The Sociological Imagination: How Social Constructs Shape Reality and Society
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
To see society for what it is, one must use the sociological perspective, or see the general in the particular. According to Peter Berger, this means one must look for general patterns in the behavior of particular people because society shapes the lives of its members.
The sociologist C. Write Mills called this point of view the sociological imagination. The sociological imagination turns personal problems into public issues and public issues into personal problems. It is the ability to see oneself as affecting and being affected by society.
For [the sociological] imagination is the capacity to shift from one perspective to another—from the political to the psychological; from examination of a single family to comparative assessment of the national budgets of the world; from the theological school to the military establishment; from considerations of an oil industry to studies of contemporary poetry. It is the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate features of the human self—and to see the relations between the two. Back of its use there is always the urge to know the social and historical meaning of the individual in the society and in the period in which he has his quality and his being.
That, in brief, is why it is by means of the sociological imagination that men now hope to grasp what is going on in the world, and to understand what is happening in themselves as minute points of the intersections of biography and history within society. In large part, contemporary man’s self-conscious view of himself as at least an outsider, if not a permanent stranger, rests upon an absorbed realization of social reality and of the transformative power of history. The sociological imagination is the most fruitful form of this self-consciousness.1
Many people have no sociological imagination. Countless numbers internalize their problems instead of seeing those problems as a product of a dysfunctional society. Inversely, numerous others see their achievements and status as a product of personal triumph when they are merely on the better side of society’s inequality. Individuals are more likely to use the sociological imagination during times of crisis. A very simple example would be employment during the great depression. Instead of individuals blaming themselves for being unable to obtain a job, they realize it is the society’s economic standing.
When using the sociological imagination, it is important to distinguish between manifest and latent functions. Manifest functions are intended, whereas latent are the byproduct. Organized religion’s manifest function is worship, but its latent function is community. Capitalism’s manifest function is to distribute resources and to produce wealth, but its latent functions advance poverty and stratify the social structure. The War on Drugs’ manifest function is to (apparently) stop drug use, but its latent functions create drug addicts, immense profits, more crime, high volumes of prison incarceration, deforestation, and a police state.
Karl Marx attacked this lack of sociological imagination himself (in theory, because C. Wright Mills was born after Marx had died). Marx realized that people living in industrial-capitalist societies did not recognize how the ideology of capitalism shaped their entire operation of society. Most people regarded the right to own private property and pass it down to their children as “natural” (and still do). In some way the overall society tended to see the rich as having “earned” their money through years of school and hard work, even if it was inherited. At the same time, they saw the poor as lacking skills and personal drive to produce more for themselves. Marx rejected this thinking and called it false consciousness, or explaining social problems as the shortcomings of individuals instead of the flaws of society. Marx was saying, in effect, that it was not the individual who made society unequal, but rather the system of capitalism itself. He furthered this by stating that false consciousness hurts people by hiding the real cause of the individual’s problem.
The solution, according to Marx, was to obtain class consciousness. First, this would occur by workers becoming aware that the true cause of their oppression was capitalism. Then, they must organize and take action to address their problems. In effect, class consciousness would unify workers and make them identify with each other in opposition of capitalists and capitalism itself.
Capitalism is a social construct (an economic doctrine) within a social construct (economics) itself. Before economics was conceptualized, the world depended on a state-oriented system or a communal-oriented system to distribute resources. The important thing to realize here is that the social construct, economics, dictates our lives in how we distribute resources and is only the aggregate of human thought put into practice.
Other prominent social concepts that wouldn’t exist without human thought and implementation are time (originally derived from astronomy and made significant by Rome) and money itself (a medium of exchange used to allocate scarce resources). Social constructs not only affect society on a macro level but also on a micro level as well.
Gender Roles are constructed by society. In America, we define masculinity in terms of rational, courageous, and strong; whereas femininity means to be emotional, nurturing, weak, and irrational. The anthropologist Margaret Mead challenged the conventional wisdom that these attributes are the product of nature or genetics. She visited three societies in New Guinea. In Arapesh, Mead noticed both sexes were cooperative and sensitive; they portrayed behavior that would be seen as feminine in American Culture. In Mundugumor, both sexes were selfish and aggressive, behavior Americans would define as masculine. Then in Tchambuli, Mead found gender roles were the reverse from American culture. Women were dominant and rational, while men were submissive, emotional, and nurturing toward children. In her study of various cultures, she would show and come to prove that gender roles are constructed.
The intricacies of behavior, cognition, socialization, and social constructs affect our daily lives more than most realize. Charles Horton Cooley used the phrase looking-glass self to explain and describe how individuals make a self-image based on how they think others see them. In effect, others are a mirror in which we see ourselves, and what we think of ourselves depends on how we think others see us.
