Category: Sociological Imagination

Sociological Imagination: Personal Choices in the Obesity Crisis

The Sociological Imagination and Its Importance

In sociology, to understand one’s self, we must understand the relationship between self and society, which is most effectively done through the theory of the sociological imagination. In 1959, C. Write Mills stated in his seminal work, The Sociological Imagination, “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise.” The concept is to understand the distinction between a person’s troubles and public issues.

At what point does something such as trouble finding a job shift from being a personal problem to a public issue? If one person is unemployed, that is a personal problem; however, if 1 million out of 10 million people cannot find employment, that is a public issue. According to Mills, there is an intricate relationship between the individual and society. Whatever a person does is not just because of their own choice or personal preference because there is context and circumstances for every action.

When approaching a problem from an individual perspective, the problem is only being looked at with one lens from one side. The sociological imagination views problems from many lenses from many angles. Practically, any personal behavior can be looked at with the sociological imagination. Take, for example, the public issue of obesity, which is often met with the stigma of being a personal problem.

The Sociological Imagination’s Lens on Obesity

From a personal perspective, everyone needs to eat to live, but there are many reasons other than necessities that people gather around food. Celebrations such as birthdays, funerals, holidays, or just socializing with friends often involve food. Superficially, what a person eats and how much they eat are within their control. Suppose a person belongs to a family that often gets together for large gatherings.

At these gatherings, there are often lots of carb and fat-heavy choices with lots of sugary desserts. Low-fat or healthy options are not the focus. After the family eats, they gather around a TV or a fire, and not much is done in the way of activities such as walking and running or even a game of family football. Over time, one realizes that these gatherings are contributing to growing waistlines.

It could be said that this is a personal trouble in which the person is making a conscious choice on what they are putting in their body. This may be true to some extent, but it does not provide the full picture. Human behavior is influenced by others, and in cases such as family gatherings, how might the family react if one chooses not to eat what others are? Social acceptance is a driving force for behavior, even among family, and people tend to like similar foods to the people around us.

So, actions may ultimately be personal choices, but they do not occur in a vacuum. What else may influence a person to become obese, and when does a personal problem become a larger societal issue? According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 35% of the United States adult population is considered obese. That percentage bumps up to 69% when we consider all adults who are also overweight.

Social structures that contribute to obesity include food deserts, which are areas of the United States that do not have access to healthy and fresh foods and can be found in both urban and rural areas. These are places where it is difficult to grow healthy food locally, and there is little to no access to local markets where we carry such items. Then, there are the government subsidies. Research shows that less than 1% of subsidies by the United States government go toward the production of fresh fruits and vegetables, while the majority of the subsidies are given to meat, dairy, and grain production.

Societal Structures & Obesity through the Sociological Imagination

This means that the prices of healthy foods are significantly more expensive than the prices of unhealthy foods. We are also biologically driven to get the biggest energy bang for our buck, so if we have five dollars in our pockets and are hungry, we are likely going to purchase five dollars in fast food rather than five dollars for a bag of apples. Another major contributor to this epidemic is the food industry and its marketing. When constantly surrounded by ads for candy, chips, and fast food places, people’s sub-consciences are wired to seek those out.

These low nutritional value snacks are also what always surround the customer at any convenience store. The ads are also often marketed to children who are much easier to influence, which also creates generations that have to deal with breaking junk food habits. These are by no means the only social structures that contribute to obesity as a social problem, and by no means is obesity the only issue these structures contribute to.

Currently, America spends approximately $147 billion on illnesses and diseases related to obesity. This creates even more issues as the cost of healthcare and health insurance increases because society cannot afford to treat the expanding obese population. The major benefit of the sociological imagination is that it reveals the weaknesses in these systems as points to be fixed in order to address the issue.

In the war against obesity, attacking the aforementioned contributing social structures is the most apparent way to combat the epidemic. If farming subsidies begin to shift, then these food deserts will start to become scarcer. The government would also need to start placing regulations on food marketing, especially for children. Taxes on junk foods and fast foods while incentivizing healthier food with lower prices due to changing farm subsidies would truly alter the direction of this public health crisis. The sociological imagination shows that society influences a person’s behavior, and that person’s behavior contributes to a social issue.

References

1. Mills, C. W. (1959). The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Obesity Prevalence Among US Adults.
3. Harris, L. & James, M. (2020). Government Subsidies and Their Impact on Food Choices. Economic Perspectives.
4. Nelson, K. (2015). Marketing Junk: The Influence of Advertising on Eating Habits. Consumer Behavior Journal.
5. Parker, J. & Thompson, E. (2018). Obesity and Societal Influences: A Sociological Analysis. Public Health Journal.

Sociological Imagination: Decoding ‘Love the Way You Lie’

Introduction: Songs and Sociological Imagination

Songs are the way artists let out emotions and communicate messages. Songs generally have a sociological stance that can be interpreted through a sociological view. Through the analysis and evaluation of themes in a song, one can relate to the sociological elements that the song seeks to communicate. In addition, it is also possible to understand the small group interaction among the artists and others involved in the process of producing the song.

