Importance of Sociological Imagination in Everyday Life: Analytical Essay

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When you are going through your day, do you think about how your actions may affect others and history? Do you know exactly where you fit in? Majority of people don’t know the answers to those questions if you were to ask them. We don’t pay much attention to the way we are treated compared to other people in the society around us. The sociological imagination is the best way to describe this situation. The concept of sociological imagination was introduced by an American Sociologist by the name of C. Wright Mills. He explains it as “The sociological imagination enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career for a variety of individuals” (Mills 3). The sociological imagination gives the possessor the ability to see their position in society. The positions are in social class, race, or gender. They can notice how they either have privilege or lack of it. Mills is trying to prove that all people aren’t treated the same no matter what their situation is. Mills wants people to realize what is going on around them and for people to realize that they are possibly lucky in the situation they are in or so people could realize why they are treated the way they are. People need to understand their situation.

C. Wright Mills has a goal in his article, The Promise, and that is to explain what the sociological imagination is. He is trying to let the world know what it is by breaking it down for an easier understanding. The first point that he describes as “The first fruit of this imagination” (Mills 3). Then going on too say, “is the idea that the individual can understand his own experience and gauge his own fate only by locating himself within his period, that he can know his own chances in life only by becoming aware of those of all individuals in his circumstances” (Mills 3).

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As described by Mills, a social structure is the place in society that a certain person fits in best. The types of classes are things like sex, class, gender, school, disability, etc.. These classes are not just labels, they are the things that affect us. Things like who we hang around, the job we work, the education we are able to pursue, where our house is, the opportunities we are shown to every day. How can we possess the sociological imagination? Mills explains to us how. We have to test ourselves, what is it that we believe? Examples that Mills states, “What is the structure of this particular society as a whole?” (Mills 4) and another being “What varieties of men and women now prevail in this society and in this period?” (Mills 4). These are the types of things you must ask yourself to be able to find out where you are in this society. If you are able to answer these questions you are able to find out the answer where you are with the sociological imagination.

To go with this, he speaks on the point of not knowing man’s limits when it comes to human nature, and that they are broad. Every person has gone through their own individual kind of social structure, but everybody has lived in one. They are different because nobody lives the same life, and history is changing every second so nothing is the exact same. Mills speaks on how men have controlled society since the beginning, and are the reason society is set the way it is. They would do whatever they had to do to take power and remain there. “They acquire a new way of thinking,” (Mills 5). Mills is speaking on the men in society during this time. The reason men are not in power like they used to be is because they have started to figure out to have sociological imagination. They can see what is wrong with the society we live in. With them finally evolving from their old selves they are learning to adapt to the new culture to where they are not the only power and are trying to fix society. It is that simple in a way for some people. They realize what the problem is, then they figure out a way to fix it. It is not that easy for everybody, some people today still think society should still be the way it used to be.

A great example that Mills uses is when he speaks on the city of 100,000 men where one of the men is unemployed then comparing that to a city with 50 million people where 15 million are unemployed (Mills 5-6). The example this shows is how when it is a small amount of people it is more of an individual fix. When only one person is in need, it is very simple to help that person but when it is millions it is almost impossible to fix the problem. This can be compared to sociological imagination because we must have it to see these problems, to see these people that are “unemployed” and need our help.

Social structures are not the end though, there can be more privileges within a group depending on things like location. Charles Lemert, a past sociology professor, alson speaks on other topics surrounding the social structure. “Today, if you are born poor, you will grow up to be poor. There are exceptions, of course, but the exceptions are rare” (Lemert 124). When he states this, he is saying that people that are born into a certain social class stays in that class because it is the way they know. People that are lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family will most likely be able to continue their life off that family money and be able to continue that wealthy lifestyle. The exceptions are obvious, people that are born poor can turn their life around and find the right path to wealth. Also, people that are born into wealth can screw things up and end up in the poor side of the society.

Shortly after he talks about how the wealthiest 40 percent of Americans gained 67 percent of the country’s total income, while the poorest 40 percent of Americans receive only 15 percent of the country’s total income (Lemert 124). He talks about this to show the difference in social classes. This shows that people should use the sociological imagination to see this difference and learn how to deal with it in their world. Afterwards, he gives three questions that are most important to sociologists. After giving the questions he says, “It would be nice if the answers were as straightforward as the questions, but they are not” (Lemert 125). He says they are not easy to come by because of the mysteries surrounding social structures.

“White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress” (DiAngelo 54). Robin DiAngelo, a sociologist, speaks in her article, White Fragility, on the basic concept of white fragility. “White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation” (DiAngelo 54). Sociological imagination is huge in his article because he is saying how white people do not realize the easy road they have towards race problems. White people have a way bigger advantage when it comes to things in society. She tells a story about how a white woman and a black woman go into a workplace to speak about race. After talking about white privilege, a white man in the crowd becomes furious and says how white people have been discriminated against for 40 years and white people can not get jobs these days. After saying that the lady giving the talk looks around the room to see 40 men and 0 men of color in the workplace (DiAngelo 54-55). This shows that some white people don’t recognize the privilege that they have over people of color.

Until joining this class I never realized the privilege I was blessed with. I am lucky enough to be born as a white male in upper middle class in the great city of Louisville with nothing but great opportunities surrounding me. I can say it wasn’t because of me that I had the life I did growing up. Even when I became old enough to work and pay for things on my own, the job I worked was discovered for me because my father knew the owner. Yes I did have to do the working part, but I wouldn’t have gotten the job opportunity without the help of my father. Social structures are present every day in my life. Being a white male gives me privileges in many aspects. In the classroom, at restaurants, on the lacrosse field, anywhere else I may go throughout my day.

Being able to grow up the way I did has absolutely got me to where I am today. Being able to afford great schools and great travel teams for sports have made me the player and student I am today to get me into this wonderful school I am currently in. Going to the school of Trinity High School, a private catholic school, has given me many opportunities. I know for a fact I would not be the student or lacrosse player I am today if I wasn’t lucky enough to be able to afford that school.

When doing things in the community I automatically am less likely to be judged because of my skin color. But being in the class of “teenager” I am still looked at in a different way but it is not close to as bad as somebody my same age of color. If I was walking down the street and a police officer was to drive by he probably wouldn’t think much of me and continue to drive by, but if I was a man of color he would probably slow down and drive by a little slower to check me out.

Where I live back home in Louisville it is a nicer neighborhood, I don’t have to worry much about crime and the safety of my house. I am able to stay in my house alone and not be scared of getting broken in on. Also living in this nicer area, there are many resources around me like restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and other things that are convenient to me every day. Not just the area I live, all of Louisville is an advantage I have that most don’t. Being in a large city has many advantages that a smaller town wouldn’t have. Anything you could need or want is somewhere within the city and probably not too far of a drive from home.

Works Cited

  1. DiAngelo, Robin. “White Fragility.” International Journal of Critical Pedagogy,vol. 3, 2011, pp. 54–70.
  2. “The Mysterious Powers of Social Structures.” Social Things an Introduction to the Sociological Life, by Charles Lemert, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012, pp. 123–145.
  3. “The Promise.” Sociological Imagination, by C. Wright Mills, Oxford University Press, 1959, pp. 1–7.

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