Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Social Environment Through the Sociological Imagination - Essay Sample

Introduction

The concept of sociological imagination, which was coined by Mills, provides an approach that enhances the understanding of the social environment and exceeds any common sense that anyone can derive from limited social experiences. Mills emphasizes that sociological imagination is the “vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society” (Mills, 2000). Hence, sociological imagination implies the capacity to perceive things more socially and how they influence each other. Therefore, an individual must embrace an alternative perspective of their situation to have a sociological imagination. The sociological imagination is centred on the individual capacity to develop a sociological point of view of the world (Mills, 2000). In this paper, I will examine my issue of migration from Jamaica to the United States through which I encountered a challenging moment of transition and adaptation to a new culture. The three chapters from which I will draw sociological concepts to enhance the evaluation of my situation include chapters one, three, and five.

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The first chapter is about the concept of sociological imagination and sociology, which is essential because it introduces the quantitative and qualitative approaches of sociology, which enhance the understanding of human interaction and extensive social trends. Hence, the knowledge of the various sociological methods widened my perspective regarding my situation of migrating from Jamaica, therefore, having a different sociological imagination. The first chapter also enhanced the understanding of empirical and critical analysis of methods to study human interactions hence expounding my alternative knowledge of my situation, thus increasing my sociological imagination. The introduction to the concept of sociological imagination enhanced my understanding of the more critical processes that influence my individual experience of the world. Hence, I understand the social outcomes that are determined by social challenges and actions regarding my problem with adaptation to a new culture after I migrate from Jamaica.

Some of the adaptation challenges that I have been able to reflect on with the background knowledge of sociological imagination is the issue of language adaptation as a result of the variation in the language I used in Jamaica and that of America. Moreover, the study of symbolic interactionism has enabled me to understand the idea that language plays an essential role in the development of individual social constructs. Besides, the concepts of symbolic interactionism have helped me to understand the social interactions that surround me in society. However, among the three theories that we examined in the first chapter, the method of functionalism best relates to my challenge (Turner, 2017). The theory of functionalism implies the principles that what makes something a desire is determined not on the internal constitution but instead on its function on the cognitive system. The functionalism approach was essential in the way it examines the various aspects of society and how they impact the functioning of society. Hence, the method of functionalism enables the combination of multiple elements of the community to meet individual needs in society (Turner, 2017).

My challenge regarding the migration from Jamaica to America is the integration of the cultural differences and adapting to the new cultural setting. The studies from chapter three have enhanced my understanding of the idea of culture as the general way of life of a people hence ranging from the language to the values and beliefs of the society, thus providing a broader perspective of the community. Therefore, people define themselves through culture and conform to the shared values in society as a unit of people who interact in the way of shared learning (Berry & Dasen, 2019). In my case, the understanding and solution of my challenge to fit in the society depends on the acknowledgment of the fact that culture and the community and complexly related, and they coexist as two sides of the same coin. Culture is comprised of objects of society, while society also consists of the people who have mutual learning in the community.

Even though adapting to the social context in America was a challenge when I migrated from Jamaica, I have been able to interact by engaging in social settings. The proponents of the social learning approach hold that behaviour is socially learned and not genetically driven. I have also come to acknowledge the varying forms of existence of culture and the reason why culture varies within different contexts (Berry & Dasen, 2019). The cultural differences like the experience I have been having are formed on the concept of the mundane and non-materialistic aspects of culture. The element of material culture implies the physical objects that people use to define culture; for instance, technology in the United States is an essential aspect of the material culture as compared to Jamaica. Hence, the knowledge to operate computers is necessary for survival, even in college or other dimensions in society. However, there are also non-materialistic components of the societal culture, which include the principles and ideas that people have regarding a particular culture, for instance, on the aspect of religion (Berry & Dasen, 2019).

However, coping up with the American culture since the migration from Jamaica has been a new phase of socialization to enhance the transformation and acquire the culture in modern society. Generally, socialization is the process of getting to learn another culture and enables the acquisition of necessary skills and education to form a regular contribution to the social system (Frønes, 2016). Socialization has helped me to acquire my social identity and also the internalization of the principles and values of the social world. Hence, I have come to learn of the attitudes and the appropriate amounts as a member of the mainstream American society. Moreover, I have been able to develop extensive and profound relationships with other members of the community despite the initial challenges of adapting to American culture (Frønes, 2016). However, some of the ideas that I have come to learn of socialization is that it can either be formally or informally depending on the societal dimension.

Consequently, socialization is a continuous and gradual process; hence the adaptation to a particular culture is not a salutatory process. The method of socialization occurs in an orderly manner, and the rate of development varies depending on the individual cases. Moreover, socialization only results from the interaction between an individual and the surrounding, although it is often predictable (Frønes, 2016). Some of the agents of socialization include the family, social classes, peer groups, language, nationalism, religion, educational institutions, and other avenues like the mass media and the legal system. In my case, educational institutions and peer groups have played an essential role in my socialization process. Generally, the process of socialization on which the essential part occurs during childhood is significantly influenced by the family, peers, educational institutions, and the mass media as the primary agents (Frønes, 2016).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concept of sociological imagination provides an alternative perspective of events in a more social manner and how they influence each other. Sociological imagination has enhanced my vivid awareness of the relationship between my experience and the society. Hence, I have been able to contemplate and understand the various aspects of socialization that I have undergone to adapt to the new environment. The theoretical approach of functionalism primarily relates to my experience, which involves the challenges of adaptation to the new culture in America, which is different from Jamaica. However, I have gone through the gradual process of socialization with the main socialization agents as educational institutions, peer groups, and the mass media.

References

Berry, J. W., & Dasen, P. R. (Eds.). (2019). Culture and cognition: Readings in cross-cultural psychology. Routledge.

Frønes, I. (2016). Socialization in Sociological Perspectives. In The Autonomous Child (pp. 11-35). Springer, Cham.

Mills, C. W. (2000). The sociological imagination. Oxford University Press.

Turner, J. H. (2017). Functionalism. The WileyBlackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, 1-9.