In chapter one of Sociological Imagination the author reveals the situation in 1950s. The author describes the condition as imprisonment and vulnerability. Men are confined in the continuity of their lives, at workplaces they are workers while at home they are family men. The life roles of men are limited and the day in the life of a man is a cycle through them. The author outlines the vulnerability of man in a world faced by uncontrollable political uncertainties. In the present time men do not seen to play a role in global politics as compared to the 1950s. In the 1950s men were marred by anxieties over nuclear warfare and tensions between the Soviet Union and United States. The author’s thesis suggest that individuals need to adapt a sociological imagination by questioning the structure of the society, the place of society in history and the kind of individuals produced in the society.
The author uses the whole book to detail questions and answers outlined in the first chapter. However, the first chapter of the book concentrates on the three main questions required to understand the situation. The first question that asks about the structure of the society seeks to know how different groups in a society are related. The second question that evaluates the position of society in history seeks to figure out how societies evolve over a given period of time. The third question seeks to understand the kind of individuals produced in the society. In the third question the author seeks to describe how individuals’ moods and personalities are shaped by the society they live in. the author suggest that a modern man who feels trapped could utilize sociological imagination to explain how the feelings could emanate from forces outside their control (Mills, 1959)
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The author’s thesis suggests the use of sociological imagination to answer basic questions in life. Sociological imagination is used to explain the nature of sociology and its importance to the daily life. Sociological imagination is related to the course since it reveals the relationship between the society and social changes that evolve over a period of time. The study of sociological imagination indicates that personal life is shaped by the society and historical periods. Sociology integrates the historical and personal by presenting personal problems as historical and vice versa. When an individual feels trapped sociology seeks to know what happened in history that invokes the feeling. For instance is the world is at war, sociology seeks to understand how the situation plays out in the lives of individuals.
One of the strengths of the article is the fact that it highlights sociological imagination which can be utilized to differentiate between personal and public issues. Such a perspective can be utilized in real life for example a person living in poverty might consider that he/she is not alone and therefore they should not blame themselves rather they should criticize the social issues that directed them into the situation (Thompson et al. 2016). The article is also relatable to the situation in present day. An example is the tension experienced by women regarding their perceived housekeeping roles. While the ideas prescribed in the article might be relatable most individuals might not be interested in practicing them. People tend to focus on private issues rather than the social realities of the day. The point that stands out for me is the feeling of entrapment in daily life. This is an idea that most individuals could relate to in their daily lives. I could create a study around this idea by gathering individuals randomly and asking if they feel trapped in their own lives. For those who feel trapped, the study will seek to understand if the individuals feel trapped due to personal or public issues.
References
Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination .
Thompson, W. E., Hickey, J. V., & Thompson, M. L. (2016). Society in focus: An introduction to sociology . Rowman & Littlefield.
