Answer to Question #314965 in Sociology for Bongani

Question

How can u use your social imagination is your own life as a first year student applying Mill's definition of the social imagination to any one example in your personal and social life(e.g consider the role of,among others,social class,gender,sexuality,race, education or any other social theme or institution as example

Answer 1

The sociological imagination assists an individual to shift one's perspective away from one's self and look at things more broadly, bringing in context to individual actions. For instance, if you’re thinking about lunch, you’re probably more likely to choose something that’s familiar to you. In another culture or even another part of your city, a person who is very similar to you might choose a different food because of what’s familiar to them. If we Zoom out a little further, we might realize that people in landlocked states might be unlikely to choose a seafood-based lunch at all because fresh fish is more expensive than it is on the coast.

Zoom out more, and you might realize that fish isn’t even on the menu for some cultures because of societal taboos or restrictions. And those are just spatial boundaries. You can also consider your family’s relationship with eating fish, or how your cultural and ethnic heritage impacted where you are, what food you have access to, and your personal tastes. All of this lets you see yourself and your culture in a new light, as a product of society and history.