Sociological Imagination

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SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

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Introduction

According to a research article by Isaksen Joachim on sociological imagination, social

responsibility goes hand in hand with social imagination (Isaksen, J., 2013). It is very vital

therefore that individuals be taught how to be socially responsible by sociologists. The manner in

which people relate with each other is the pivot upon which society operates and runs and so this

cannot be neglected or debated. In the society, the manner in which individuals relate to each

other and the behavior of people can easily be explained by aspects of sociology. The behavior

of people is also shaped by the norms in society, regulations and even unspoken rules that are

known by individuals. Ones actions will always affect someone else either in a positive or

negative way and this could even be subconsciously. The lives of people are therefore

intertwined whether they know each other or not and therefore all individuals knowing that,

should be mindful of how they portray themselves before others.

Discussion

Using sociological imagination, individuals have the ability to understand how society

and individuals function. The manner in which the society is set, shapes to a very great extent

how individuals think, act and the manner in which they make their decisions. The behavior of

someone is almost always dictated by the context of the situation as viewed by the society. Often

when people are having difficulty in their lives, they trace them back to social roots (Wiley, J.,

2015). This therefore would indicate that from social imagination, we are able to understand that

no situation however difficult it may be, is unique to only one individual and at the same time,

success for individuals is shaped by society and so not unique to an individual. Individuals often

carry themselves around and dress or eat the way society has shaped them to. When someone

moves locations and lives in a different place, they are likely to be socially changed and adapt to

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a new lifestyle because the society will naturally dictate that. It is however vital to know that

sociologically, one should be able to differentiate between problems that are personal and those

that are caused or influenced by various issues in the society. The society in which an individual

lives may be undergoing financial crisis and when an individual misses an opportunity to work to

earn a living, they may equate that to failure on their part. This situation may not be the case

because fewer employers in the society may be willing to employ because of the economic

struggles. Other people may also be undergoing similar problems and thus it is always difficult to

know about an individual and their personal struggles without looking at the society as is

recommended by the concept of sociological imagination.

Grand theory was originally coined by a psychologist from America known as C. Wright

Mills in which understanding of the social world is done using concepts that are not only

organized but arranged in a formal manner (Wiley, J., 2015). In the contemporary world, the

grand theories are considered those that were coined by major and well know sociologists. Social

dynamics are associated with the manner in which society progressively changes over a period of

time and people either become more enlightened or intelligent hence growing the society. Grand

theories can adequately capture social dynamics because they explain the behavior of human

beings and how it is shaped and changed by activities around them in their environment. The

cognitive theory by Jean Piaget explains different stages in the development of an individual

from the time one is born. Individuals develop and think as they observe the environment and

this forms a basis of how they operate at different stages. Comparing the behavior of children

born within a decade a part would provide insight into this. As time goes by, so are new

advancements in technology and even simple tools used at home. This therefore means that

children will observe from their environment and adapt to that depending on the time in which

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they born and develop. The grand theories can thus be said to critical in capturing social

dynamics.

Social order and commonly accepted values are subject to change. Social norms in the

society that are shared by individuals, regulations put in place by institutions and values of

peoples’ culture in the society are what constitute social order. Culture changes as time goes by

and it is one of the determining factors to the values that are accepted in society. As new

advancements come up, regulations and the cultures long upheld by individuals of a society are

watered down (Maheshwari, V., 2013). This can be attributed to individuals claiming a higher

knowledge and that some regulations making up social order would restrict them from enjoying

some attributes of life. Schools and institutions of higher learning have in the recent years taught

that everyone should be accepted the way they are and often, this has caused people to overlook

even behavior that they would previously term as socially inacceptable. Laws and regulations

governing a state are increasingly becoming easy to change or completely do away with

altogether because of the ability to come up with petitions that would term some clause of the

law as being injustice to people. This would lead to termination of that part of the law and could

lead to doing away from social order in the process.

In the psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud, there are three concepts which are id,

ego and super ego (Maheshwari, V., 2013). This concepts explain why an individual would

behave the way they do. Social order and commonly accepted values in society are subject to

change because of the manner in which individuals view them, based on the theory by Freud.

People may demonstrate deviant behavior which is contrary to the law because they feel they are

above the law or that some aspects of the accepted values should be changed in order to suit

them. Personality therefore pays a huge role in social order being subject to change in the

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contemporary world. Failure in the process of socialization can also cause change in social order.

If the personality of an individual is not integrated with social and cultural norms, accepted

values will change.

