1. Sociological Perspective & Social Imagination
Jose Carrasco, Alexis Terrazas, & Marina Vitalich

2. Sociological Perspective
Perspective on human behavior and its connection to society as a whole.
Look for connections between the behavior of individual people and the structures of society in which they live.
FailDesk. (2013, January 24). Retrieved February 11, 2015 from

3. Sociological Perspective
Involves maintaining objectivity (not being influenced by personal feelings) without depriving ourselves of our values.
Involves a conscious effort to go beyond the obvious and question what is accepted as true or common sense.
Urban, Tim. (2015). Retrieved February 11, 2015 from

4. Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalism: oddly positive way to look at society
Conflict Theory: more negative approach and view of society
Symbolic Interactionism: focuses on symbols found in society, what they mean to us, and how they affect how we interact with others in our society.

5. Social Imagination
Coined by the American Sociologist C Wright Mills in 1959.
Mills' definition: "the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and wider socitey."
Ability to perceive situations and circumstances in a wide social context.

6. Social Imagination
Ability to observe how interactions and actions are influential upon other individuals and situations.
Ability to "think yourself away from the familiar routines of everyday life" and look at them from an entirely new perspective.

7. Example of Social Imagination: "Tea Drinking"
In one case, it can be seen as a sign of good health.
It could be considered a tradition or ritual as many people chose to drink tea ritualistically each day at certain times.
It could be considered a type drug being that it contains caffeine and the drinker of the tea could have a caffeine addiction.
It can also be seen as a social activity; "meeting for tea"
focuses less on the drinking of the beverage and more on the action of meeting with another person.

8. Other Behaviors That Involve Social Imagination
exercising
drinking coffee
cooking
bike riding
running
writing
reading
public speaking
going to college
dropping out of school
working
owning a pet
volunteering
competing in athletic competition
traveling
painting
driving a car
religious practice
giving to charity
*In any case where you think about these issues or activities from different perspectives from your customary approach is an example of Social Imagination

9. Example of Sociological Perspective: Then & Now

10. Works Consulted
Writing Assignments. (2013, January 22). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from
Examples of Sociological Imagination. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9th, 2015, from
C. Wright Mills' Sociology. (2005, March 1). Retrieved February 9, 2015, from
Mills, C. Wright. (1959). The Sociological Imagination. Retrieved February 10, 2015, from
Enotes. (2012, March 19). Retrieved February 9, 2015, from help/what-sociology-perspective
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (2014) Retrieved February 9, 2015, from in-sociology
Your Dictionary. ( ). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from