According to Professor C. Wright Mills, a sociological theorist and the creator of the concept, sociological imagination is the capacity to think ourselves away from the ordinary habits of our day-to-day activities and to view them with new eyes. The sociological imagination is the skill to view things informally and how they interrelate and influence each other. This paper discusses Mills' definition of the sociological imagination and its importance in studying human social behavior.
Professor Mills defines sociological imagination as the way to think ourselves away from our daily lives' familiar routines to look at them anew. Explaining his definition, an individual must have the capability to pull away from the state and think from a different view. The ability is vital in one's development of a sociological theory on the world. "Will say a few things about how humans used to live much shorter life spans, and we have seen a few periods of increase in those life spans, but the tremendous change for human life expectancy came between 1900–1930 during the epidemiological transition." (Kendrick, 2020). We were all convinced that life expectancy increased because of improved health and drainage systems from the quote. But in reality, better nutrition and improved living conditions triggered the change.
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Importance of sociological imagination in studying human social behavior
Sociological imagination encourages individuals to think about their lives on an individual level and understand the connection between historical, societal, and biological considerations. When studying human social behavior, it is essential to use sociological imagination to avoid apathy. Mills(2000) argues that if we admit that our principles are natural, we are less likely to question when our leaders and the public do immoral things. Sociological imagination will help individuals examine and change society to be a better place than live in it.
In conclusion, sociological imagination is the ability to view things socially and how they interrelate and influence each other. Professor Mills, an early theorist, created the concept. Mills encourages individuals to always think from a different view rather than the usual way. Also, sociological imagination is essential when studying human social behavior since helps us understand the connection between historical, societal, and biological consideration.
References
Kendrick, K. (2020). 'Is This What Sociology is for?
Mills, C. W. (2000). The sociological imagination . Oxford University Press.
