Many people in today’s society believes that the decisions they make or the problems they endure are simply due to their own choices. Although it may seem this way, society places a social structure on the lives of every person. The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills believes that this is the way society operates. According to Mills, “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both” (Mills 3). By this quote, Mill means that in order to understand one’s self, one has to understand the society that they are living in. Many people feel as though that “their private lives are a series of traps.” They feel as though they cannot overcome the problems they face in their everyday
…show more content…
In an article from the New York Time called No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle Class, Martinelli shares his story of how the social structure flipped his life upside down. He began his career right out of high school operating heavy machinery in the 70’s. He knew that with hard work, he could become successful. Martinelli believed he did not need an education to achieve success, and in that time he was right. With hard work and perseverance, he moved into a management role and was making six figures. Life was good and he believed that he was following the rules of the social structure, or the ones at least he thought he knew. One night he went to bed and when he woke up, the factory he worked at had closed. He did not lose his job because he was lazy or not good at what he did, he lost it because the social structure change and the desire or need for factory workers had ended. Now, with no degree, Martinelli’s options were limited. The question now is “how could this have been avoided?” The answer to this question is answer by Mills, pay attention to the trends and follow the rules of the changing social structure. If Martinelli was able to do this, he would have noticed the trend of college after high school and the importance of a degree. He also would have noticed that the need for factory workers was on a decline and that the end was soon to come. What happened to Martinelli was not a personal issue, it was public issue that affected all society. This same event happened to Mr. McClellan. He was the son of a doctor and considered going to college but he felt as though that he did not need to, it was not a rule of the social structure. Working at an aluminum factory for almost 30 years, his life was great until the plant closed in 2001. Now unable to find work, he has come to the conclusion that “There is no working up anymore.” Hard work and perseverance was
In an article from the New York Time called No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle Class, Martinelli shares his story of how the social structure flipped his life upside down. He began his career right out of high school operating heavy machinery in the 70’s. He knew that with hard work, he could become successful. Martinelli believed he did not need an education to achieve success, and in that time he was right. With hard work and perseverance, he moved into a management role and was making six figures. Life was good and he believed that he was following the rules of the social structure, or the ones at least he thought he knew. One night he went to bed and when he woke up, the factory he worked at had closed. He did not lose his job because he was lazy or not good at what he did, he lost it because the social structure change and the desire or need for factory workers had ended. Now, with no degree, Martinelli’s options were limited. The question now is “how could this have been avoided?” The answer to this question is answer by Mills, pay attention to the trends and follow the rules of the changing social structure. If Martinelli was able to do this, he would have noticed the trend of college after high school and the importance of a degree. He also would have noticed that the need for factory workers was on a decline and that the end was soon to come. What happened to Martinelli was not a personal issue, it was public issue that affected all society. This same event happened to Mr. McClellan. He was the son of a doctor and considered going to college but he felt as though that he did not need to, it was not a rule of the social structure. Working at an aluminum factory for almost 30 years, his life was great until the plant closed in 2001. Now unable to find work, he has come to the conclusion that “There is no working up anymore.” Hard work and perseverance was