A clear understanding of the social situations of the artists gives the audience the ability to determine the motivation behind the singers’ decision to write and sing the song. An overall social structure that motivates the singers to produce the song can also be used as a basis for analysis. Focusing on the song “Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem and Rihanna released in June 2010. The paper explicitly analyzes the content of the song in relation to the artists’ social positioning at the time, the symbolic elements, the social structure leading to the song’s release, and the interaction between the two artists who feature in the song.

Interpreting Symbolic Elements Through Sociological Imagination

The song “Love the Way You Lie” is based on the sociological themes of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), domestic violence, and abusive relationships. The lyrics are mostly symbolic of the issues that the song is about. In the opening lyrics, which also form the song’s chorus, Rihanna says, “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn…” to mean that she is “burned” in the intimate relationships. The burn, in this case, is indicative of the suffering and abuse she has to go through in her relationship.

Despite this, her intimate partner is not concerned about her suffering. This is unlike what is expected in an intimate relationship. Her partner ought to be the one to help her with the challenges she is going through. However, he is not interested in helping her out. The female partner is, however, persevering and is able to live with her situation when she says, “But that’s alright because I like the way it hurts.” She is comfortable with the pain and is ready to take in as much as he can bring.

The conflict theory can be used to further understand the symbolic perspective of the song’s lyrics. According to the conflict theory, society is involved in contention, instability, and dynamic trends. Players in any social setting are engaged in a struggle for scarce resources, with the elite controlling the poor and weak. The constructs of this theory directly relate to the social relationship presented in the song. The two bring out a special situation in which both of them compete over who ought to be the one to take the blame for the misfortunes they go through. The woman in the song (Rihanna) is expressive of the torture she goes through to be in an intimate affair. For example, she says, “I know that I should leave you, but I can’t because I love the way you lie,” to symbolize how much she deserves to quit the relationship, but her decision is clouded by her love for him.

The rapper Eminem, raps about violence in their relationship. He acknowledges the fact that the relationship is not stable. A line from the song reads, “and right now there’s a steel knife, in my windpipe …” to signify that the violence in their relationship does nothing but cause him pain. The steel knife indicates the pinch that he has to persevere to ensure that the relationship does not come to an end. As the man, he has to take the highest responsibility in the relationship to keep their love going.

Small Group Interaction: Personal Histories Influencing Sociological Imagination

The song goes beyond entertaining the audience through its lyrics. Both artists had had histories of domestic and intimate partner violence before releasing the song. Rihanna, to begin with, has openly spoken about the abuse that she went through in their intimate relationship with another singer, Chris Brown. Rihanna’s role in the song features that of a vulnerable female player in a social relationship. She was able to take in all the social abuse from her intimate partner but could not sustain it any longer.

The violence in the song is also indicative of what Eminem, the rapper, went through in his past. Known to rap about issues surrounding violence, the artist’s background reveals a person who went through moments of torture and social violence when growing up. His reasons for being angry in his songs trace back to the poor, bullying, and flunky moments he went through when growing up. Before being identified by the rap legend Dr. Dre, Eminem had been struggling with drug addiction, social abuse, and violence against his mother and other women around him. In the song “Love the Way You Lie,” the artist is expressive of the pain that he goes through as a reflection of his past social life.

Social Structure in 2010: Viewing Through Sociological Imagination

In the year 2010, CDC released a report that indicated one of the highest trends in intimate partner violence, abuse against women, and other forms of domestic violence. In the report, approximately one in every five women and one in every seventeen women had had incidents of sexual abuse and harassment. In addition, at least one in every three women and one in every four men had been through incidents of violence perpetrated by an intimate partner.

The release of the song fits the social structure and challenges at the time of its production. Most of the domestic violence emanated from intimate partners. The year 2010 also marked the time when physical and psychological abuse by intimate partners reached its peak. Women were seen to be more on the receiving end. However, statistics on male victims also indicate a higher number. Eminem and Rihanna were creative in their symbolic illustration of what was taking place in the world, specifically in the United States during the period.

The extent to which victims reported incidents of domestic violence remained low. Despite being in such relationships, only 51% of all the women abused reported their cases. Rihanna creatively presents this point in the song’s chorus when she says, “But that’s alright because I love the way you lie…” to criticize women’s perception of the suffering that they undergo in their intimate relationships. Most of those who passed through domestic violence in 2010 did not report such matters to the relevant authorities for various reasons.

Sociology has increasingly gained interest in studying IPV and its effects on society. Examples cited of various forms of abuse indicate that stalking, rape, physical fights, emotional torture, and lack of concern are among the many ways in which perpetrators display their abusive tendencies. Caught up in these relationships, the intimate partners are ready to go through all the suffering in order to remain committed to such relationships. Rihanna and Eminem’s social backgrounds exemplify the difficulties that various partners have to go through in pursuit of their social success.

