her problems alone, but focuses on issues and problems as it affects the greater society, which in turn can affect the individual.
The “sociological imagination”, therefore, was supposed to be used by sociologists, intellectuals and the public alike. It is a theory conceiving both individuals in society and society as a whole, and looking at the historical context in which society and individuals are placed. Mills wanted to merge the history of society with the biography of individuals, as he believed it was the job of sociology to understand both.
Mills emphasizes the importance of the relationship between sociology and history, as he felt history shaped people’s individual and collective lives. As men try to understand the world around them, the “sociological imagination” helps identify the public issues of social structure and the personal troubles of the milieu. Mills states that personal or private troubles lie within the individual as a biographical entity as the individuals feel their own cherished values threatened, and try to sol...

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...ople’s troubles.
Mills thought that the imbalanced distribution of power was the cause of many public issues. For example, many people do not have enough power to access political institutions and this entrapment may make them feel indifferent, therefore, they become politically apathetic and politically powerless. Through the “sociological imagination”, people can trace the distribution of power as an evolutionary and historical process which can be used as an explanation for their personal troubles.
In creating a theory which attributed greater autonomy to individuals, Mill’s “sociological imagination” appealed to many people who did not agree with the structural-functionalist approach and continues to appeal to many people even in these times. Furthermore, it enabled its users to analyze just how much the individual is constrained by his social structure

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