Sociological Imagination Enables Us Easy Sociolog

Sociological Imagination

C. Wright Mills’ “The Sociological Imagination” states:

“The Sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relationship between the two within society. This is its task and promise. It is by means of the sociological imagination that human beings now hope to grasp what is happening to themselves as minute points of intersection between biography and history within society.”

Using Mills’ definition, how would you apply sociological imagination to your own life? what is the point of intersection between your personal biography and a social/historical event? (8 pts)

Reply to another student disscussion( please reply to this ) :

“I would apply sociological imagination to my own life by both learning the history of those before me and also keeping in mind my own experiences to understand how we are similar yet different. If life becomes hazy for me, then I will lean on the words of people before me to understand what’s so complicated about the present. I get creative with the past and present, trying not to dilute modern times so heavily because I do exist in the modern, not the past. The point of intersection is when I come in contact with an issue that one of my ancestors has as well. For example, history has this habit of repeating itself and when my ancestors came on to some troubles, they found a way out. Many of the women in my bloodline have felt the oppression and the loneliness of being a woman, so I lean on how they would cook and sew to find some control in their lives. History’s troubles still exist today and when I come in contact with it like when a male colleague demeans me because I “have no idea what I’m talking about,” then the point of intersection has been met. I have faced a problem that my ancestors have faced, too. History always comes in contact with the present, causing this point of intersection because although we have somewhat progressed, some issues will always come up again. “