I enjoyed listening to what Dr. Marshall had to say. She talked about Mills and how he said that we need to analyze ourselves and see how we fit into society. I can personally relate to the example she said about month to month expenses. I have been there and am still there, thinking it was all my own personal problem, when in turn I should be looking at it as a sociological problem, and what factors are contributing to the problem. Everyday I encounter people different from myself. Mills says we should step back and try to see things from someone else's perspective, this will help us better understand each other. He says the features of social life have meaning for individuals, that affects the values and character that make up the society. jam012
I guess based on what Mills says about analyzing ourselves to see how we fit into society, we are all basically in the same boat. My struggle might be different than yours, but the struggle to stay afloat is still the same. gogetit012
I think you did a great summary of the video. Your example of relating the information to yourself and your own life was quite interesting. It makes the information easier to understand. I think how Mills stated that we should step back and try to see things from someone else's perspective almost fits this situation. I was able to step back and see things from your perspective and understand it. -Blue22_012
Seriously, who doesn't understand the trials that one must face in order to survive month to month? We all have dreams of bigger and better things, but until we can get there, every day is a struggle. It is important to try and look at situations through another persons eyes in order to understand their struggle. It is easy for me to sit there and hand out my financial advice to others, and yet at the end of the day I am the one having trouble taking my own advice. However, by being able to understand a persons perspective and situation helps to show me what I am doing wrong and what I need to do tomorrow to help make my future brighter for not only myself, but my kids as well. gogetit012
I agree, we all have our own problems and I know I have been given advice before of how I should do things to get ahead but what worked for that person never works for me. Because even though we have similar problems it doesn't mean our situation is the same. what works for me won't work for you, and what works for you won't work for me. by taking that step back and getting the bigger picture maybe we can come up with plans that would help both of us. Techie_012
I agree with you on the handing out financial advice. I was fortunate enough to get a full time job at the age of nineteen, but I still face the day to day struggle with having to pay bills and other financial needs, and on top of that having to pay for school. I give out advice, which just like you said, I should be taking my own. crjgirl012
Dr. Marshall did a great job describing what C. Wright Mills was saying in his studies of Sociological Imagination. The examples she gives about people spending more then what they have, and in today's Society it is so true because everyone is trying to keep up with the person next door. we need to take a step back from ourselves and see if the problem in with ourselves or is it society. She made good points about heath care and education cost too much. Mills was very much against the Government taking control of things and that's what we have let happen. This is why we have so many people struggling in today's society, because we let the Government take over and make the decisions. Not that we don't need to do what we can to better ourselves. We all need to work our hardest to make sure we are do what we need to do to get things done, but don't kill yourself if you're doing everything right and you can't get ahead. It might not be something you have control over. Techie_012
I think it’s about trying to understand someone or a group of people one step further then the standard study. Mills would like you to conduct your study and also put yourself in that individual shoes, to help come up with the better conclusion and solution for the study. Someone who’s doing a study that is well-off or grew up in a rich household, might not come up with the same solution that somebody grew up in a working class family.
I like your comment about how people are spending more then what they have. In today's society that is very true. It is because like you stated people are trying to keep up with the person next door, but it is also because of credit cards. Many people think Ill buy it now and pay for it later with their credit cards and they do that many times in a month and then when their bill comes they have no money because they over spent. I kind of agree with your statement too about the government taking control of things, but I really feel as if a lot of people in today's society are struggling because of your first statement about spending more than they have and with the economy the way it is people don't have jobs. I guess it just depends on everyone's situation. RDH012
I agree with your post. It seems that even in a sound economy, it is hard to lunge forward while maintaining the basic. At one time, in our society, the government didn't take control as much as some liked. Those days, 80's, the people wanted small government and that's what we got until the early 90's. Then a shift in paradigm seemed to take place. Either way, it's hard to stay on top of things in this fast pace society where everything costs. And some folks can only cling on for so long. Good post! lawpro012
I really enjoyed what Dr. Marshall was saying.. It really put in perspective how much of a struggle it can be to get by. Everyone has there own struggle, and I think it's especially worse in college when you're just starting out because you don't have that complete financial standing yet. In the video she explained that we get ourselves in what we think a good stand point and then we get sick and have to go to the emergency room and we get a huge bill at the end of the month, which puts us right back at square one. Everything is too expensive nowadays. It really does make it hard to get by. Budgeting does help, but like I just said you get yourself into a situation sometimes that you can't help, and you have to deal with the aftermath and rebuild. crjgirl012
I totally understand what you're saying. It is very easy to give someone else advice on a matter only to not follow the same advice. Many of us have gone the path of getting 2 steps ahead, only to fall 3 steps back when something happens that isn't planned. Many people can put on a good act, like all is fine, only to realize deep down they are struggling like many others. jam012
I also agree with the statement you made. If people used sociological imagination and actually thought outside the box it would help so much. A lot of times people do not want to listen to the big picture they just want what they think they earned. There has to be a way or an organization that could help with situations like this. (Hound89) 012
I also agree with the statement you made. If people used sociological imagination and actually thought outside the box it would help so much. A lot of times people do not want to listen to the big picture they just want what they think they earned. There has to be a way or an organization that could help with situations like this. (Hound89) 012
I found this video on the Sociological imagination very easy to understand. Sociology at the time was made to be very back and forth with collecting data. The example that was used in the video was going out and counting how many beans there were in a field and then reporting to the government exactly how many beans were in that field. C. Wright Mills thought that this made it feel very disconnected to sociology and society in general. How the Sociological Imagination was formed was basically by Mills deciding that sociology should be more based on more of a quality of mind. That the reason the other basic bean counting wasn't working because there was no imagination and that caused sociologists to fail at grasping the bigger concepts within their work. Concepts such as relationships between you and how you fit into the bigger picture, that being history and especially society. I found this to be quite important because sociology would not be what it is today if it did not use imagination in its work. Sociologist would not be able to study or understand many things if they did not look at the bigger picture. -Blue22_012
This was so interesting! I've never looked at these situations like this! We can all relate to struggling to make ends meet every month, especially college students. Having to do extreme budgeting! When we should focus on the society as a whole and what we can all do to fix problems. Doing things as a whole gets it done faster, especially in structural problems. I love how she doesn't leave out the most important thing though. That we should all try our best to be successful no matter what the situations are! RRFBall012
agree with your statement completely. This video was definitely eye opening. And she does make good points definitely for college students making ends meet, but it also opens our eyes to realizing that it’s not only college students struggling in this world.. Properly using Sociological Imagination does in fact fix our problems faster, and even more efficiently.
