Sociological Imagination: Why Religion Matters

“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” C. Wright Mills. Sociological Imagination is a term that Mills uses to describe the ability to “think yourself away from the familiar routines of everyday life.” and then to look at this in a different perspective. It is the way we can relate our lives to society. These outside sources can shape our lives as a whole. We can not hide from what society puts in front of us. It may seem funny that society can change us in the ways that it does. In my life, the social institute that has had a big role in shaping my life is religion.
From the moment that I entered this world, religion has shaped me into the person who I am today. My Catholic faith has given me the guidelines to live my life. It has shaped my morals and values that I adhere to each day. The Catholic faith helps me to make sense about what is happening in the world. It has enabled me to search within to find solutions to problems that I have been faced with in the past. In my everyday life I feel I am a better person because of my religion since I pray regularly and I serve my family, church and community. It has also helped me to make decisions in life when I have been bombarded with the social media about issues facing society. The …show more content…
Fagan comments on the importance of religion to the welfare of our nation. He goes on to list the positive consequences of the practice of religion. “Regular religious practice generally inoculates individuals against a host of social problems, including suicide, drug abuse, out-of-wedlock births, crime, and divorce,” comments Fagan. Other benefits of regular practice of religion also encourages such “beneficial effects on mental health as less depression (a modern epidemic), more self-esteem, and greater family and marital happiness,” continues