Sociological imagination definition and examples

Difference between history and biography in sociology
Sociological imagination examples
Biography and history sociological imagination

•

About Sociology

In his work, The Sociological Imagination (1959), C. Wright Mills wrote, "Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both."

In other words, Mills claimed that the discipline of sociology is the study of the connection between individuals and society, between personal troubles and public issues. Understanding both the life of an individual, and the history and structure of a society, requires the sociological imagination.

Sociologists, according to Mills, were in the unique position among social scientists of cultivating a sociological imagination that could grasp that individuals' actions, behaviors, histories, and seemingly "personal" troubles could only be understood as effects of social organization: as public issues. Mills' hope was that through understanding the actual dynamics that shape our lives - individually and collectively - we would also develop the tools and strategies to effect positive social change.

Sociology at Whittier embraces this Millsian tradition and we believe that so

•

1.6: History and Biography

Last updated
Save as PDF

Every person analyzes and evaluates the world from a subjective perspective or viewpoint. Subjective concerns rely on judgments rather than external facts. Personal feelings and opinions from a person’s history and biography drive subjective concerns. The time period we live ( history ) and our personal life experiences ( biography ) influence our perspectives and understanding about others and the social world. Our history and biography guide our perceptions of reality reinforcing our personal bias and subjectivity.

Figure 2. The Influence of History and Biography on Perspective

Attribution: Copyright Vera Kennedy, West Hills College Lemoore, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Relying on subjective viewpoints and perspectives leads to diffusion of misinformation (inaccurate), disinformation (false or fake), and fallacies (unsound reasoning) that can be detrimental to our physical and socio-cultural environment and negatively impact our perceptions, considerations, and acceptance of others. It takes awareness and

•

Learning Outcomes

Define the sociological imagination
Apply the sociological imagination

Figure 1. The sociological imagination enables you to look at your life and your own personal issues and relate them to other people, history, or societal structures.

Many people believe they understand the world and the events taking place within it, even though they have not actually engaged in a systematic attempt to understanding the social world, as sociologists do. In this section, you’ll learn to think like a sociologist.

The sociological imagination, a concept established by C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) provides a framework for understanding our social world that far surpasses any common sense notion we might derive from our limited social experiences. Mills was a contemporary sociologist who brought tremendous insight into the daily lives of society’s members. Mills stated: “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both”. The sociological imagination is making the connection between personal challenges a