I agree, this is interesting. Interesting in the fact that society, no matter from what class we're in suffer in the same areas. We just tend to keep it to ourselves and are more or less embarrassed to talk about it. It should be important for everyone to want to be successful. I see it all to often where households pass, down through generations, the idea that it is ok to just live off the system without putting forth the effort to better there situation. This is done because the system lets them. Not to say nobody doesn't deserve assistance, but I think anyone on assistance should have to pass random drug testing. I realize it would be costly, but we seem to pay for it now anyway. DaBearsandBulls012
I agree that societies should work together to accomplish greater things, but it isn't very realistic. People seem to have closed themselves off from most societies in which they live. Unless you live in a really small town, the chances that you know all your neighbors, converse with them daily or even occasionally, are relatively slim. I think that what C. Wright Mills was trying to convey, was more that while it is important to know the data and facts of the larger societal groups, to understand what is exactly going on, we need to know what is going on in an individual's life and work to understand how that correlates with the society as a whole. Firecracker012
Dr. Marshall’s video was very interesting. Putting imagination into a situation makes a lot of sense. The fact that thinking outside of the box and answering the question through social structure could help in many cases. The fact that people have so many problems in life and so many excuses: but because of the social structure of some situations it may seem hard for any issue to be resolved. I do agree that if more sociological imagination was used from people during situations it would help society deal with many of the problems that are occurring today. A lot of people do not look at the big picture. What is looked at the most is why something hasn’t been done yet during a certain situation. There are many things in life that is demanding and for a screw up there is no excuse for anything. Sociological imagination I think could solve many problems. (Hound89) 012.
I agree with your comment! I think if our society could use sociological imagination more than judging someone we might live in a better place! Using this method would help a lot of people look at the issues more openly and I think could help create more resolutions than more problems with people being judgemental. JenChango012
While watching this video, I found it interesting that C. Wright Mills had concluded that a person’s level of imagination was the independent variable in the difference between “effective sociological thought” and outright failing of a quality mind.
I liked the point she talks about (around the two minute thirty second mark) sociology needed to have people who were thinkers, not just people reporting what they thought the reality was, but getting a first-hand, legitimate feel of what the reality is. I also enjoyed the example she gave of using sociological imagination because that example features the typical components to the judging from outside the group. Though she mentions that the kids in her class would still need to put their efforts forward, she also talks about seeing their problems from their point of view. Thus, we see C. Wright Mills’ point of the sociological imagination being put to good use.
You do a good job of explaining what Dr. Marshall talked about in this video. I also enjoyed this video and liked hearing what she had to say about sociology needing people that were thinkers. That stuck out to me as well. Everything in this video was interesting and related well to our class. Starburst012
Dr. Marshall hit some great points in this video in explaining C. Wright Mills sociological imagination theory. A lot of people in today's society are fighting some type of struggle or battle. Sometimes this leads many people to suffer from anxiety and depression. But by using the sociological imagination or putting yourself in that person shoes, you have to stop and imagine what is causing this problem for that person. What are the factors leading this to happen? Special circumstances? Studying sociology and using the sociological imagination teaches you not to judge but empathize with others and what they are going through. I personally will get so caught up in an issue and surround my thoughts of how I am going to make this work? What can I change? Is there a solution? Then I have to stop and take the time and realize I am not the only person going through a situation but sometimes seek help or advice from others. JenChango012
I really liked you’re take on the video, JenChang012, and how you applied to people with depression or other mental illnesses. A lot of people don’t use the sociological imagination to put themselves in the other persons shoes. Everyone goes through different experiences and struggles that when other people look in on them, how the person acts or why they are acting that way may not be clear. I think Mills made a huge contribution to sociology with this, he basically told people, look you need to understand yourself and how you felt in situations and apply that to what you see around you. GoGreen012
I agree that sometimes it becomes so easy to just see what is happening to ourselves that we forget that there are others in the same situation. Looking to others and seeing what we are doing the same and what we are doing different can help to find solutions. And then you can see things out of your control that you can't change and find what you can. I like something you said and that's "Not to judge but empathize," and it's very true when trying to understand any group or individual person. Sometimes there are factors out of there control from the outside that has influenced something to happen. Empathizing is something that can be used alongside sociological imagination. ScientistSalarian012
While I agree with mills on some points that the studies had become very facts oriented I also disagree with them also. YOu must have the facts and the statistics to back up your research and also show that this needs to be addressed to change it. Without them you have no basis for a change.You have to see the things that are in need of changing then you can say this needs work in this areas lets address this and fix it to make everyone's lives a little better! Firedude012
crjgirl012 I couldn't agree more as americans we need to budget our money more effectively so that we can overcome the major debt that we have incurred upon ourselves. FIredude012
The sociological imagination. I think Mills wanted sociologist take it a step further. Mills did not want sociologist just doing surveys, studies and being numb to the people that they were studying he wanted you to think what would it be like to be that person or group, what they went through, to walk a mile in that person shoes. Come up with ideas to fix the problem. To see that it could be outside forces creating the whole problem for the individuals.