After decolonization, the interests of the colonial master are allowed to remain intact as

they are used as the colonial master still desires to exercise power indirectly over the state. The

colonial master disguises oneself as an agent for positive change and expansion in its former

colony (Baptista et al., 2017). They achieve this in many ways, one of which is by sending

representatives to the country to act as people to guide the leadership of the country in signing

contacts for food aid. In the process of doing this, some food is delivered to the country to feed

some citizens who are starving and the colonial master also takes up land that they feel is

suitable for enriching them. The colony might be blinded because all they will see is the food aid

that they get. The colonial master may also send its troops to maintain peace in times of civil

unrest in the former colony but then take advantage of the insecurity to rule the country

indirectly without the ex-colony realizing it. Studies have shown that France would occasionally

server its own interest in a former colony of their by coming into the country in a bid to civilize

the people of that nation. The colonial master would come to the former colony to set up schools

that would supposedly offer quality education to the citizens of the country and to stabilize the

political scene in the nation as they would term it as unstable.

The colonial master uses those disguises to foster there interests which are later seen as

they sign contracts that enable them to carry out mining in their former colony and to tap into the

natural resources to enrich their own country. Through the few schools that they set up, the

colonial master affirms the right to get raw materials from the country for the industries in its

own country as a way of the country paying them back for the favor to offer their children

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quality education. Many of the projects the colonial master starts in the former colony are geared

towards fulfilling their own interests and so they partner with the government of that nation to

make it appear as though the projects are to help the citizens of the country and not for their own

country’s gain.

Prisons have a vital role in the society as they are made to not only punish, but

rehabilitate and reconstruct the thinking and ways of the individuals who find themselves behind

its walls following their crimes. Prisons are meant to remind the society that they can feel safe

within their environment as those that are proven guilty of breaking the law by being offenders

would be put behind bars. The society is also meant to be reminded by the presence of prisons

that the law would not spare any individual who breaks it. On the flip side, members of the

society find hope in the presence of prisons because they know that offenders of the law would

be rehabilitated and made better and productive members of the society before they are allowed

back among other people. Prisons further affirm that rules and regulations that are set to govern a

country are not just written on book but are enforced in order to make the society and its citizens

better individuals (Isaksen, J., 2013).

Through the prison system, the members of society that are aggrieved are able to get

justice for crimes committed against them. To the offended, knowing that justice was served in

dealing with their case gives them the ability to move on with their life and focus on more

productive things to better themselves. Putting away offenders of the law in prisons also assures

the rest of the society that there would be less crime committed in their environs and so they

would be less likely to be in danger from criminal activities of the offenders. Prison gives a

chance to the individual that is jailed to go through the full program that teaches them to take up

on a skill and work at it to make themselves professional. From this, when they leave prison,

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they are able to either look for a job and be productive members of the nation or start their own

form of business without having to revert back to crime.

Knowledge and power are related as one is often dependent upon the other. According to

a research article on the relationship between knowledge and power in organizations by

Catherine Kelly, knowledge is a resource of power exercised in an organization and so it needs

to be exploited carefully by following the rules and regulations of the same organization

(Catherine K., 2007). Previously knowledge was thought to be individual but now everyone in an

organization has free access to it since the resource is communal and so no one can claim

personal ownership or access. When someone has knowledge however, they are better placed to

be in a position of power and influence in the organization. Having control over others and even

oneself also comes from acquiring quality education which gives one knowledge that places the

individual in a position of power and ultimately a position of great influence over others. With

the access to power, one is able to work in high end occupations with many people looking up to

them and them making decisions that affect others because of the knowledge they have. It is vital

however that anyone with the knowledge and power notes that the power they exercise over

others from the knowledge they have can be detrimental if caution is not taken in how they

handle it.

According to Michael Foucault, power is something that is everywhere (Baptista et al.,

2017). He goes ahead to say that power is not directed from one source but is diffuse and can be

sort from many directions contrary to the popular belief by other theorists that it stems only from

those above in high positions and are sovereign. The relationship of knowledge and power is that

through proper means of knowledge, and understanding of science and integrating those two

with truth, then an individual would be in a position to have power and have it in full. Power is

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also portrayed as something that is not entirely bad but that it is needed in the society to foster

positivity in many aspects and productivity of the members of society as well.

Conclusion

Sociological ideologies shape and guide many aspects of the human existence and help

individuals gain an understanding into why things happen the way they do. Social change is part

of life because time passes by and people and things change even for the better but positivity in

life is one thing that should remain a constant in order to ensure success in everything that one

does. The manner in which people relate with each other is also a determinant of how the society

will run and so how those with knowledge and power relate with others will dictate the direction

in which society is starred and the outcome expected for positive living.

