Many people believe they understand the world and the events taking place within it, even

though they have not actually engaged in a systematic attempt to understanding the social world,
as sociologists do. In this section, you’ll learn to think like a sociologist.

The sociological imagination, a concept established by C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) provides a

framework for understanding our social world that far surpasses any common sense notion we
might derive from our limited social experiences. Mills was a contemporary sociologist who
brought tremendous insight into the daily lives of society’s members. Mills stated: “Neither the
life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding
both”[1]. The sociological imagination is making the connection between personal challenges and
larger social issues. Mills identified “troubles” (personal challenges) and “issues” (larger social
challenges), also known as biography, and history, respectively. Mills’ sociological imagination
allows individuals to see the relationships between events in their personal lives (biography), and
events in their society (history). In other words, this mindset provides the ability for individuals
to realize the relationship between their personal experiences and the larger society in which they
live their lives.
Personal troubles are private problems experienced within the character of the individual and
the range of their immediate relation to others. Mills identified that we function in our personal
lives as actors and actresses who make choices about our friends, family, groups, work, school,
and other issues within our control. We have a degree of influence on the outcome of matters
within this personal level. A college student who parties 4 nights out of 7, who rarely attends
class, and who never does his homework has a personal trouble that interferes with his odds of
success in college. However, when 50% of all college students in the United States never
graduate, we label it as a larger social issue.
Larger social or public issues are those that lie beyond one’s personal control and the range of
one’s inner life. These pertain to broader matters of organization and process, which are rooted
in society rather than in the individual. Nationwide, students come to college as freshmen who
are often ill-prepared to understand the rigors of college life. They haven’t often been challenged
enough in high school to make the necessary adjustments required to succeed in college.
Nationwide, the average teenager text messages, surfs the Net, plays video games, watches TV,
spends hours each day with friends, and works at least part-time. Where and when would he or
she get experience focusing attention on college studies and the rigorous self-discipline required
to transition into college?
The real power of the sociological imagination is found in how we learn to distinguish between
the personal and social levels in our own lives. This includes economic challenges. For example,
many students do not purchase required textbooks for college classes at both 2-year colleges and
4-year colleges and universities. Many students simply do not have the money to purchase
textbooks, and while this can seem like a “choice,” some of the related social issues include
rising tuition rates, decreasing financial aid, increasing costs of living and decreasing wages. The
Open Educational Resource (OER) movement has sought to address this personal trouble as
a public issue by partnering with institutional consortia and encouraging large city and state
institutions to adopt OER materials. A student who does not purchase the assigned textbook
might see this as a private problem, but this student is part of a growing number of college
students who are forced to make financial decisions based on structural circumstances.
Which is the best description of the sociological imagination?
The question has been evaluated. Your choice is correct.
Multiple Choice Question
 It is a way of understanding a person’s biological make-up.

It is a way of thinking that looks at personal troubles in the context of larger public issues.
Correct. It is also described as an awareness of individual problems as being part of larger societal structures.

It is a way of thinking that defines an incident by the observable behaviors.

It imagines what the future might be like.

Check Answer

Who coined the phrase "the sociological imagination"?

The question has been evaluated. Your choice is incorrect.
Multiple Choice Question

Auguste Comte
Incorrect. Please try again.

Èmile Durkheim

Karl Marx

C. Wright Mills

Check Answer

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.”