The doctor in the clip did a good job with her class talking about money and how something in life snowballs and it’s out of your control. That’s just life we all been there. BFD6866012
The sociological imagination. I think Mills wanted sociologist take it a step further. Mills did not want sociologist just doing surveys, studies and being numb to the people that they were studying he wanted you to think what would it be like to be that person or group, what they went through, to walk a mile in that person shoes. Come up with ideas to fix the problem. To see that it could be outside forces creating the whole problem for the individuals.
The doctor in the clip did a good job with her class talking about money and how something in life snowballs and it’s out of your control. That’s just life we all been there. BFD6866012
I think everyone in college can relate to what Dr. Marshall is saying. College is expensive and adds up quickly. It is hard to see how and why it's going to be worth it in the end. The sociological imagination is trying to imagine what everyone else is going through in society. There are a lot of people struggling, and it could be for a number of reasons, some of the examples she gave were healthcare, expensive car payments, insurance etc.This theory really just wants you to take a step back and imagination yourself in someone else shoes. What are they going through? How did they get there? You are NOT the only one going through something and struggling to get ends meet. Starburst012
I think you statement is very true. College is very expensive, even harder when you work full time and try and take care of a kid. I cant imagine how many other people struggle and worse then me or you. lilred012
I think Dr Marshall did a great job explaining Mills theory on sociological imagination. Too many people try and keep up with the "Jones," when in all reality is unrealistic. I live pay check to pay check, trying to keep a decent living area for my daughter and I. Yes, it is hard when you work full time and go to school full time, to keep up with monthly bills. I think Dr Marshall idea of trying to find ways to help people in these situations is a great idea. The example of the person who had a flat tire, is a great example of what happened to people all the time. Sometimes when one bad thing happened to you, you feel like bad things just keep happening. I have worked in the ER for a couple of years and sometimes the problems you might think you have, there is people that have way more problems then you could imagine. lilred012
I enjoyed listened to what she had to say, much better than the previous guy we watched. I didn’t know previously that C. Wright Mills had a great deal in sociology, with the sociological imagination. If your quality of mind wasn’t correct you would stray away from what you originally intended. By being able to identity with yourself, you are able to understand where you stand in society and sociology. You are able to gain a new perspective on situations that go on in everyday life and how they not only affect you, but others. Sociological imagination is different for everyone. Sociology needed people to not only report what was going on, but also see it in how it actually is, if that makes sense. I liked how when listening to her, you really got a grasp on what Mills did for sociology with the sociological imagination. I also liked her example of asking students about money. She was able to see the social problems, or begin to recognize them. GoGreen012
I enjoyed the video and I felt I could relate to most of it well. I have worked in the financial industry for several years now. I get information on people that tells me what they make, their debt load, and the problem they may be having at that time. They're coming to me because they need a loan for something. I can say I try to put myself in other people's position in order to see how I may handle it in that situation. Dr. Marshall talks about living check to check or month to month. My spouse and I both work full time jobs, while I go to school part time, and we make decent money. I handle the bills, groceries, etc. and feel that we struggle a lot of the time. For a family of six we spend $400-500 every 2 weeks on groceries. We don't have a choice in the prices we pay for things, or do we? The more people make, the more debt they tend to have. Spending problem, budgeting problem? There are definitely things we could do to better our financial situation. Needs over wants: $200 per month on cigs, $100 once or twice a month to get hair done? Making education more affordable was mentioned, I agree, but not just more affordable but more affordable for EVERYONE. Another was the housing market and "living the American dream" I don't see a benefit today for buying over renting. What someone bought their house for a few years back isn't what they can even get out of it today. Everything seems to snowball, hours cut at work so they're late on a payment. Since late on payment it affects their credit causing them to either not qualify for a "needed" loan or they qualify at a high rate, putting them further in debt. Almost every credit bureau I see, has medical collections on it. One thing changing soon is the way it will not effect the credit score when applying for a loan. We all must do what we can to help one another. Think before we judge. DaBearsandBulls012
I am very glad that Mills looked into Sociological Imagination and was an advocate for it because while it's good to just collect facts back and forth it truly limits how you can help people. You have to look beyond the raw data of the study to understand why a group acts the way they do or is in the situation they are in. Looking at the structure is such a great way of putting it. You have to have the ability to ask the questions and think outside of the numbers to bring forth solutions. And this may not be true in all situations but it is in a lot. If you want to understand people you have to look beyond just their actions or their situations but think of how they got there and why they act the way they do. Because once you find out structural influences then it can take more imagination to be able to come up with solutions. Albert Einstein was one of the most brilliant minds to grace this planet and he spoke so highly of imagination. Saying how imagination is more important than knowledge and logic will get you from A to B but imagination will take you anywhere. What Einstein has created that we today know as logic and fact first started as a concept he imagined and set forth to make it work. I say that to say that imagination is such a strong and important tool in any field of study and I truly believe that. ScientistSalarian012
As a bartender, I hear a lot about what is wrong in this or that person's personal life. On occasion I hear about what is wrong with our society in general. It is good that C. Wright Mills, stepped back from the data collecting macro-sociological view and made it more personal. Facts and data are helpful to understand and know, but unless you can understand the indivduals that make up the society you are studying, it remains pointless and unsolvable from a personal standpoint. In order to help the many you must first understand the one. Firecracker012
Dr. Marshall just suckered punched everyone I know in the gut with what was said in this video. I have never known a life where I wasn't living check to check. Sometimes that is my own fault because I smoke and have a smartphone and a motorcycle payment. Though sometimes it's our economy and society that is hindering us. Every time minimum wage increases so does the cost of living. How are we to ever break even? Not everyone wins the lottery. Maybe if the cost of school tuition was to go down or house payments or rent. Our society is so money driven that they don't see how much they hurt the little people. Instead they need top dollar for everything. That's what we are teaching our children. So then every generation it just gets worse and worse. We need to break this cycle and show that money doesn't make you happy. Instead living your life stress and worry free makes you happiest. Bikermama012
I agree our society has a disgusting drive for money and not only is it dangerous, its embarrassing to other countries. living check to check is just one example of the problem we could even get in to inflation let alone our waging issues. I agree with your statements and I even like the way you displayed them. (aphi012)
