Bagwang, Nhormel V.

Understanding Culture, Society & Politics

ABM 12-12 Analytic Summary

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION, CHAPTER 1: THE PROMISE

In 1950’s, men are distinguished as impotent or weak. They seem not to have a
function in the global politics. Men felt that they are trapped as well. They go to their job and
be a worker then come home and be a family man. It’s like they are just doing the same thing
over and over again. To be able to apprehend the situation, people should adopt a
“sociological imagination”. In his article, Mills distinguishes sociological imagination as the
ability to perceive things socially, and exhibits how they affect and interact with each other.

Sociological imagination is indeed necessary at the present time for it correlates

personal troubles to public issues, connecting personal to historical, in order to convey a
complete reason of the society’s exigencies. Having sociological imagination means asking
questions and giving answers sociologically.

C. Wright Mills indicated three questions that sociologists usually question. First,
what is the structure of this particular society as a whole? Second, where does society stand
in human history? Then lastly, what varieties of men and women now prevail in this society
and this period? These questions seek to know how different groups, the society today and in
the past relate to each other and how people’s values are shaped by their surrounding
environment.

Sociology associates biography and history by altering personal problems as historical

ones and historical problems as personal ones. The distinction with which the sociological
imagination works is between the personal troubles and public issues. A trouble is a private
matter thus one’s self should deal with it and it requires personal solution. On the other hand,
An issue is a public matter thus the whole society is concerned.

The difference between trouble and issue is how they connect to ideas from individual
or society. Mills believes in the power of the sociological imagination, the personal troubles
can be connected to public issues. The public issues can also determine personal trouble, also
personal trouble can affect public issue. (Ji ea An, 2012)

Our private matters can affect our society. For example, one person became
unemployed because of a conflict with his company. From his perspective, he just loses his
work but when the number of these unemployed people multiplies due to the same problem
or reason as a whole, this leads to a rise of the unemployment rate which becomes a public
issue.

For instance, a married couple misunderstands each other and argues constantly, that
leads to their separation. It is a personal trouble but when the divorce rate increases
progressively then it becomes a structural issue. It has something to do with the institutions
of marriage, family and other institutions that have an effect upon them. From this, we can
say that understanding the sociological imagination is helpful in comprehending the relation
between individual and society and to handle better one’s life.

Moreover, we figure out that we can not provide personal solutions alone when we have
to deal with structural issues. We can not solve a rising unemployment rate by providing one
person a job. We can not sole a high divorce rate as well just by fixing the relationship of one
husband and wife. In solving social problems, we should give social solutions.

“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understand without
understanding both.” (11). As this quote shows, Mills believes that the individual can not
understand themselves as individuals, also they can’t understand their role in society without
his understanding. Moreover, it is required to understand the society in individual
perspectives. (Ji ea An, 2012)

Reference
The Sociological Imagination Summary and Analysis of Chapter 1. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 14, 2019, from: https://www.gradesaver.com/
the-sociological-imagination/study-guide/summary-chapter-1