SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

The term "sociological imagination" was coined by the American sociologist C. Wright
Mills in his 1959 book “The Sociological Imagination”. The application of imaginative thought
to the asking and answering of sociological questions. Someone using the sociological
imagination "thinks himself away" from the familiar routines of daily life.
Another way of describing sociological imagination is the understanding that social outcomes
are based on what we do. To expand on that definition, it is understanding that some things in
society may lead to a certain outcome. The factors mentioned in the definition are things like
norms and motives, the social context may be the country and time period, and social action is
the things we do that affect other people. The things we do are shaped by: the situation we are
in, the values we have, and the way people around us act. These things are examined for how
they all relate to some sort of outcome. Sociological imagination can be considered as a quality
of mind that understands the interplay of the individual and society.

Real Life Application

 Sociological imagination can be applied in everyday life. Simply looking at any event,
issue, or activity using a different perspective from that which one would usually use is
use of sociological imagination. One prime example would be drinking coffee.
Drinking coffee can be seen as a form of self-care, as it does speed up one's metabolism.
The consumption of coffee could also be considered as a custom or ritual as some
people consume coffee every day at the same time. Scientifically, however, coffee
contains a significant amount of caffeine which may cause addiction in the consumer
and therefore is another way to perceive the consumption as it is now an addiction rather
than the simple act of self-care.
 It would be hard to call social media a personal experience. Just look at the name. But,
how is it impacting you every day? How does it touch your study habits and work
opportunities? How does it shape your relationships or help you identify yourself?
These are questions that will have different answers for everyone. But, every time you
click on that Instagram icon on your phone, 500 million others could be doing the exact
same thing.

Examples
1. Aadhaar Card:
Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number that can be obtained by residents of
India, based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established in
January 2009 by the Government of India.

 Aadhaar letter provided by UIDAI is now acceptable by banks as a valid proof to

open bank account. In fact, it can serve both as an address and identity proof, hence
avoiding the need to produce bunch of documents to the banks for opening an
account.
  Aadhar holds bio-metric data and residential information of each individual in the
country. Now as per government rules, this information is linked with users all
banks, voter Id, PAN card etc.. If this information gets leaked or used wrongly by
the authorities or government then it will be breach of Right to Privacy which is a
fundamental right of citizens of the country.

 If a body is found which is not identifiable by its face, then it is easy to identify the
body by using Aadhaar’s Biometric Data.

2. Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of computer science that emphasizes the
creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans.

 AI would have a low error rate compared to humans, if coded properly.

They would have incredible precision, accuracy, and speed. They won't
be affected by hostile environments, thus able to complete dangerous
tasks, explore in space, and endure problems that would injure or kill us.
This can even mean mining and digging fuels that would otherwise be
hostile for humans.

 Tasks which are monotonous, can be easily automated; this can gradually make
certain roles obsolete. For instance, tasks and activities related to customer
care/call centre operation, discovery and retrieval, content moderation etc.
that are more and more based on technology and automation and less on human
work. This replacement of humans by robots will lead to mass unemployment
though in long run it may create new jobs.

 When combining the cost of installation, maintenance and repair, it’s clear
that AI is expensive. Only the most well-funded organisations will find
themselves in a position to benefit from AI.

 Also maintenance and repair of robots require highly skilled labour which is
still a problem in developing nations.

3. Juveniles being treated as adults1:

The frequency of young kids committing heinous crimes has been on a steady rise
for the past couple of decades. This has brought up a very controversial topic that people
seem to be very passionate about, trying juveniles as adults. There are many differences
between the justice system for juveniles and the justice system for adults.

 While juveniles may be kids, they should have the ability to distinguish right
from wrong, especially in extreme circumstances. Victims and the families of
victims still deserve a sense of justice if one of their family members is

1
After Delhi Gang Rape Case in 2012, Juvenile Justice Act was amended in 2015. According to new
amendment any minor between the age of 16 years and 18 years committed any heinous crime like murder,
rape etc. can be prosecuted as adults and punished according to the provisions of Indian Penal Code, 1860.
 affected or even killed by a juvenile offender. By this provision it brings a
sense of justice to victims and families of victims.

 Over the years, these young offenders are free to cultivate criminal minds and
behaviours all because of the absence of ample punishment. When kids are
being tried as adults, it discourages them from doing unlawful acts.

 Even at the start of trial, the court is already prejudiced when it tries juvenile
delinquents. But when juveniles are tried as adults, this enables the courts to
focus on the crime, not on the age of the suspect.

 By giving juveniles extremely hard sentences, it gives the impression that

there is no hope for their future and no hope of them ever becoming anything
but a criminal and a convict.

 When you put a juvenile in a situation with seasoned criminals, such as adult
prison, they are still impressionable and likely end up becoming involved in
gang or other crime activities. This further hinders their ability to rehabilitate
after they are released.

 A child with criminal record will always live with the stigma for the rest of
their lives, and this gives them a hard time blending in with society and leading
normal lives. They may have limited options for school, work, business, and
even finding a future partner. This could have lasting ill effects on their
mental, social and emotional lives.

4. Urbanisation:
Urbanisation refers to the population shift from rural to urban residency, the
gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas, and the ways in which
each
society adapts to this change. It is predominantly the process by which towns and cities
are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas.

 As the economy increases, the whole society benefits from internal

improvements, either through a richer tax base or through competition between
private organizations. Urbanisation offers real economic opportunities to people
who would otherwise be destined to subsist without hope of economic
improvement.

 Another benefit of urbanisation is that grouping of people helps in social and

cultural integration of traditions which is not possible in rural areas.

 Urbanisation also helps in the improvement of technologies. As population

increases multinational firms start investing in information technology and
other sectors.

 An impact on the environment and quality of life, pollution in cities is greater

due to traffic, congestion of vehicles and poor collection of waste; cities often
exceed the natural capacity to absorb waste which harms health.
  As the economy of the city rises, its cost of living also rises. Thus, living in big
cities is more expensive than living in small urban cities.

 As population swell for the need of land to build houses and industries increases
thus reducing land for agriculture. The land that is left for agriculture uses too
much of fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides thus devaluing the quality of
land.

 With an increase in population crime rates in the city also increases. The more
the society opens up to the world and new culture become integrated the more
complex are the crimes like prostitution and human trafficking. Many person
are also trafficked to city with promise of good paying jobs or other
opportunities and later are pushed into prostitution or slavery.

5. Feminism:
Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that
share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal,
and social equality of sexes. This includes seeking to establish educational and
professional opportunities for women that are equal to those for men.

 When women are given equal power due to feminism, they develop a self of
belongingness which encourages them to contribute more to the people around
them both personally as well as professionally.

 Feminism aids in addressing the taboo our society has regarding rights of
women and it also enlightens public regarding the importance of equality among
the genders.

 It carves the path of self-respect and admiration for women when they are given
equal social status in the society.

 It also makes men understand their role in house and promotes them to spend
more time with their family and also indulge in household activities.

 There can be several negative effects of feminism seen in a woman’s personal

life since demanding for equal rights in every sector will lead to chaos and
misunderstanding in relationships.

 In a way, feminism is carving discrimination between men and women by

demanding for equal rights for them, hence portraying that men are dominant in
the society. It also segregates men and women.
Conclusion
Sociological Imagination provides individual students, scientific researchers and theorists with
the benefit of observing, gaining knowledge and insight into various sociological phenomenon,
and reflectively determining what these mean to and for oneself, one’s community, and for
society as a whole - without the risk and expense of complicated social experimentation.