As easy as it sounds to step back a look at someone else's perspective, it is a really hard task. Everyone always tells us to not judge people until we walk a mile in their shoes, but there is no way anyone can do that fully. To a certain extent we can sympathize with what is going on in a persons life by past experiences we have had ourselves, but everyone reacts to things differently so we can truly never see it from another persons perspectives. Dr. Marshall also talked about how Mills says we need to analyze our selves and see where we fit into society. I personally feel by analyzing ourselves and finding out where we fit into society, it makes it harder for us to see another persons perspectives. I think this because then we know ourselves really well and how we want our life to be and in a way we stereotype ourselves so it is hard to break that. Everyone is a little stubborn and don't want to change, so when we figure out who we are if we like that person then we want to stay that person and not try and change ourselves to see life in someone else's perspective. Mill really makes some good points but in my eyes analyzing yourself and seeing where you fit into society and seeing things in another's perspective just don't work together. RDH012
I think in order to get a nonbiased of the reality whether it be a way of life, or any sociological issues on a global scale, I agree with Mills that you have to look at what the social problems are with a sociological imagination. It's difficult for us as a society not to judge others and their social situations without setting aside our personal morals or values from our own sociological experiences. When looking at society, we need to ask questions, such as, how did this social situation begin?, where did it come from?, what are the outside influences that had the positive or negative impact to result in the sociological standing it is today? I believe sociologists that are out in the field doing any kind of research today, that this is one of the most difficult challenges they face. Also proving their research is unbiased. I believe in order to prevent their personal opinions and social experiences through life not to influence their research and a way to do this would be through Mills philosophy of social imagination. Hbaby31012
I Learned a little perspective from this video for sure. I agree with Mills and saying that the science of global constructs needs intellectual thinkers about the formation, shape, and changes within our global society. Not just in our society but many others as well. I think it's important to get the information out there, the sooner the better, as it could serve a foundation to lean on and to add to the logic and theory. It takes many scientists or people to involve theory so we can see the bigger picture and use it to shape society for the better. We can also learn through trail and error, a form a mechanical theory, if something doesn't quite work within a society, to try and shape it so it can work, for example social conflict. And it's a very hard task to look into someone else's world and try to change things or shape their culture. lawpro012
I do agree that the most important perspective is to prove that theory based on a global scale, whether you're trying to capture the culture of a society, solve problems within a society, or do comparitive research that affects the world from a sociological perspective on a global scale, it all comes down to proving that theory, and the only way is by repetitive findings. Getting caught up in personal upbringings, where they came from, where u came from, what tragedies they went through or shortcomings anyone has experienced, will damage the outcome globally. No one person can possibly grasp the experiences of another unless that individual has experienced the same thing. Hbaby31012
I do agree that most of the problem on a global perspective.I think it could also be because of how the person was when he was growing up in a family that is rich or a family that is poor. No one can understand the experiences unless they have the same problems bears 012
I also agree with that a lot it depends on how the person was growing up in a family. Everyone is different growing up in a poor family and growing up in a rich family. That's totally true, no one can truly understand what and how it is to grow up poor or rich unless they have themselves. Army92012
I thought the video was very interesting Dr. Marshall touched on subjects that particularly pertained to me. Looking at things through a sociological imagination is slightly complicated especially when you have things in your environment that affect your way of thinking. Even when you think of the chart of human internal needs achievements are needed in order for a person to feel relevant. She explained in the video that her student expressed that she was doing everything right and things still went wrong things like that I feel can ruin someone permanently or even temporarily. She also touched on facts being a huge part of executive life decisions. Everything we do has to do with factual information not even just making decisions. For example having a friend with a bad temper you know what to say and not to say make them become upset and overwhelmed with anger due to previous situations you dealt with them personally. (Aphi012)
I like what you touched on in this post. It is hard to look at problems through the sociological imagination. Trying to lump everyone into one category is hard because like you said outside influences. I may have made enough money this month but my tires blew out and I had to replace them. Others may have a bigger problem like they are sick and need to get medical attention. The first problem might set you back a few weeks but the second problem could be a year or even more. The sociological imagination really feels like someone is saying walk a mile in my shoes then you really might understand. Zipping012
Mills felt that sociology needed great thinkers. The sociological idea is when a person looks at a problem and realizes it is not just themselves. When people have a problem they usually feel alone and helpless. Like one of my teachers has told me "we are more alike than we are different". Meaning we all struggle to pay bills, make enough to feed yourself or a family, or a thousand other things that makes us bonded. When we look at it as an individual the problem may have only a few options but if we look at a problem as a group it expands our options. The more people with the same problem show a change is needed and it may come. Every president promises jobs because many Americans do not have a job and need it. When they vote it is based off of their needs and as a society we decide what is important. Zipping012
I enjoyed listening to what Dr. Marshall had to say. She talked about Mills and how he said that we need to analyze ourselves and see how we fit into society. I can personally relate to the example she said about month to month expenses. I have been there and am still there, thinking it was all my own personal problem, when in turn I should be looking at it as a sociological problem, and what factors are contributing to the problem. Everyday I encounter people different from myself. Mills says we should step back and try to see things from someone else's perspective, this will help us better understand each other. He says the features of social life have meaning for individuals, that affects the values and character that make up the society. jam012
ReplyDeleteI guess based on what Mills says about analyzing ourselves to see how we fit into society, we are all basically in the same boat. My struggle might be different than yours, but the struggle to stay afloat is still the same. gogetit012
DeleteI think you did a great summary of the video. Your example of relating the information to yourself and your own life was quite interesting. It makes the information easier to understand. I think how Mills stated that we should step back and try to see things from someone else's perspective almost fits this situation. I was able to step back and see things from your perspective and understand it. -Blue22_012
DeleteSeriously, who doesn't understand the trials that one must face in order to survive month to month? We all have dreams of bigger and better things, but until we can get there, every day is a struggle. It is important to try and look at situations through another persons eyes in order to understand their struggle. It is easy for me to sit there and hand out my financial advice to others, and yet at the end of the day I am the one having trouble taking my own advice. However, by being able to understand a persons perspective and situation helps to show me what I am doing wrong and what I need to do tomorrow to help make my future brighter for not only myself, but my kids as well. gogetit012
ReplyDeleteI agree, we all have our own problems and I know I have been given advice before of how I should do things to get ahead but what worked for that person never works for me. Because even though we have similar problems it doesn't mean our situation is the same. what works for me won't work for you, and what works for you won't work for me. by taking that step back and getting the bigger picture maybe we can come up with plans that would help both of us.