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Resources Cited

Baptista, M.K.S., Santos, R.M.D., Duarte, S.J.H., Comassetto, I. and Trezza, M.C.S.F., 2017.

The patient and the relation between power-knowledge and care by nursing

professionals. Escola Anna Nery, 21(4).

Catherine, K. (2007). Managing the relationship between knowledge and power in organisations

| Aslib Proceedings | Vol 59, No 2. Pp.125-138, [online] Available at:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/00012530710736645 [Accessed 12 Jan.

2018].

Isaksen, J. (2013). The Sociological Imagination: Thinking Outside the Box. [online] POPULAR

SOCIAL SCIENCE. Available at: http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2013/04/29/the-

sociological-imagination-thinking-outside-the-box/ [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].

Maheshwari, V. (2013). Concept of Social Statics and Social Dynamics | Dr. V.K. Maheshwari,

Ph.D. [online] Vkmaheshwari.com. Available at:

http://www.vkmaheshwari.com/WP/?p=772 [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].

Wiley, J. (2015). Sociological Imagination: A Critical Way to the World (Community,

Environment, and Development: An Undergraduate Research Journal). [online]

Community, Environment, and Development: An Undergraduate Research Journal (Penn

State University). Available at: http://aese.psu.edu/students/research/ced-

urj/news/2015/sociological-imagination-a-critical-way-to-the-world [Accessed 13 Jan.

2018].

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Annotated bibliography

The following is the annotated bibliography for Q. 6 which states: What is the

relationship of knowledge and power? How does power operate for Foucault?

Catherine Kelly. (2007). Managing the relationship between knowledge and power in

organisations | Aslib Proceedings | Vol 59, No 2. Pp.125-138, [online] Available at:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/00012530710736645 [Accessed 12 Jan.

2018].

The author uses an organizational setting to explain the relationship between knowledge and

power. She sites knowledge as a resource of power and that for effective exploitation of the

power, rules of the organization must be followed or otherwise some people may be put down as

they would be deemed as without a right to the power. For people to realize and appreciate those

in higher positions and their power, legitimacy must be exercised and all must benefit regardless

of their position in the organization. Previously knowledge was thought to be individual but now

everyone in an organization has free access to knowledge since the resource is communal.

Foucault however came up with a phrase that power is not from an individual alone but can be

sought from anywhere.

Schieman, S. and Plickert, G., 2008. How knowledge is power: Education and the sense of

control. Social Forces, 87(1), pp.153-183.

The authors, researchers at the University of North Carolina use data from a previously

done national survey in 2005 among adults with paying jobs to test their hypothesis that

education which gives knowledge is positively and directly linked to power which is expressed

as having control over oneself and even others around. Having a high level of education is

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equated to increased knowledge and this places an individual in a position of power which

follows getting opportunities to work in well-respected occupations. Knowledge can also place

an individual in a position of power that would otherwise have a negative impact on them if not

used appropriately. According to Foucault, power is not entirely gained from knowledge but they

are interrelated.

Parzyszek, M.J., 2009. Relation between knowledge and power in the context of business

competitiveness.

The author reiterates that the significance of knowledge cannot be debated. Economy in

the modern day gives approval and power to those who are considered to have knowledge as it is

attributed to having the skills as well in either running business or being in a position of

influence. It is the knowledgeable that run companies with the ability to make rules in the

business world as they do not rely on loans and grants like others do. They are therefore revered

and this had even been foreseen in years past by scientists as they studied trends and the

relationship between knowledge and power. Power is assigned to those perceived to have

knowledge in business without them being necessarily appointed as leaders but it is silently

known by all that they control the affairs of others. Fault states that power should not be used to

oppress others by those perceived to have the knowledge and should be used wisely.

Baptista, M.K.S., Santos, R.M.D., Duarte, S.J.H., Comassetto, I. and Trezza, M.C.S.F., 2017.

The patient and the relation between power-knowledge and care by nursing

professionals. Escola Anna Nery, 21(4).

The researchers and authors carried out a study in the hospital whereby they observed 16

patients and the manner in which they related with the nurses that were giving them the care that

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they needed. They made reference to what Michael Foucault termed as the relationship of

knowledge and power. Differentiations which was a system developed by Foucault determined

that the patients submitted to the care because they observed the nurses as having knowledge that

was professional in nature and necessary for their health and wellbeing. This was the manner in

which nurses exercised their power over the patients and it proved that there is undeniably a

relationship between knowledge and power.

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