1

The Sociological Imagination Essay Introduction & Planning

Jeanette Irambona

Galen College of Nursing

Sociology 1305

Dr. Johnson

11/09/2022
 2

The Sociological Imagination Essay Introduction & Planning

Developed by Charles Wright Mills, the sociological imagination as a concept

provides a substantial framework for understanding how human life has been historically

conditioned by social institutions as well as how to establish the interconnection between

personal troubles and public issues. The sociological imagination refers to a framework used

to articulate social reality that locates specific personal experiences within a broader

historical and social context. Sociological imagination, according to Little et al. (2015), is

described as the awareness of the relationship between an individual’s experience and

behavior and the wider culture that influence the person’s perceptions and choices. There are

various personal experiences that can be related to and explained within the confines of the

sociological imagination.

I would apply sociological imagination to explain the influence of social media on my

life. The 21st century social media has played a critical role in enhancing my self-awareness

and improving my critical thinking skills. Social media creates and perpetuates standards for

what is considered acceptable and what is not acceptable. Media information about specific

behavior and new norms have the capacity to persuade an individual into accepting them.

From a social perspective, media information creates a relatively common knowledge of a

certain norm and enhances social coordination leading to increased acceptance by

individuals. Through experience, I have learnt that social media platforms such as Facebook,

Twitter, and Instagram tend to increase the risk of self-harm, loneliness, depression, and

anxiety. The sociological concepts used in this chapter will be drawn from Chapter 1

(Introduction to Sociology), Chapter 5 (Socialization), and Chapter 8 (Socialization) (Media

and Technology). Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that I intend to apply to

my personal situation.
 3

Reference

OpenStax. (2015). Introduction to Sociology 2e. Huston, TX (2015). Introduction to

Sociology-2e. Retrieved from : https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-2e?

Book%20details