A Review of Social Imagination According to Charles Wright Mills

Charles Wright Mills was born on August 28, 1916 in Texas. He attained a degree in sociology at the University of Texas. He went ahead to achieve a masters in philosophy from the same university in 1939 where he had published two sociology journals while still a student. These are journals are namely; American sociology Review and American journal of Sociology. He wanted people to understand the role of sociologists and take control of their lives by exercising sociological imagination.

Sociological Imagination

According to Mills, Sociological imagination enables an individual to grasp the meaning of history in relationship their lives and their careers. It is a quality of mind that makes people to understand biography and history and their relationship in the society (Mills, 2000). He wanted people to understand that sociology is not limited to the sociology academics but everyone should attempt to use it. He argues that sociology connects ones biography and institutions context (History). Since people interact with families and friends, this localized group represents the society and the sociologist refers them to as social institutions. To exercise sociological imagination to understand how social institutions conditions your life such that you take control of your life instead of accepting what is happening as dictated by circumstances is very empowering. (Gerth, 1964).

Using Ones Sociological Imagination

When Studying social structures, social change and social action which form basis of sociology you should ask yourself how we got to the state we are in and try to imagine where we would be if we had a different history and conditions. In conclusion, According to mills guidelines to intellectual workmanships in sociological imagination is the desire to view world from the perspective of others.