Mills ' Sociological Imagination

Mills ' Sociological Imagination

Wright Mills believed that it is impossible to either understand a person's life or the history of a society without the other; that is, both must be understood together. He encouraged people to stop looking at themselves alone and instead focus on society as a whole. It implies that if one took Mill’s stance, they would start to believe that all the challenges facing them in life as individuals are caused by society and the other people forming the society. However, in some instances, it is hard for one to believe Mill’s perspective since some of the problems that people face are unique to them at individual levels.

Example: College Choices and Social Imagination

Taking into consideration that one has to make when making applications to join a college, one may think of it as a solitary path, where all the choices made are for them to deal with. They may look at it in terms of passing tests and nailing the college entrance essays. However, the personal situation is not limited to the one making the college choices. Instead, it is broader to the extent that it goes beyond one's individual world, taking into consideration the roles and contributions of family members, school teachers, and friends or role models.

The final choice of the college that one makes is thus subject to:

Whether their friends have an interest or expecting something concerning the college that they chose: If friends, especially those who have been to colleges, suggest that one should join a particular college, chances are there that the choice will not be individual but one that is made out of a borrowed idea. The influence may be in the capacity of a role to the individuals seeking to join college.

Whether the family is pushing them to consider a particular subject of study that one might not be interested in: Family members can influence one’s choice to join the college, especially if they have a preference for a given course; hence it cannot be an individual choice if one decides as much as the final decision is individual.

Whether one has a long family history with a given college or another: Mills believes that notions about something in the family influence the decisions made by family members. When choosing a college, factors like economic status in the family may limit the choices made, especially if some of the family members study there at an affordable cost and still relate well with the institution.

Whether the teachers are pushing them to join a given college over the other or pursue a given study the of their choice: Teachers being critical components of one’s academia, plays a significant role that would influence one’s decision to join college.

In this perspective, the task of choosing a college is not solitary; rather, it can be an experience out of sociological imagination. In Mill's philosophy, one should not focus on themselves when making choices for the colleges they join, but they are likely to make choices subject to other factors within the society. Accordingly, the basic question for one to answer would be why they are making a choice for the college like they are doing, out of which they will be able to see why it cannot be an individual choice.