Introduction to Sociology

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14. 
    Which is the best description of the sociological imagination?
    
    1. 
       It is a way of thinking that looks at personal troubles in the context of larger public issues.
       
    2. 
       It is a way of thinking that defines an incident by the observable behaviors.
       
    3. 
       It imagines what the future might be like.
       
    4. 
       It is a way of understanding a person’s biological make-up.
       

15. 
    Who coined the phrase “the sociological imagination”?
    
    1. 
       Auguste Comte
       
    2. 
       Emile Durkheim
       
    3. 
       Karl Marx
       
    4. 
       C. Wright Mills
       

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A majority of personal problems are not experienced as exclusively personal issues, but are influenced and affected by social norms, habits, and expectations. Consider issues like homelessness, crime, divorce, and access to healthcare. Are these all caused by personal choices, or by societal problems? Using the sociological imagination, we can view these issues as interconnected personal and public concerns.
For example, homelessness may be blamed on the individuals who are living on the streets. Perhaps their personal choices influenced their position; some would say they are lazy, unmotivated, or uneducated. This approach of blaming the victim fails to account for the societal factors that also lead to homelessness—what types of social obstacles and social failings might push someone towards homelessness? Bad schools, high unemployment, high housing costs, and little family support are all social issues that could contribute to homelessness. C. Wright Mills, who originated the concept of the sociological imagination, explained it this way: “the very structure of opportunities has collapsed. Both the correct statement of the problem and the range of possible solutions require us to consider the economic and political institutions of the society, and not merely the personal situation and character of a scatter of individuals.”