In today’s world we spend our daily life at work, hanging out with friends, watching television and surfing on internet. Our life is too narrow and isolated to understand the complexity of social world. Thousands of communities exist and Countless interactions transpire within a social world about which we not know about. Our experiences are too limited to grasp a broader picture of social world. But then again, how can we comprehend the complexity of social world? We can analyze social world via the framework called sociological imagination. C. wright Mills presented and pioneered the theoretical framework “sociological imagination” in his most influential work “The sociological imagination” (1959). Sociological imagination refers to the ability to realize that apparent interpersonal problems are depiction of larger social structure.
According to C.W. Mills society can be examined via, two major factors these include, “troubles” and “issues”. In this context troubles mean, the challenges individuals face on personal level. Whereas, issues refer to, the challenges on larger social level. He argued that, neither life of an individual nor the history of society could be comprehended absent the knowledge of both (Troubles and issues).
Interpersonal problems are caused by our character or because of our relationships with others. We function as actors in our personal life because we make different choices or decisions regarding our friends, family, education, groups and other things which are in our control. The negative outcome of the choices or decisions we make are called troubles. For instance, if a college student who does not attend classes, plays video game with his friends 5 days in a week and never submit his assignment has a personal problems; which diminishes his chance of success in college. Whereas, if 60 % students fail in college exams and do not graduate from college is a social problem (issue).
Generally, we do not consider the effects of social structure on our social life. Social problems are the outcome of social laws; which regulate human social behavior. We usually blame ourselves for the problems we encounter within a society. Even though, they are not personal problem but social issues; which are the product of social environment. We have control over our personal problems whereas, we cannot control social issues. For instance, in a country where 50% people are unemployed as well as, living under poverty line; suggests that, being poor and unemployed are not personal problems of individuals however, social problems. Issues such as these reflects the social structure of a given country.
Moreover, if a student fails in college exams, it does not necessarily mean that he is stupid. However, He might be experiencing conflicting roles and role expectations. He could be the only bread winner in his family. Therefore, he has to work 24 hours a week to support his family. For that reason, he may not have enough time to study for exams. As a student at college it is expected from him to study hard and get good grades. On the other hand, as an elder son and elder brother within a family; it is expected from him to work hard and financially support his parents and siblings. Conflicting roles and roles expectation are two among many factors which influence the social behavior of individual.
Theories such as social imagination and social facts are central to sociology. Because, these theories delivered a new perspective to comprehend society and human social behavior. Owing to, sociological imagination we can understand that, individual personalities are not the only factor which influence their social behavior. However, social structure affects social behavior of individual as well. Moreover, social problems such as, divorce, unemployment, poverty, crimes and drug abuse cannot be resolved by merely focusing on individual personalities. We have to identify and change dysfunctional component of social structure as well, in order to eliminate social problems. Social imagination offers a new outlook to identify and resolve the common problem individual encounter within a given society.
Written by; Khushdil Khan Kasi