DeleteTechie_012
I agree with you on the handing out financial advice. I was fortunate enough to get a full time job at the age of nineteen, but I still face the day to day struggle with having to pay bills and other financial needs, and on top of that having to pay for school. I give out advice, which just like you said, I should be taking my own.
Deletecrjgirl012
Dr. Marshall did a great job describing what C. Wright Mills was saying in his studies of Sociological Imagination. The examples she gives about people spending more then what they have, and in today's Society it is so true because everyone is trying to keep up with the person next door. we need to take a step back from ourselves and see if the problem in with ourselves or is it society. She made good points about heath care and education cost too much. Mills was very much against the Government taking control of things and that's what we have let happen. This is why we have so many people struggling in today's society, because we let the Government take over and make the decisions. Not that we don't need to do what we can to better ourselves. We all need to work our hardest to make sure we are do what we need to do to get things done, but don't kill yourself if you're doing everything right and you can't get ahead. It might not be something you have control over.
ReplyDeleteTechie_012
I think it’s about trying to understand someone or a group of people one step further then the standard study. Mills would like you to conduct your study and also put yourself in that individual shoes, to help come up with the better conclusion and solution for the study. Someone who’s doing a study that is well-off or grew up in a rich household, might not come up with the same solution that somebody grew up in a working class family.
DeleteBFD6866012
I like your comment about how people are spending more then what they have. In today's society that is very true. It is because like you stated people are trying to keep up with the person next door, but it is also because of credit cards. Many people think Ill buy it now and pay for it later with their credit cards and they do that many times in a month and then when their bill comes they have no money because they over spent. I kind of agree with your statement too about the government taking control of things, but I really feel as if a lot of people in today's society are struggling because of your first statement about spending more than they have and with the economy the way it is people don't have jobs. I guess it just depends on everyone's situation. RDH012
DeleteI agree with your post. It seems that even in a sound economy, it is hard to lunge forward while maintaining the basic. At one time, in our society, the government didn't take control as much as some liked. Those days, 80's, the people wanted small government and that's what we got until the early 90's. Then a shift in paradigm seemed to take place. Either way, it's hard to stay on top of things in this fast pace society where everything costs. And some folks can only cling on for so long. Good post! lawpro012
DeleteI really enjoyed what Dr. Marshall was saying.. It really put in perspective how much of a struggle it can be to get by. Everyone has there own struggle, and I think it's especially worse in college when you're just starting out because you don't have that complete financial standing yet. In the video she explained that we get ourselves in what we think a good stand point and then we get sick and have to go to the emergency room and we get a huge bill at the end of the month, which puts us right back at square one. Everything is too expensive nowadays. It really does make it hard to get by. Budgeting does help, but like I just said you get yourself into a situation sometimes that you can't help, and you have to deal with the aftermath and rebuild. crjgirl012
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you're saying. It is very easy to give someone else advice on a matter only to not follow the same advice. Many of us have gone the path of getting 2 steps ahead, only to fall 3 steps back when something happens that isn't planned. Many people can put on a good act, like all is fine, only to realize deep down they are struggling like many others. jam012
DeleteI also agree with the statement you made. If people used sociological imagination and actually thought outside the box it would help so much. A lot of times people do not want to listen to the big picture they just want what they think they earned. There has to be a way or an organization that could help with situations like this. (Hound89) 012
DeleteI also agree with the statement you made. If people used sociological imagination and actually thought outside the box it would help so much. A lot of times people do not want to listen to the big picture they just want what they think they earned. There has to be a way or an organization that could help with situations like this. (Hound89) 012
DeleteI found this video on the Sociological imagination very easy to understand. Sociology at the time was made to be very back and forth with collecting data. The example that was used in the video was going out and counting how many beans there were in a field and then reporting to the government exactly how many beans were in that field. C. Wright Mills thought that this made it feel very disconnected to sociology and society in general. How the Sociological Imagination was formed was basically by Mills deciding that sociology should be more based on more of a quality of mind. That the reason the other basic bean counting wasn't working because there was no imagination and that caused sociologists to fail at grasping the bigger concepts within their work. Concepts such as relationships between you and how you fit into the bigger picture, that being history and especially society. I found this to be quite important because sociology would not be what it is today if it did not use imagination in its work. Sociologist would not be able to study or understand many things if they did not look at the bigger picture. -Blue22_012
ReplyDeleteThis was so interesting! I've never looked at these situations like this! We can all relate to struggling to make ends meet every month, especially college students. Having to do extreme budgeting! When we should focus on the society as a whole and what we can all do to fix problems. Doing things as a whole gets it done faster, especially in structural problems. I love how she doesn't leave out the most important thing though. That we should all try our best to be successful no matter what the situations are! RRFBall012
ReplyDeleteagree with your statement completely. This video was definitely eye opening. And she does make good points definitely for college students making ends meet, but it also opens our eyes to realizing that it’s not only college students struggling in this world.. Properly using Sociological Imagination does in fact fix our problems faster, and even more efficiently.
