Sociological Imagination C Wright Mills Analysis

C. Wright Mills is widely considered to be one of the most influential sociologist in history. The effects of his publications can be seen in the ideas and works of the majority of sociologist that have come after him. His book, The Sociological Imagination, is thought to be one of the most important and revolutionary works ever published in the field of sociology. In The Sociological Imagination, Mills explained his personal approach to studying sociology, distinguishing it from that of other popular sociologist of the time, while criticizing some other approaches. He argued that many sociologist have veered away from the traditional way of studying society in favor of conducting research for the government. Mills viewed sociology as the …show more content…
Mills defines personal troubles as problems that occur in a person’s personal relationships. They directly affect the small group of people of whom the troubles exist within; however, they have very little effect on society as a whole. On the other hand, public issues are described as problems that have a widely felt effect on society as a whole. Most of society is effect by public issues, however they do not cause as much of a strain on a single person as personal troubles. It can often be difficult to interpret whether a problem is a personal trouble or a public issue because in many causes, they are so closely related that they can be interpreted as either or. For example, a married couple going through a divorce can be viewed as a personal trouble in the sense that it involves and influences very few people in the grand scheme of things. While it greatly affects the husband, wife, their family and their friends, it has very little effect on the rest of society. However, as divorces becomes more and more common, it begins to become a public issue. People begin to question whether we are pressuring people to get married too early. A person using their sociological imagination would take a step back and view the ever growing rate of divorce and begin to …show more content…
I have realized that in order to better understand the situation I am faced with, it is important to attempt to view the situation from an outside perspective without my preconceived biases. While this is an unnatural feeling, and not something most people are born with the ability to do, it has allowed me to see that the benefits of that way of thinking can offer. With a sociological imagination, you are able to understand where the other parities faults lie and, more importantly, understand where your personal faults lie. A sociological imagination would allow me to view person troubles as more public issues and as a result, less the personal burden I feel due to the issue. For example, with the academic year coming to an end, I have begun searching for a summer job. While doing this, I have come to a realization that finding a job is much more difficult that it sounds. Few companies are looking to hire someone who is only capable of working for four months before leaving. The few summer positions available are so competitive that in order to get ones foot in the door, you are essentially required to already have a personal relationship with somebody involved with the company. While initially this can feel as though it is a personal trouble and it is in some way my fault that I have not made the connections necessary to get my foot in the door, with a step back, I am able to see that