The Sociological Imagination
Although though the scope and methodology of sociological investigations vary, the sociologists involved in them all share a similar trait. Each of them employs the sociological imagination, also known as the "sociological lens" or the "sociological perspective," which was first described by the pioneering sociologist C. Wright Mills. This was sort of Mills' response to the problems with the macro/micro division in sociology. According to Mills, sociological imagination refers to how people interpret their own and others' pasts in light of history and social structure (1959). It is the ability to understand a person's personal struggles in light of the larger societal forces that shape them. As a result, the sociologist can investigate what Mills dubbed "personal milieu issues."It is the ability to understand a person's personal struggles in light of the larger societal forces that shape them. Because of this, the sociologist is able to compare what Mills referred to as "personal milieu concerns" to "public issues of social structure" and vice versa.
According to Mills, personal issues like being overweight, unemployed, experiencing marital conflict, or feeling hopeless or depressed might be wholly personal in character. They can be discussed and interpreted in terms of one's own or other persons in one's immediate environment's personal, psychological, or moral characteristics. In truth, this is how people are most likely to view their problems in our individualistic society: "I have an addicted mentality;"
"The work market is closed to me;" "My husband is not helpful," etc. Private issues, on the other hand, that are openly discussed with others point to a larger social issue with roots in the way social life is organised. The problems are now not sufficiently understood as merely personal difficulties. They are best handled as public problems that demand a team effort to solve.
In North America, for instance, it is now widely acknowledged that obesity is a major issue affecting both children and adults. According to figures cited by Michael Pollan, one in five Americans and three out of five Americans are overweight or obese (2006). Just under one in five persons (18.4%) in Canada were obese in 2012, compared to 16% of men and 14.5 % of women in 2003. (Statistics Canada 2013). So, obesity is not just a personal problem involving the health conditions, eating preferences, or exercise routines of certain people. People are at risk for chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease as a result of this highly prevalent social issue. The medical system also incurs enormous societal costs as a result.
According to Pollan, obesity is partly a result of the modern, capitalist society's increasingly sedentary and stressful lifestyle, but more importantly, it is a result of the industrialisation of the food chain, which has produced increasingly abundant and inexpensive food since the 1970s that has significantly more calories due to processing. The 1980s saw a rise in the consumption of super-sized fast food and soft drinks due to the use of additives like corn syrup, which are produced at a far lower cost than natural sugars. In the store, it can be difficult to obtain processed foods without a cheap, calorie-dense corn-based additive, as Pollan contends.
Sociologists can investigate what shapes behaviour, attitudes, and culture by observing how individuals and society interact through this lens. They attempt to achieve this without allowing their personal prejudices and preconceived notions to affect their conclusions by employing systematic and scientific procedures to this process.
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