George Herbert Mead expands on this point in his theory of socxial self. By taking the role of the other, individuals become self-aware. In other words, the self has two parts, “I” and “Me.” The “I” operates as a subject being active and spontaneous. The other part, “Me,” works as an object, or the way we imagine ourselves. In society, an individual would initiate an action (I) and then continue based on how others respond (Me).
George Herbert Mead is important to understanding humanity because it try’s to understand the self. Socialization, in effect, is a product of conformity. The “I” may come up with the most influential and creative social concepts, but if the “Me” is not reinforced by others, the idea will fade or be forgotten.
The world in which we live is, for the most part, created. To understand this, W. I. Thomas created the Thomas theorem. The theorem states that situations that are defined as real become real in their consequences. Although reality is initially “soft” as it is being shaped, it can become “hard” in its effects. It makes no difference whether the original situation is actually real or not; it can become real through the actions taken during the situation. In interpersonal relationships, this can be seen with respect. Another person has given you respect, so they become worthy of your respect. On a societal level, if terrorism is perceived as a threat, fear results, and security measures become necessary to fight terrorism.
All these social constructs, culminated with socialization, conformity, and the Thomas theorem, make up reality. This is why creativity and imagination are so important and influential to the growth of society and technological innovation. Think of the possibilities society can achieve, imagine the opportunities technology can bring; literally, for thought is the only thing that has ever led to advances in technology and the development of society.
The mind of Nikola Tesla brought us electricity as we know it. The inventor, a mechanical and electrical engineer, brought us alternating current (AC) power by using magnets. Tesla was the patron saint of modern electricity and invented the twentieth century by helping steer the Second Industrial Revolution. Before Guglielmo Marconi developed the radiotelegraph system or Thomas Edison mastered the light bulb Tesla was the one to bring light to the world. Both Marconi and Edison needed Tesla’s ideas, inventions, and patents to make their inventions work and become famous.
Albert Einstein redefined reality by using his imagination, or what he would call thought experiments, to create the theory of relativity. Ingenuity is so important because everything the individual takes for granted today was once conceptualized in mind, written down in history, and practiced in society so that it could become an average occurrence today. Humanity is its own god, its own master, its own creator. We must only look to history to see innovation, science to see imagination, and art to see creativity.
The society we have today is simple to change. It is only a choice and the lack of imagination that continues us down the path we are on. It can change whenever we want it!
Just as you are heavily affected by your world, you can also heavily affect it. You must allow the “I” to imagine and the “Me” to influence. The individual only has to change the lens in which we see the looking glass self. Change comes from cognition (creativity, imagination, and ingenuity), practiced in behavior (practice/live the cognition), with reinforcement by others and society (surrounding the self with others who enable and provoke that cognition).
No social antagonism creates conformity. Inaction allows stagnation. Silence gives consent, but ingenuity breaks orthodoxy.
The greatest sociological theorists of their time warned against the corruption of society and the suppression of creativity. Karl Marx noted (extensively) that the capitalist class would alienate and oppress workers from themselves and their own potential. This would eventually lead to a workers' revolution overthrowing capitalism. Max Weber feared that modern society would become an iron cage, overrun by an excessive amount of laws, rules, and regulations. Weber agreed with Marx that modern society was alienating the individual; however, they identified different causes for the problem. For Marx, as previously stated, it was economic inequality, but for Weber, the issue was a widespread and dehumanizing bureaucracy that was crushing creativity and the human spirit. Although Emile Durkheim had the most positive outlook on society, he warned of anomie--or society providing little moral guidance to individuals. Durkheim hoped that laws and norms would regulate behavior. However, laws and norms are both social constructs subject to integrity or corruption.
The most important part is to remember that society is an extension of the collective human consciousness. The way society is shaped depends on your daily actions. The ideologies and values only hold power with your consent. No society is immune to tyranny or incapable of utopian ideals. Social constructs, and therefore society, is not static and bound by some sociological natural law; history can show us that is true. Society is dynamic and depends on the imagination and creativity of the mind, applied by individuals, and maintained by the collective. In essence, changing the world starts and ends with you—the self.
Capitalism is a social construct (an economic doctrine) within a social construct (economics) itself. Before economics was conceptualized, the world depended on a state-oriented system or a communal-oriented system to distribute resources. The important thing to realize here is that the social construct, economics, dictates our lives in how we distribute resources and is only the aggregate of human thought put into practice.
Other prominent social concepts that wouldn’t exist without human thought and implementation are time (originally derived from astronomy and made significant by Rome) and money itself (a medium of exchange used to allocate scarce resources). Social constructs not only affect society on a macro level but also on a micro level as well.
