You may be unable to find work because you’re spending so much time caring for your family that you simply don’t have time to apply for many jobs. Mills recommended avoiding strict adherence to any one methodology or theory, because practicing sociology in such a way can and often does produce biased results and recommendations. When you put “sociological”—studying society—and “imagination”—the concept of forming new ideas, often creatively—together, you get a pretty good definition of the concept: a method of thinking about both individuals and society by considering a variety of sociological contexts. Sociology can even help you understand works of literature, like The Great Gatsby! Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, Mills believed that social structures arise because of conflict between groups, in ancient Rome one politician was ousted from the Senate for having the gall to kiss his wife in public, One of his former students wrote about how Mills stood in contrast, voted as the second most important sociological text of the 20th century, F. Scott Fitzgerald's take on the American Dream, high school history classes you should take. Are there places it may not be seen as normal? www.gettyimage.com Several individuals experience one or more social problem personally. Instead, he advocated that sociologists be clear and concise when possible, and that they do not couch their theories in language intended to distance themselves from society and from criticism. Sociological imagination. You can also consider your family’s relationship with eating fish, or how your cultural and ethnic heritage impacted where you are, what food you have access to, and your personal tastes. For many, this is why they drink coffee. He shocked us out of our Silent Generation torpor by pounding his desk and proclaiming that every man should build his own house (as he himself did a few years later) and that, by God, with the proper study, we should each be able to build our own car! If you are unemployed, you may feel simultaneous feelings of frustration, unease, and even self-loathing. Take the simple act of drinking a cup of coffee. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? Mills’ philosophy asks us to consider both in conversation with one another—it’s not that individuals have no free will, but rather that each person is a product of their society as well as an individual. Both of those things may be true, but using your sociological imagination takes you out of the immediacy of those to answers and encourages you to think deeper. While Mills' ideas were revolutionary and upsetting to many within sociology at the time, today they form the bedrock of sociological practice. When you come upon something that seems like a personal issue, think about it in a societal context. You may make individual choices about what to eat for lunch, but what you choose—a tuna sandwich, lobster ravioli, or shrimp tacos—is also determined by societal factors like where you live and what you’ve grown up eating. Learn more about F. Scott Fitzgerald's take on the American Dream from our guide. Well, it can make your taxes simpler, or make you more qualified to get a home loan. So even for an individual, there might be multiple factors at play in the decision to be made. The Sociological Imagination contained tips for sociologists as well as the general public to help them better contextualize the world! The concept of the sociological imagination can be applied to any behavior. What differed for Mills and his concept of the sociological imagination was that he believed that society was not only a series of systems, but that the role of the individual should also be considered. Many aspects of our lives are now situated within globalized trade and communications, and studying these global transactions is important to sociologists. Prior to Mills’ work, structural functionalism was the primary philosophy of the field. What Is Sociological Imagination? Considering sociological context allows individuals to question and change society rather than just live in it. Have any questions about this article or other topics? While Mills’s work was not well received at the time as a result of his professional and personal reputation—he had a combative personality—The Sociological Imagination is today one of the most widely read sociology books and is a staple of undergraduate sociology courses across the United States. Still, the third dimension to a cup of coffee is tied to social and economic relationships. Part of the sociological imagination is thinking outside of the boundaries of yourself; to do so, Mills suggested that sociologists look beyond their specialized fields toward a more comprehensive understanding. SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. And maybe you’ve chosen new shoes over used ones because you have the financial means to purchase a name-brand pair. He suggested that sociologists should look beyond the common discourse and find alternate explanations and considerations. He explained that individual moments, as well as long spans of time, were equally necessary to understanding society. Many people blame themselves for their lack of a job, but there are societal factors at play, too. Whilst not often explored at GCSE or A Level Sociology. He also urged social scientists to work within the field of social science as a whole rather than specializing heavily in sociology, political science, economics, psychology, etc. Illustration by Vin Ganapathy. But when there is a significant … His lectures matched the flamboyance of his personal image, as he managed to make entertaining the heavyweight social theories of Mannheim, Ortega and Weber. In all societies, eating and drinking are occasions for social interaction and the performance of rituals, which offer a great deal of subject matter for sociological study. In more technical terms, Mills was challenging the dominant structural functionalist approach to sociology. The sociological imagination is making the connection between personal challenges and larger social issues. In this context, apathy refers to a sense of indifference or disinterest in examining the morality of their leaders.