1. Introduction
Divorce has become a prominent feature in modern day families. For children of divorced families especially, it can feel isolating and unique to the individual. Through using sociological imagination, the situation can be viewed through a different perspective and it can be determined if being a child of divorced parents is a personal problem or it forms part of a larger, public issue.
2. Sociological Imagination
Sociological imagination according to C.W. Mills, encompasses three aspects. In his book, he explains that sociological imagination “enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society” (Mills, 1959). This shows that history, biography and society are all connected. We can look at history and see how society was formed, and see how it is changing now. The “biography” part relates to the type of people that are in a society, and then the society itself as a structure, how the institutional orders work and interact with each other.
Sociological imagination is a type of critical …show more content…
Personal Problem versus a Public Issue
A problem can be defined as “something that is difficult to deal with” (Merriam- Webster , 2016). Therefore, a personal problem is something that is difficult to deal with and it affects the individual themselves. This problem can be a result of the person’s action or choices, or it can be a result of outside forces causing a problem for the person. Mills explains that a “trouble” occurs within one’s self and within the immediate relationships of that person (Mills, 1959). This problem is private and can normally be solved by the person themselves.
An issue is a public matter in which the people feel as if an understood and shared value has been threatened. The issue can be a culmination of different backgrounds and institutions of past society as a whole (Mills, 1959). These issues can be caused by various factors such as financial climate, natural disasters, race or
Divorce has become a prominent feature in modern day families. For children of divorced families especially, it can feel isolating and unique to the individual. Through using sociological imagination, the situation can be viewed through a different perspective and it can be determined if being a child of divorced parents is a personal problem or it forms part of a larger, public issue.
2. Sociological Imagination
Sociological imagination according to C.W. Mills, encompasses three aspects. In his book, he explains that sociological imagination “enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society” (Mills, 1959). This shows that history, biography and society are all connected. We can look at history and see how society was formed, and see how it is changing now. The “biography” part relates to the type of people that are in a society, and then the society itself as a structure, how the institutional orders work and interact with each other.
Sociological imagination is a type of critical …show more content…
Personal Problem versus a Public Issue
A problem can be defined as “something that is difficult to deal with” (Merriam- Webster , 2016). Therefore, a personal problem is something that is difficult to deal with and it affects the individual themselves. This problem can be a result of the person’s action or choices, or it can be a result of outside forces causing a problem for the person. Mills explains that a “trouble” occurs within one’s self and within the immediate relationships of that person (Mills, 1959). This problem is private and can normally be solved by the person themselves.
An issue is a public matter in which the people feel as if an understood and shared value has been threatened. The issue can be a culmination of different backgrounds and institutions of past society as a whole (Mills, 1959). These issues can be caused by various factors such as financial climate, natural disasters, race or