Berua, Jalil B.
10 – St. Thomas
Reflection on “The Promise”
Based on what I've understand on this book, C Wright Mills talked about how people will
understand the life of an individual or the history of the society. I reflected on how he wants to
understand how the society system work for us, and not the individual issues that they are
facing. Also, how the components of the society are interrelated to each other and have
function on its own. That one may fall, and it will have a domino effect to others. Without
thinking widely, we will experience being trap by our experience only. Mills stated that
sociology must understand how the system works rather than observing. Mills gives a
distinction between the personal troubles and social issues. Where in it can impact our family,
close friend, or co-workers. Personal trouble is our private issues in our lives, while public or
social issues is outside of our personal problems, it is widely and global to us such as racism
and poverty. But personal troubles can also be a social issue when the problems that an
individual face are common in the community. Studying the history of our society is important
to us, to better understand what is actually the reason behind of everything. The origin of
everything that actually we are facing. Such as the world war, which is gives us a lot of impact
because it shapes our contemporary society now. It is important that to know the past
experiences that we have so we better understood their actions. Mills believed that looking at
the balance system and humans is actually relevant to understand them and their connection
to each other. Mills also stated that, a thought of society that it’s just a series of the system
were not accurate. Because it’ll only ignore the role of the individual within the systems. He
also explained how the sociological imagination works on us. We are bound to ask a question,
when we are buying things. Because it makes you look beyond simple questions. “Why do you
need this?” “Is it really necessary to buy new clothing?” Then when you answers these
question, it will gave you a different factors of thoughts, like if it’s a trend right now that’s why
you’re bound to buy, or is because the store is actually near at you. Providing a different
answers in your question helps you to choose better. All in all sociological imaginations
develops you to have an ability when it comes to decision making. It’ll help you to give
different context on the situation you are in. Also, it make us to understand or identify the
various aspects of our society rather than just living only. Humans who have a sociological
imagination, has a smarter personal choices. Mills stated that the individual experience and
the social problems are the production of the history. It is important to see the connection of
the structure of the system in our society, so we can see how they function together and how
they work together to have a stable and balance. The idea of sociological imagination can
affect the behavior of an individual. Because, it is decision making it will give them a wide
thinking aspects. Where in, they can think beyond those simple things and have a smart
choices or decision. Social study doesn’t only make us understand the connection of the past
and the present. But, it also helps us to analyze the currents of our life and the patterns on the
social life. Throughout, sociological imagination doesn’t only focus on what is “real” but also
what could possibly happen or what could become real in the future. In conclusion,
sociological imagination is relevant to us, to our society, because it is interrelated with the
personal troubles and social issues that we have as a human and part of the society. It’s also
gave as a wide aspects to understand what are the roles in our society. The reason behind
anything, or the origin of our society. The connecting of history and how the individual live,
gave a complete sense to the anxieties or crisis of our society.