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I agree, this is interesting. Interesting in the fact that society, no matter from what class we're in suffer in the same areas. We just tend to keep it to ourselves and are more or less embarrassed to talk about it. It should be important for everyone to want to be successful. I see it all to often where households pass, down through generations, the idea that it is ok to just live off the system without putting forth the effort to better there situation. This is done because the system lets them. Not to say nobody doesn't deserve assistance, but I think anyone on assistance should have to pass random drug testing. I realize it would be costly, but we seem to pay for it now anyway.
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I agree that societies should work together to accomplish greater things, but it isn't very realistic. People seem to have closed themselves off from most societies in which they live. Unless you live in a really small town, the chances that you know all your neighbors, converse with them daily or even occasionally, are relatively slim. I think that what C. Wright Mills was trying to convey, was more that while it is important to know the data and facts of the larger societal groups, to understand what is exactly going on, we need to know what is going on in an individual's life and work to understand how that correlates with the society as a whole. Firecracker012
DeleteDr. Marshall’s video was very interesting. Putting imagination into a situation makes a lot of sense. The fact that thinking outside of the box and answering the question through social structure could help in many cases. The fact that people have so many problems in life and so many excuses: but because of the social structure of some situations it may seem hard for any issue to be resolved. I do agree that if more sociological imagination was used from people during situations it would help society deal with many of the problems that are occurring today. A lot of people do not look at the big picture. What is looked at the most is why something hasn’t been done yet during a certain situation. There are many things in life that is demanding and for a screw up there is no excuse for anything. Sociological imagination I think could solve many problems. (Hound89) 012.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment! I think if our society could use sociological imagination more than judging someone we might live in a better place! Using this method would help a lot of people look at the issues more openly and I think could help create more resolutions than more problems with people being judgemental. JenChango012
DeleteWhile watching this video, I found it interesting that C. Wright Mills had concluded that a person’s level of imagination was the independent variable in the difference between “effective sociological thought” and outright failing of a quality mind.
ReplyDeleteI liked the point she talks about (around the two minute thirty second mark) sociology needed to have people who were thinkers, not just people reporting what they thought the reality was, but getting a first-hand, legitimate feel of what the reality is. I also enjoyed the example she gave of using sociological imagination because that example features the typical components to the judging from outside the group. Though she mentions that the kids in her class would still need to put their efforts forward, she also talks about seeing their problems from their point of view. Thus, we see C. Wright Mills’ point of the sociological imagination being put to good use.
-JrMac95012
You do a good job of explaining what Dr. Marshall talked about in this video. I also enjoyed this video and liked hearing what she had to say about sociology needing people that were thinkers. That stuck out to me as well. Everything in this video was interesting and related well to our class.
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Dr. Marshall hit some great points in this video in explaining C. Wright Mills sociological imagination theory. A lot of people in today's society are fighting some type of struggle or battle. Sometimes this leads many people to suffer from anxiety and depression. But by using the sociological imagination or putting yourself in that person shoes, you have to stop and imagine what is causing this problem for that person. What are the factors leading this to happen? Special circumstances? Studying sociology and using the sociological imagination teaches you not to judge but empathize with others and what they are going through. I personally will get so caught up in an issue and surround my thoughts of how I am going to make this work? What can I change? Is there a solution? Then I have to stop and take the time and realize I am not the only person going through a situation but sometimes seek help or advice from others. JenChango012
ReplyDeleteI really liked you’re take on the video, JenChang012, and how you applied to people with depression or other mental illnesses. A lot of people don’t use the sociological imagination to put themselves in the other persons shoes. Everyone goes through different experiences and struggles that when other people look in on them, how the person acts or why they are acting that way may not be clear. I think Mills made a huge contribution to sociology with this, he basically told people, look you need to understand yourself and how you felt in situations and apply that to what you see around you. GoGreen012
DeleteI agree that sometimes it becomes so easy to just see what is happening to ourselves that we forget that there are others in the same situation. Looking to others and seeing what we are doing the same and what we are doing different can help to find solutions. And then you can see things out of your control that you can't change and find what you can. I like something you said and that's "Not to judge but empathize," and it's very true when trying to understand any group or individual person. Sometimes there are factors out of there control from the outside that has influenced something to happen. Empathizing is something that can be used alongside sociological imagination.
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While I agree with mills on some points that the studies had become very facts oriented I also disagree with them also. YOu must have the facts and the statistics to back up your research and also show that this needs to be addressed to change it. Without them you have no basis for a change.You have to see the things that are in need of changing then you can say this needs work in this areas lets address this and fix it to make everyone's lives a little better! Firedude012
ReplyDeletecrjgirl012 I couldn't agree more as americans we need to budget our money more effectively so that we can overcome the major debt that we have incurred upon ourselves. FIredude012
ReplyDeleteThe sociological imagination. I think Mills wanted sociologist take it a step further. Mills did not want sociologist just doing surveys, studies and being numb to the people that they were studying he wanted you to think what would it be like to be that person or group, what they went through, to walk a mile in that person shoes. Come up with ideas to fix the problem. To see that it could be outside forces creating the whole problem for the individuals.