Gender Roles are constructed by society. In America, we define masculinity in terms of rational, courageous, and strong; whereas femininity means to be emotional, nurturing, weak, and irrational. The anthropologist Margaret Mead challenged the conventional wisdom that these attributes are the product of nature or genetics. She visited three societies in New Guinea. In Arapesh, Mead noticed both sexes were cooperative and sensitive; they portrayed behavior that would be seen as feminine in American Culture. In Mundugumor, both sexes were selfish and aggressive, behavior Americans would define as masculine. Then in Tchambuli, Mead found gender roles were the reverse from American culture. Women were dominant and rational, while men were submissive, emotional, and nurturing toward children. In her study of various cultures, she would show and come to prove that gender roles are constructed.
Margaret Mead shows us that social constructs affect the way we think, our behaviors, and what we hold as “normal” in everyday life. Even little things, such as how we look at the map of the world has been socialized. There is no up and down in the universe, so why is the traditional world map right-side-up and the one displayed upside-down? Human potential may be the product of nature, but our behavior, cognition, and achievement are a result of socialization, social constructs, education, and conformity.
George Herbert Mead expands on this point in his theory of socxial self. By taking the role of the other, individuals become self-aware. In other words, the self has two parts, “I” and “Me.” The “I” operates as a subject being active and spontaneous. The other part, “Me,” works as an object, or the way we imagine ourselves. In society, an individual would initiate an action (I) and then continue based on how others respond (Me).
George Herbert Mead is important to understanding humanity because it try’s to understand the self. Socialization, in effect, is a product of conformity. The “I” may come up with the most influential and creative social concepts, but if the “Me” is not reinforced by others, the idea will fade or be forgotten.
The world in which we live is, for the most part, created. To understand this, W. I. Thomas created the Thomas theorem. The theorem states that situations that are defined as real become real in their consequences. Although reality is initially “soft” as it is being shaped, it can become “hard” in its effects. It makes no difference whether the original situation is actually real or not; it can become real through the actions taken during the situation. In interpersonal relationships, this can be seen with respect. Another person has given you respect, so they become worthy of your respect. On a societal level, if terrorism is perceived as a threat, fear results, and security measures become necessary to fight terrorism. All these social constructs, culminated with socialization, conformity, and the Thomas theorem, make up reality. This is why creativity and imagination are so important and influential to the growth of society and technological innovation. Think of the possibilities society can achieve, imagine the opportunities technology can bring; literally, for thought is the only thing that has ever led to advances in technology and the development of society.
The mind of Nikola Tesla brought us electricity as we know it. The inventor, a mechanical and electrical engineer, brought us alternating current (AC) power by using magnets. Tesla was the patron saint of modern electricity and invented the twentieth century by helping steer the Second Industrial Revolution. Before Guglielmo Marconi developed the radiotelegraph system or Thomas Edison mastered the light bulb Tesla was the one to bring light to the world. Both Marconi and Edison needed Tesla’s ideas, inventions, and patents to make their inventions work and become famous. 
My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get a new idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination, and make improvements and operate the device in my mind. When I have gone so far as to embody everything in my invention, every possible improvement I can think of, and when I see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete form the final product of my brain.” - Nikola Tesla
To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science. - Albert Einstein
Just as you are heavily affected by your world, you can also heavily affect it. You must allow the “I” to imagine and the “Me” to influence. The individual only has to change the lens in which we see the looking glass self. Change comes from cognition (creativity, imagination, and ingenuity), practiced in behavior (practice/live the cognition), with reinforcement by others and society (surrounding the self with others who enable and provoke that cognition).
No social antagonism creates conformity. Inaction allows stagnation. Silence gives consent, but ingenuity breaks orthodoxy.
The greatest sociological theorists of their time warned against the corruption of society and the suppression of creativity. Karl Marx noted (extensively) that the capitalist class would alienate and oppress workers from themselves and their own potential. This would eventually lead to a workers' revolution overthrowing capitalism. Max Weber feared that modern society would become an iron cage, overrun by an excessive amount of laws, rules, and regulations. Weber agreed with Marx that modern society was alienating the individual; however, they identified different causes for the problem. For Marx, as previously stated, it was economic inequality, but for Weber, the issue was a widespread and dehumanizing bureaucracy that was crushing creativity and the human spirit. Although Emile Durkheim had the most positive outlook on society, he warned of anomie--or society providing little moral guidance to individuals. Durkheim hoped that laws and norms would regulate behavior. However, laws and norms are both social constructs subject to integrity or corruption.
The most important part is to remember that society is an extension of the collective human consciousness. The way society is shaped depends on your daily actions. The ideologies and values only hold power with your consent. No society is immune to tyranny or incapable of utopian ideals. Social constructs, and therefore society, is not static and bound by some sociological natural law; history can show us that is true. Society is dynamic and depends on the imagination and creativity of the mind, applied by individuals, and maintained by the collective. In essence, changing the world starts and ends with you—the self.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." - Albert Einstein
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi1. Mills, C. Wright. "The Sociological Imagination," New York: Oxford University Press, 1959. p.7
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