SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

Sociological Imagination

Sociological Imagination

Define sociological imagination

The Sociological Imagination, by C. Wright Mills, is the idea that allows an individual to recognize the better picture of oneself role in society. Mills writes, “The sociological imagination allows its possessor to recognize the larger historical prospect in terms of its importance for the inner life and external career of a variety of individuals” (Mills, 2000, p3). How I survive, and have lived, has everything to do with where I am from, and what has come to society while I have been alive. In this essay I will define the sociological imagination. Second, I will briefly discuss the problem in terms of a problem and how we might deal with a problem. Third, we will discuss why and how my personal problem is also a public issue. Finally, I will discuss a resolution of the problem that could occur on this macro-level, which could either eliminate or significantly improve the problem.

Selected Problem

My mom belonged to a banking family in Taiwan so she invested heavily in the Asia stock market. My father, besides his job as a journalist, started investing in properties in Singapore as well as overseas for a more secure income. When I graduated from middle school, my dad decided to retire from his job, as he felt too pressured. He retired from his position as editor from sports and became a freelancer for independent magazines. Since then, the main income for my family had been from the stock market and properties. While my parents did not work, they travelled frequently to many places and hence, my brother and I were brought up to be independent and had to take care of ourselves from a young age. We were the only kids to take the public transport home since starting elementary school.

One personal form of problem I had experienced as an individual was the economic downturn. As my family dealt in banking and property, rise and fall of global economy could affect us deeply. While ten years ago, when the property market was booming, the bubble has now been burst and prices are skyrocketing. This is due to large debts in major countries such as the United States, which inadvertently, affect the world's economy in some way or another. As a result, many of my parent's personal properties could not be sold or rented out for profit. Not only ...