Wright Mills stated that The sociological imagination [perspective] enables us to grasp the connection between history...

 

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Wright Mills stated that "The sociological imagination [perspective] enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography" (1959, p. 6). This imagination allows us to see the link between a person's behavior and the broader culture that shaped their choices. We can then place people's behavior in the context of historical forces and the social structure. As a society, we often explain problematic individual behavior as personal trouble. This is much easier. It allows us to place the sole oneness on the individual and absolves society as a whole of any responsibility for social problems. Applying the sociological imagination we can re-frame these personal troubles to social issues. Rather than focusing solely on an individual's troublesome behavior, we can ask what part the broader culture plays in contributing to that behavior. We can ask questions to look at the situation more holistically: If this is a personal trouble then why do so many individuals experience similar issues? What cultural norms support or enable this type of behavior? Are there systemic or economic forces at play that can help to explain this behavior? Are there gaps in societal resources and support that this problematic behavior seeks to fill? intent of the sociological imagination is not to ignore individual accountability. Rather it is to look beyond the individual for a more comprehensive understanding of an issue. Wright Mills stated that "The sociological imagination [perspective] enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography" (1959, p. 6). This imagination allows us to see the link between a person's behavior and the broader culture that shaped their choices. We can then place people's behavior in the context of historical forces and the social structure. As a society, we often explain problematic individual behavior as personal trouble. This is much easier. It allows us to place the sole oneness on the individual and absolves society as a whole of any responsibility for social problems. Applying the sociological imagination we can re-frame these personal troubles to social issues. Rather than focusing solely on an individual's troublesome behavior, we can ask what part the broader culture plays in contributing to that behavior. We can ask questions to look at the situation more holistically: If this is a personal trouble then why do so many individuals experience similar issues? What cultural norms support or enable this type of behavior? Are there systemic or economic forces at play that can help to explain this behavior? Are there gaps in societal resources and support that this problematic behavior seeks to fill? intent of the sociological imagination is not to ignore individual accountability. Rather it is to look beyond the individual for a more comprehensive understanding of an issue.

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