The Sociological Imagination and Theorizing

Sociological imagination is term coined by C. Wright Mills in The Sociological Imagination
to describe the way sociology influences thinking in daily life. He described it as “the vivid awareness
of the relationship between experience and the wider society”. In this case, an individual must be
willing to look at situations in their lives from an alternate point of view, and realizing the way
phenomena interact and influence each other. Additionally, this concept attempts to reconcile the
elements of the “individual” and the “society”.
There are four major theories in sociology: structural-functional, social conflict, symbolic
interactionist, and feminism. Social conflict theory views society as a platform of inequality that leads
to the development of conflict and change. In this perception, society is set up in such a way that only
a few individuals benefit at the expense of the majority. To the social conflict theorist, factors such as
sex, class, race, and age all contribute to inequality. The social conflict theory is associated with Karl
Marx’s theory of capitalism, which is based on the concept that human being need to work to survive.
However, one is either predisposed to productivity in terms of owning the productive property or
working for those who own them. In Marx’s perspective, the relationship between the workers and the
owner attract conflict as people compete for scarce resources, especially when only a small group of
people in any society control these resources. Unlike the social conflict theory that focuses on avenues
of conflict in society, the structural-functional perspective perceives society as a system of
interconnected elements that work holistically to maintain a state of social equilibrium for all groups
regardless of background.
The functionalist perspective is mainly associated with works of Emile Durkheim and Herbert
Spencer. In this view, every institution and element of society contributes to the overall function of
society. For instance, the family institution nurtures children, while schools educate them, and politics
provide a system through which society is governed to the idealistic benefit of everyone. These parts
cannot function on their own, hence the emphasis on the interconnectivity of every institution or
element of society. Another theory is the symbolic interactionist perspective, which focuses on how
the broader aspects of society and as large social groups and institution affect the social world. This
level of approach can be considered macro, while the structural-functionalist, micro. Contrary to the
latter that looks at the micro elements and how they affect the bigger picture, the former dissects
society from the bigger picture point of view and recommends solutions to social problems at the
institutional level. Early philosophers and sociologists such as W.I. Thomas and George Simmel
advocated the importance of analyzing meanings of social behavior and their consequences.
The last theory, the feminist, concerns the status of both men and women in the society with
the aim of applying that knowledge to enhance women’s lives. In this case, the feminist approach to
sociology is oriented towards empowering women and discovering ways that women contribute to
society. For instance, one of the popular feminist views is the Marxist feminism, whereby women are
viewed as critical drivers for capitalism in future of contemporary society. This viewpoint is argued
from the perspective that when women perform unpaid domestic work, they provide care for the
current generation of workers while also reproducing and socializing the future generation of workers.
Besides, women are also consumers of the products of capitalism. I would use all these theories in my
sociological imagination because different contexts warrant different approaches. For instance, the
role of women in ensuring a better and more successful future can be defined through feministic lens,
while also attracting a functionalist analysis.

Question 2: Culture

Culture is a combination of values, beliefs, systems, and practices that define societies.
Culture also concerns all the elements that are common to a certain group of people such as the
economic, social and political aspects. Most societies have distinct culture that is different from

another, and sociologists perceive culture as a concept that plays a crucial role in social relationships,
social order, shaping daily living and experiences.
Sociologists characterize the non-material elements of culture as the qualities and convictions,
language, correspondence, and practices that are conducted in a similar manner by different groups of
people, which is not specifically tied to geographical location. Developing these classifications,
culture is comprised of our insight, sound judgment, values, and desires. It is likewise the principles,
standards, laws, and ethics that administer society; the words we use just as how we talk and keep in
touch with them (what sociologists call “talk”); and the images we use to communicate significance,
thoughts, and ideas (like traffic signs and emoticons, for instance). Culture is additionally what we do
and how we act and perform (for instance, theater and move). It advises and is exemplified by they
way we walk, sit, convey our bodies, and interface with others; how we act contingent upon the spot,
time, and “crowd;” and how we express characters of race, class, sex, and sexuality, among others.
Culture likewise incorporates the aggregate practices we take an interest in, for example, strict
functions, the festival of mainstream occasions, and going to games.
Material culture is made out of the things that people make and use. This part of culture
incorporates a wide assortment of things, from structures, technology, and apparel, to film, music,
writing, and craftsmanship, among others. Parts of material culture are all the more usually alluded to
as social items. Sociologists see the different sides of culture—the material and non-material—as
personally associated. Material culture is molded by the non-material parts of culture. As it were,
what we esteem, accept, and know (and what we do together in regular daily existence) impacts the
things that we make. In any case, it’s anything but a single direction connection among material and
non-material culture.
Cultural toolkit is the idea that not only do people live within a culture but use specific
elements of that culture to influence decision-making and behavior. This framework would define
different aspects of high school behavior. For instance, due to social media influence, most teenagers
would be under pressure to conform to certain ideals, and subsequently impose behaviors such as peer
pressure and even bullying. For a cultural toolkit example, I would choose to associate it with
adolescent identity. While adolescence has been widely regarded as a stage of development across an
individual’s lifespan, the behaviors and identity are drawn upon different sources intrinsic to the
concept of culture. As such, adolescents drawn on different cultural toolkits to mold themselves in
way that is deemed socially appropriate and self-satisfying. Success in academics in high school
would hence, be influenced by the cultural tool kits adopted. I would look for inspiration to
understand the element of wanting to be successful in the first place, then put in efforts to adopt
behaviors that would ideally reinforce such an accomplishment. For instance, I would manage my
time better, study more, retain an active lifestyle and endeavor to acquire more knowledge by reading
more material in different subjects.

Question 3- social structure and social solidarity

-definition for social structure. What are key dynamics for social structures to fulfill their aims on a
continuous basis? Describe Emile Durkheim’s concept of social solidarity. Describe each of the major
parts. Definitions for norms, functions, and anomie and how these elements relate to the concept of
the division of labor in society.
Social structure is a macro-level perspective that defines the stable pattern of social relationships
existing in a particular society or group. It provides system within which people interact with others
The structure influences interaction from many angles, for instance, how the economic structure
affects how we interact with others (boss and employee in capitalism). The key dynamics of social
structure, according to Emile Durkheim is based on the types of social solidarity that correlate with
different forms of society. Durkheim introduced the concepts of organic and mechanical solidarity as

central elements of his theory of the development of societies in The Division of Labour in Society,
written in 1893. In a society demonstrating mechanical solidarity, its cohesion and togetherness comes
from the degree of homogeneity between people, meaning that individuals feel connected through
similar things such as work, religious training, educational achievements, and lifestyle. Mechanical
solidarity, on the other hand, traditionally operates in “traditional” and societies that can be considered
small scale. In simpler groups, solidarity is usually based on kinship ties of familial networks. Organic
solidarity is as a result of the interdependence forged from specialization of work and the
complementarities between individuals in a certain setting. It is a development which is common in
industrial and modern societies.
While people perform different tasks and often have different values and interest, the solidarity of
society depends on their reliance on each other to undertake their specified tasks. “Organic” here is
referring to the interdependence of the component parts, and thus social solidarity is maintained in
more complex societies through the interdependence of its component parts (e.g., farmers produce the
food to feed the factory workers who produce the tractors that allow the farmer to produce the food).