Usage of Sociological Imagination to Analyze a Personal Case

" It is therefore, one's pulling away from such a situation by thinking from an alternative viewpoint that enables an individual to have sociological imagination (Conrad, C. H4, p. In this article, I would use social imagination to analyze a personal case that I was involved in when divorce took the better part of the family, which greatly impacted who we are today in our family. Personal Situation When divorce struck our family, it had a very great impact on both our economic status and economic future. My siblings and I were not able to provide for ourselves. This was because of the low credit scores that we had and therefore not able to earn much leading to less spending on essentials that we would have.

We could not afford private healthcare and hence resolved to public health care that provided us with medication that used to combat our depression. It is the sociological imagination that encouraged our observations in the understanding of implications of such issues that are personal on a societal scale. Sociological Imagination The conflict theory which is a perspective of viewing the society as struggling groups over both power and resources according to Schaefer gives the key concepts which are a revolutionary change, tension, and inequality. The society is, therefore, the way it is because of the inequality which ought to be opposed actively. A dysfunction is hence seen as anything that works to disrupt the current functions or social structure of the people.

The latent and manifest institution's functions illuminate the society's structure facets which makes them of this particular perspective's interests. This is because there is overlapping between the functionalism perspective and the conservative political views which makes it deal with groups that are macro-sociological like the entire country for example. By viewing divorce from the functionalist perspective, one is able to note that, it wholly contributes to the society's stability. Some of them would definitely be dysfunctional because they are there to serve a purpose. Again, the perspective of interactionalist which is also referred to as the symbolic interactionism serves in the generalization of the individual social interactions, symbolic meanings, and relations. It, therefore, views the society as every day's interaction product where humans are viewed to be living in a world full of objects that are meaningful and emphasize on the symbol's importance, making it very closely related to social psychology (Mueller, 2013, p.

It is the nonverbal communication and dramaturgical approach of this perspective that help in clarification of the accomplishment of personal interactions. This perspective deals with and views micro-sociology like the symbolic exchanges between colleagues at work. The best definition of divorce by the conflict theorists is that competition for power and resources within a marriage where no agreement can be reached by both of the parties. American culture is said to be known for upholding beauty, money, and power as the most vital objectives one should attain in life which depicts them as the most arrogant and self-centered people in the world. Neither of these values works towards the promotion of long-term relationships. Most tensions in marriage arise due to struggles over property, money, and power in a relationship.

This suggests that one may look at their problems as social issues and attach their own experiences with the workings of society(Isaksen, 2013) The sociological imagination allows people to distinguish between personal problems and public matters. For one to acquire such skills, you must be able to free yourself from one context and look at things from another point of view (Isaksen, 2013)in my personal experience; I underwent some culture shock when I came to the United States. I believe societies are formed differently according to or different cultures. What’s more, when people in society face the same problem; one must instead ask whether there is something within the structure of society that is supportive of to this (Mills 2000) In my case and experience, the culture in the United States is very different from that of Honduras where I grew up.

Honduras is a nation located in the middle of Central America. I was never allowed to air out my views as that was seen as a sign of disrespect. This was very disheartening, and I had no choice but to preserve as that was the only type of culture I knew. However, after I came to the United States, I learned that it was not wrong to have a voice. Adults here even sometimes solicit for ones personal opinion on issues. Personally, I was not from an underprivileged home, but I could see and experience some of the things that happened around the community. Additionally, punishments for trivial matters was very crude. Violence was one of the most debilitating problems in my community.

In fact, Honduras is credited as one of the most violent countries in the world, and this culture, of course, affects women both in the private and public spheres. One of the most common methods of punishment I experienced growing up was by beating or canning. I was once severely beaten while tied up to a tree for trying to talk back to my elders. Besides, the child is perceived to have rights, and the principle of the best interest of the child, although legally recognized, is not applied. However, these attitudes, particularly those regarding sexual abuse, domestic violence, and violence against girls and indigenous peoples, are slowly changing. Corruption is ubiquitous and the lack of dissemination of information on child rights, particularly in rural areas, affects the daily lives of children.

Persons who were in contact with children were not efficiently trained, meaning that abuse is prevalent and a child's views are rarely taken into account. The culture is corrupt at every level thus the need for change. Most of these killings occur in the more impoverished neighborhoods where I used to live, and there is often no police investigation or conviction. An example more laws needed and still, need to be enacted to punish those who perpetuate discrimination or abuse to the female gender. All rights should be equal for both boys and girls, men and women as the American culture today seeks to achieve the same. In conclusion, having undergone this kind of cultural experiences and cultural change, I m going to use my skills to advocate for a better society where all enjoy some nights and discrimination and profiling against the female gender is ceased entirely here in the united states, back in Honduras, and in the world.