ReplyDeleteThe doctor in the clip did a good job with her class talking about money and how something in life snowballs and it’s out of your control. That’s just life we all been there.
BFD6866012
The sociological imagination. I think Mills wanted sociologist take it a step further. Mills did not want sociologist just doing surveys, studies and being numb to the people that they were studying he wanted you to think what would it be like to be that person or group, what they went through, to walk a mile in that person shoes. Come up with ideas to fix the problem. To see that it could be outside forces creating the whole problem for the individuals.
ReplyDeleteThe doctor in the clip did a good job with her class talking about money and how something in life snowballs and it’s out of your control. That’s just life we all been there.
BFD6866012
I think everyone in college can relate to what Dr. Marshall is saying. College is expensive and adds up quickly. It is hard to see how and why it's going to be worth it in the end. The sociological imagination is trying to imagine what everyone else is going through in society. There are a lot of people struggling, and it could be for a number of reasons, some of the examples she gave were healthcare, expensive car payments, insurance etc.This theory really just wants you to take a step back and imagination yourself in someone else shoes. What are they going through? How did they get there? You are NOT the only one going through something and struggling to get ends meet.
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I think you statement is very true. College is very expensive, even harder when you work full time and try and take care of a kid. I cant imagine how many other people struggle and worse then me or you. lilred012
DeleteI think Dr Marshall did a great job explaining Mills theory on sociological imagination. Too many people try and keep up with the "Jones," when in all reality is unrealistic. I live pay check to pay check, trying to keep a decent living area for my daughter and I. Yes, it is hard when you work full time and go to school full time, to keep up with monthly bills. I think Dr Marshall idea of trying to find ways to help people in these situations is a great idea. The example of the person who had a flat tire, is a great example of what happened to people all the time. Sometimes when one bad thing happened to you, you feel like bad things just keep happening. I have worked in the ER for a couple of years and sometimes the problems you might think you have, there is people that have way more problems then you could imagine. lilred012
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed listened to what she had to say, much better than the previous guy we watched. I didn’t know previously that C. Wright Mills had a great deal in sociology, with the sociological imagination. If your quality of mind wasn’t correct you would stray away from what you originally intended. By being able to identity with yourself, you are able to understand where you stand in society and sociology. You are able to gain a new perspective on situations that go on in everyday life and how they not only affect you, but others. Sociological imagination is different for everyone. Sociology needed people to not only report what was going on, but also see it in how it actually is, if that makes sense. I liked how when listening to her, you really got a grasp on what Mills did for sociology with the sociological imagination. I also liked her example of asking students about money. She was able to see the social problems, or begin to recognize them. GoGreen012
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video and I felt I could relate to most of it well. I have worked in the financial industry for several years now. I get information on people that tells me what they make, their debt load, and the problem they may be having at that time. They're coming to me because they need a loan for something. I can say I try to put myself in other people's position in order to see how I may handle it in that situation. Dr. Marshall talks about living check to check or month to month. My spouse and I both work full time jobs, while I go to school part time, and we make decent money. I handle the bills, groceries, etc. and feel that we struggle a lot of the time. For a family of six we spend $400-500 every 2 weeks on groceries. We don't have a choice in the prices we pay for things, or do we? The more people make, the more debt they tend to have. Spending problem, budgeting problem? There are definitely things we could do to better our financial situation. Needs over wants: $200 per month on cigs, $100 once or twice a month to get hair done? Making education more affordable was mentioned, I agree, but not just more affordable but more affordable for EVERYONE. Another was the housing market and "living the American dream" I don't see a benefit today for buying over renting. What someone bought their house for a few years back isn't what they can even get out of it today. Everything seems to snowball, hours cut at work so they're late on a payment. Since late on payment it affects their credit causing them to either not qualify for a "needed" loan or they qualify at a high rate, putting them further in debt. Almost every credit bureau I see, has medical collections on it. One thing changing soon is the way it will not effect the credit score when applying for a loan. We all must do what we can to help one another. Think before we judge.
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I am very glad that Mills looked into Sociological Imagination and was an advocate for it because while it's good to just collect facts back and forth it truly limits how you can help people. You have to look beyond the raw data of the study to understand why a group acts the way they do or is in the situation they are in. Looking at the structure is such a great way of putting it. You have to have the ability to ask the questions and think outside of the numbers to bring forth solutions. And this may not be true in all situations but it is in a lot. If you want to understand people you have to look beyond just their actions or their situations but think of how they got there and why they act the way they do. Because once you find out structural influences then it can take more imagination to be able to come up with solutions. Albert Einstein was one of the most brilliant minds to grace this planet and he spoke so highly of imagination. Saying how imagination is more important than knowledge and logic will get you from A to B but imagination will take you anywhere. What Einstein has created that we today know as logic and fact first started as a concept he imagined and set forth to make it work. I say that to say that imagination is such a strong and important tool in any field of study and I truly believe that.
