Thinking and Reflecting

This essays purpose is to present the concept keys that define sociological imagination, in Mills’ vision. I will also bring to discussion personal examples that are relevant to the topic of the essay. Their role will be to explain the way in which Mills thinking is reflected in everyday life.
From the beginning he portrays the way people see themselves “Nowadays men and women often feel that their private lives are a series of traps.”(Mills, 1959:1). This traps represent an obstacle that cannot be overcome, mainly because their sources are the same decisions taken to improve the lifestyle. As they become more conscious of their surroundings , the more trapped they feel. The only solution is to find different ways to see the world, to understand how the changes that are happening in history and society, are affecting them. Only when people will be capable to make these connections, they will be able to free themselves. In Mills vision this is called sociological imagination and it “enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society.” (Mills, 1959:3).
Sociological imagination is what “enables its possessor to understand the large historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals” (Mills, 1959:2) To be able reach it, people should find not only their place in history but also of those that have been in the same situation as them. They have to be able to understand that the history repeats itself and that they should not ignore “the public issues” because it affects them directly. For instance, in spite of democracy being a dominant form of government that sustains the equality in rights, there are many countries that not only allow racism towards other countries, but also inside the society. There have been reports that show persons being