What is the sociological imagination and how does it differ from the sociological eye?
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journal article The Sociological Eye and Its BlindersContemporary Sociology Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan., 1998) , pp. 2-7 (6 pages) Published By: American Sociological Association https://doi.org/10.2307/2654697 https://www.jstor.org/stable/2654697 Read and download Log in through your school or library Alternate access options For independent researchers Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Purchase article $14.00 - Download now and later Journal Information Contemporary Sociology (CS) publishes reviews and critical discussions of recent works in sociology and in related disciplines which merit the attention of sociologists. Since not all sociological publications can be reviewed, a selection is made to reflect important trends and issues in the field. Please note that CS does not accept unsolicited reviews. Publisher Information American Sociological Association Mission Statement: Serving Sociologists in Their Work Advancing Sociology as a Science and Profession Promoting the Contributions and Use of Sociology to Society The American Sociological Association (ASA), founded in 1905, is a non-profit membership association dedicated to advancing sociology as a scientific discipline and profession serving the public good. With over 13,200 members, ASA encompasses sociologists who are faculty members at colleges and universities, researchers, practitioners, and students. About 20 percent of the members work in government, business, or non-profit organizations. As the national organization for sociologists, the American Sociological Association, through its Executive Office, is well positioned to provide a unique set of services to its members and to promote the vitality, visibility, and diversity of the discipline. Working at the national and international levels, the Association aims to articulate policy and impleme nt programs likely to have the broadest possible impact for sociology now and in the future. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. The sociological imagination is the practice of being able to “think ourselves away” from the familiar routines of our daily lives to look at them with fresh, critical eyes. Sociologist C. Wright Mills, who created the concept and wrote the definitive book about it, defined the sociological imagination as “the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society." The sociological imagination is the ability to see things socially and how they interact and influence each other. To have a sociological imagination, a person must be able to pull away from the situation and think from an alternative point of view. This ability is central to one's development of a sociological perspective on the world. The BookIn The Sociological Imagination, published in 1959, Mills' goal was to try to reconcile two different and abstract concepts of social reality—the "individual" and "society." In doing so, Mills challenged the dominant ideas within sociology and critiqued some of the most basic terms and definitions. While Mills’s work was not well received at the time as a result of his professional and personal reputation—he had a combative personality—The Sociological Imagination is today one of the most widely read sociology books and is a staple of undergraduate sociology courses across the United States. Mills opens with a critique of then-current trends in sociology, then goes on to explain sociology as he sees it: a necessary political and historical profession. The focus of his critique was the fact that academic sociologists at that time often played a role in supporting elitist attitudes and ideas, and in reproducing an unjust status quo. Alternatively, Mills proposed his ideal version of sociological practice, which hinged on the importance of recognizing how individual experience and worldview are products of both the historical context in which they sit and the everyday immediate environment in which an individual exists. Connected to these ideas, Mills emphasized the importance of seeing the connections between social structure and individual experience and agency. One way one can think about this, he offered, is to recognize that what we often experience as "personal troubles," like not having enough money to pay our bills, are actually "public issues"—the result of social problems that course through society and affect many, like systemic economic inequality and structural poverty. Mills recommended avoiding strict adherence to any one methodology or theory, because practicing sociology in such a way can and often does produce biased results and recommendations. He also urged social scientists to work within the field of social science as a whole rather than specializing heavily in sociology, political science, economics, psychology, etc. While Mills' ideas were revolutionary and upsetting to many within sociology at the time, today they form the bedrock of sociological practice. ApplicationThe concept of the sociological imagination can be applied to any behavior. Take the simple act of drinking a cup of coffee. We could argue that coffee is not just a drink, but rather it has symbolic value as part of day-to-day social rituals. Often the ritual of drinking coffee is much more important than the act of consuming the coffee itself. For example, two people who meet “to have coffee” together are probably more interested in meeting and chatting than in what they drink. In all societies, eating and drinking are occasions for social interaction and the performance of rituals, which offer a great deal of subject matter for sociological study. The second dimension to a cup of coffee has to do with its use as a drug. Coffee contains caffeine, which is a drug that has stimulating effects on the brain. For many, this is why they drink coffee. It is interesting sociologically to question why coffee addicts are not considered drug users in Western cultures, though they might be in other cultures. Like alcohol, coffee is a socially acceptable drug whereas marijuana is not. In other cultures, however, marijuana use is tolerated, but both coffee and alcohol consumption is frowned upon. Still, the third dimension to a cup of coffee is tied to social and economic relationships. The growing, packaging, distributing, and marketing of coffee are global enterprises that affect many cultures, social groups, and organizations within those cultures. These things often take place thousands of miles away from the coffee drinker. Many aspects of our lives are now situated within globalized trade and communications, and studying these global transactions is important to sociologists. Possibilities for the FutureAnother aspect to the sociological imagination on which Mills laid the most emphasis was our possibilities for the future. Sociology not only helps us to analyze current and existing patterns of social life, but it also helps us to see some of the possible futures open to us. Through the sociological imagination, we can see not only what is real, but also what could become real should we desire to make it that way. What is a sociological eye?Writings by the Sociologist Randall Collins. The sociological eye means looking at things for what they are, as best we can given the blinders of interest and ideology, of cliché and ritualized belief. It is not an individual enterprise.
How is sociological perspective different from sociological imagination?The difference between the two is: Sociological Imagination- provides us with the ability to see the relationship between the individual experience and the larger society. Sociological Perspective- allows us find out why people do the things they do.
What is the sociological imagination quizlet?sociological imagination. an awareness of the relationship between who we are as individuals and the social forces that shape our lives. private troubles. obstacles that individuals face as individuals rather than as a consequence of the social position.
How does the sociological eye affect society?A sociological eye enables you to see what others may not notice. It allows you to peer beneath the surface of a situation and discern social patterns. The sociological imagination gives you the ability to connect what is happening in your own life and in the lives of others to social patterns in the larger society.
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