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ReplyDeleteAs a bartender, I hear a lot about what is wrong in this or that person's personal life. On occasion I hear about what is wrong with our society in general. It is good that C. Wright Mills, stepped back from the data collecting macro-sociological view and made it more personal. Facts and data are helpful to understand and know, but unless you can understand the indivduals that make up the society you are studying, it remains pointless and unsolvable from a personal standpoint. In order to help the many you must first understand the one. Firecracker012
ReplyDeleteDr. Marshall just suckered punched everyone I know in the gut with what was said in this video. I have never known a life where I wasn't living check to check. Sometimes that is my own fault because I smoke and have a smartphone and a motorcycle payment. Though sometimes it's our economy and society that is hindering us. Every time minimum wage increases so does the cost of living. How are we to ever break even? Not everyone wins the lottery. Maybe if the cost of school tuition was to go down or house payments or rent. Our society is so money driven that they don't see how much they hurt the little people. Instead they need top dollar for everything. That's what we are teaching our children. So then every generation it just gets worse and worse. We need to break this cycle and show that money doesn't make you happy. Instead living your life stress and worry free makes you happiest. Bikermama012
ReplyDeleteI agree our society has a disgusting drive for money and not only is it dangerous, its embarrassing to other countries. living check to check is just one example of the problem we could even get in to inflation let alone our waging issues. I agree with your statements and I even like the way you displayed them. (aphi012)
DeleteAs easy as it sounds to step back a look at someone else's perspective, it is a really hard task. Everyone always tells us to not judge people until we walk a mile in their shoes, but there is no way anyone can do that fully. To a certain extent we can sympathize with what is going on in a persons life by past experiences we have had ourselves, but everyone reacts to things differently so we can truly never see it from another persons perspectives. Dr. Marshall also talked about how Mills says we need to analyze our selves and see where we fit into society. I personally feel by analyzing ourselves and finding out where we fit into society, it makes it harder for us to see another persons perspectives. I think this because then we know ourselves really well and how we want our life to be and in a way we stereotype ourselves so it is hard to break that. Everyone is a little stubborn and don't want to change, so when we figure out who we are if we like that person then we want to stay that person and not try and change ourselves to see life in someone else's perspective. Mill really makes some good points but in my eyes analyzing yourself and seeing where you fit into society and seeing things in another's perspective just don't work together. RDH012
ReplyDeleteI think in order to get a nonbiased of the reality whether it be a way of life, or any sociological issues on a global scale, I agree with Mills that you have to look at what the social problems are with a sociological imagination. It's difficult for us as a society not to judge others and their social situations without setting aside our personal morals or values from our own sociological experiences. When looking at society, we need to ask questions, such as, how did this social situation begin?, where did it come from?, what are the outside influences that had the positive or negative impact to result in the sociological standing it is today? I believe sociologists that are out in the field doing any kind of research today, that this is one of the most difficult challenges they face. Also proving their research is unbiased. I believe in order to prevent their personal opinions and social experiences through life not to influence their research and a way to do this would be through Mills philosophy of social imagination. Hbaby31012
ReplyDeleteI Learned a little perspective from this video for sure. I agree with Mills and saying that the science of global constructs needs intellectual thinkers about the formation, shape, and changes within our global society. Not just in our society but many others as well. I think it's important to get the information out there, the sooner the better, as it could serve a foundation to lean on and to add to the logic and theory. It takes many scientists or people to involve theory so we can see the bigger picture and use it to shape society for the better. We can also learn through trail and error, a form a mechanical theory, if something doesn't quite work within a society, to try and shape it so it can work, for example social conflict. And it's a very hard task to look into someone else's world and try to change things or shape their culture. lawpro012
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the most important perspective is to prove that theory based on a global scale, whether you're trying to capture the culture of a society, solve problems within a society, or do comparitive research that affects the world from a sociological perspective on a global scale, it all comes down to proving that theory, and the only way is by repetitive findings. Getting caught up in personal upbringings, where they came from, where u came from, what tragedies they went through or shortcomings anyone has experienced, will damage the outcome globally. No one person can possibly grasp the experiences of another unless that individual has experienced the same thing. Hbaby31012
DeleteI do agree that most of the problem on a global perspective.I think it could also be because of how the person was when he was growing up in a family that is rich or a family that is poor. No one can understand the experiences unless they have the same problems bears 012
ReplyDeleteI also agree with that a lot it depends on how the person was growing up in a family. Everyone is different growing up in a poor family and growing up in a rich family. That's totally true, no one can truly understand what and how it is to grow up poor or rich unless they have themselves. Army92012
DeleteI thought the video was very interesting Dr. Marshall touched on subjects that particularly pertained to me. Looking at things through a sociological imagination is slightly complicated especially when you have things in your environment that affect your way of thinking. Even when you think of the chart of human internal needs achievements are needed in order for a person to feel relevant. She explained in the video that her student expressed that she was doing everything right and things still went wrong things like that I feel can ruin someone permanently or even temporarily. She also touched on facts being a huge part of executive life decisions. Everything we do has to do with factual information not even just making decisions. For example having a friend with a bad temper you know what to say and not to say make them become upset and overwhelmed with anger due to previous situations you dealt with them personally. (Aphi012)
ReplyDeleteI like what you touched on in this post. It is hard to look at problems through the sociological imagination. Trying to lump everyone into one category is hard because like you said outside influences. I may have made enough money this month but my tires blew out and I had to replace them. Others may have a bigger problem like they are sick and need to get medical attention. The first problem might set you back a few weeks but the second problem could be a year or even more. The sociological imagination really feels like someone is saying walk a mile in my shoes then you really might understand. Zipping012
DeleteMills felt that sociology needed great thinkers. The sociological idea is when a person looks at a problem and realizes it is not just themselves. When people have a problem they usually feel alone and helpless. Like one of my teachers has told me "we are more alike than we are different". Meaning we all struggle to pay bills, make enough to feed yourself or a family, or a thousand other things that makes us bonded. When we look at it as an individual the problem may have only a few options but if we look at a problem as a group it expands our options. The more people with the same problem show a change is needed and it may come. Every president promises jobs because many Americans do not have a job and need it. When they vote it is based off of their needs and as a society we decide what is important. Zipping012
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