Sociological Imagination

Originating from C. Wright Mills, the ideology of sociological imagination is extensively applicable in sociology contemporarily. For Mills, the introduction of this concept originated from his book of the same name. Within this text, the author focused on reconciling two disparate and abstract notions of social actuality. This pair of notions comprises the Society and the Individual. Based on this, Mills attempted to argue against the existing sociological discussion and even going as far as critiquing different delineations and terminologies widely evident in the context of sociology. Currently, sociological imagination assumes an important and distinct rule in elucidating the different occurrences in society. By explaining these diverse events, sociological imagination provides an effectual platform for understanding the conflicts taking place in the society in a social context and connecting them to the main bodies of sociological theory which comprise functionalism, interactionism and conflict theory.

Based on reasoning, sociological imagination comprises the ability to reason in an alternative way other than the usual (Schaefer, 2010). Simply, the concept attempts to disengage an individual from commonplace reasoning. Therefore, it attempts to impose a system of rational thinking in people concerning a particular situation. Naturally, people follow routine ways of thought. This is apparent based on the way view normal activities such as breakfast. For instance, individuals engage in breakfast as a repeated habit. In accordance to this, the act of engaging in this ritual is considerably significant than the act of consuming breakfast itself. Based on this, sociological imagination based on the perception of breakfast as a social ritual rather than a normal way of consumption. Another example of sociological imagination is apparent in the manner people meet for coffee. It is also possible to assert that such meetings act as a form of a social interaction if assessing it sociologically.

The conflict evident in the case of Trayvon Martin provides an effective way of understanding sociological imagination. In the article, Race, Tragedy and Outrage Collide after a Shot in Florida by Dan Barry, Serge F. Kovaleski, Campbell Robertson and Lizette Alvarez, the main conflict revolves around the shooting of an African American teenager, Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. One of the main issues evident in the controversy comprises racism within the judicial system. On one side, African Americans argue that the murder of Trayvon Martin was handled ineffectively by the Florida justice system based on the manner it acquitted George Zimmerman, a white male of Hispanic descent of all charges. On the other side, law enforcers, as asserted by the police chief, provide equal and impartial treatment (Barry, Kovaleski, Robertson & Alvarez, 2012).

The change that resulted from the case underwent illustration by the creation of boundaries in racist terms. By utilizing sociological imagination, it is possible to assert that there is disruption of social order based on the ongoing conflict between the people and the justice system. This is because of the nuances that arise from the reactions arising from the minority population in the state of Florida (Barry, Kovaleski, Robertson & Alvarez, 2012). In addition, there is support for social change, which is currently disrupting the status quo. For many years, the border between white people and African Americans has been consistently blurry leading to an orderly relationship between both populations. However, based on the conflict perspective, social change is desirable in this context since it attempts on correcting the wrongdoing inflicted on Trayvon Martin due to the acquittal of George Zimmerman.

In conclusion, sociological imagination is an imperative concept in the field of sociology. Accordingly, this ideology focuses on rationalizing the occurrence of certain events within the society by attaching sociological nuances towards them. Nonetheless, the utilization of sociological imagination in this context provides room for further discourse concerning the role that racism assumes in advancing social change and disrupting order in the society. Based on the case of Trayvon Martin, it is controversial to ascertain the involvement of partial judgment in the case. However, the use of sociological imagination points out the role of conflict theory in elucidating the current conflicts and changes within the Florida community.

References

Barry, D., Kovaleski, F. S., Robertson, C., & Alvarez, L. (2012, Apr. 7). Race, Tragedy and Outrage Collide after a Shot in Florida. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-prompts-a-review-of-ideals.html?ref=trayvonmartin&_r=0/.

Schaefer, R. T. (2010). Sociology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.