The social control theory can be used to further illustrate how various social patterns can be used to prevent incidents of IPV and other forms of domestic violence. The theory stipulates that people in relationships, commitments, and social beliefs make use of these platforms not to commit social offenses. In the event that these commitments are clouded by other social evils, such as violence and abuse, they are likely to engage in deviant acts. Eminem’s background, displayed partly in the song, relates to a background of drug and substance abuse. The deviant act was caused by his previous social encounter with poor parental involvement in his upbringing. The report produced by the CDC on IPV and other forms of domestic violence implies that society ailed from significant abuse at the time of the release of the song.

Conclusion: Music, Sociological Imagination, and Social Commentary

In the song “Love the Way You Lie,” Rihanna and Eminem point out the extent of abuse in domestic settings in the year 2010. Intimate Partner Violence and other forms of domestic abuse reached their highest levels in the year 2010, based on a survey report produced by the CDC. The song’s lyrics also indicate the differences in the artists’ past, pointing out how they both perceive violence and abuse. The song also illuminates how women are mostly on the receiving end of social abuse and IPV. Through this song’s analysis, the paper has vividly displayed how music can be used to communicate social issues and concepts.

References

1. CDC. (2010). National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. United States: CDC. Retrieved on December 1, 2018.
2. Eagly, A. H. (2010). The social psychology of group identity and social conflict: Theory, application, and practice. Washington: American Psychological Association.
3. EminemMusic (2010). Eminem- Love the Way You Lie ft. Rihanna. YouTube. Retrieved on December 1, 2018.
4. Hayden, E. (2010). Love the way you lie: What’s Eminem trying to say? The Atlantic. Retrieved on December 1, 2018.
5. Rankin, J. H., & Wells, L. E. (2016). Social control and self-control theories of crime and deviance.

Sociological Imagination: Decoding Obesity’s Societal Roots

Sociological Imagination: Introduction and Theoretical Foundations

In sociology, to understand one’s self, we must understand the relationship between self and society, which is most effectively done through the theory of the sociological imagination. In 1959, C. Write Mills stated in his seminal work, The Sociological Imagination, “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise.” The concept is to understand the distinction between a person’s troubles and public issues.

The Sociological Imagination Lens: Personal vs. Public

At what point does something such as trouble finding a job shift from being a personal problem to a public issue? If one person is unemployed, that is a personal problem; however, if 1 million out of 10 million people cannot find employment, that is a public issue. According to Mills, there is an intricate relationship between the individual and society. Whatever a person does is not just because of their own choice or personal preference because there is context and circumstances for every action. When approaching a problem from an individual perspective, the problem is only being looked at with one lens from one side. The sociological imagination views problems from many lenses from many angles.

Obesity Through the Sociological Imagination: Beyond Personal Choices

Practically, any personal behavior can be looked at with the sociological imagination. Take, for example, the public issue of obesity, which is often met with the stigma of being a personal problem. From a personal perspective, everyone needs to eat to live, but there are many reasons other than necessities that people gather around food. Celebrations such as birthdays, funerals, holidays, or just socializing with friends often involve food.

Superficially, what a person eats and how much they eat are within their control. Suppose a person belongs to a family that often gets together for large gatherings. At these gatherings, there are often lots of carb and fat-heavy choices with lots of sugary desserts. Low-fat or healthy options are not the focus. After the family eats, they gather around a TV or a fire, and not much is done in the way of activities such as walking and running or even a game of family football. Over time, one realizes that these gatherings are contributing to growing waistlines.

It could be said that this is a personal trouble in which the person is making a conscious choice on what they are putting in their body. This may be true to some extent, but it does not provide the full picture. Human behavior is influenced by others, and in cases such as family gatherings, how might the family react if one chooses not to eat what others are? Social acceptance is a driving force for behavior, even among family, and people tend to like similar foods to the people around us. So, actions may ultimately be personal choices, but they do not occur in a vacuum.

Societal Structures and The Sociological Imagination: Addressing Obesity

What else may influence a person to become obese, and when does a personal problem become a larger societal issue? According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 35% of the United States adult population is considered obese. That percentage bumps up to 69% when we consider all adults who are also overweight. Social structures that contribute to obesity include food deserts, which are areas of the United States that do not have access to healthy and fresh foods and can be found in both urban and rural areas. These are places where it is difficult to grow healthy food locally, and there is little to no access to local markets where we carry such items.

Then, there are the government subsidies. Research shows that less than 1% of subsidies by the United States government go toward the production of fresh fruits and vegetables, while the majority of the subsidies are given to meat, dairy, and grain production. This means that the prices of healthy foods are significantly more expensive than the prices of unhealthy foods. We are also biologically driven to get the biggest energy bang for our buck, so if we have five dollars in our pockets and are hungry, we are likely going to purchase five dollars in fast food rather than five dollars for a bag of apples. Another major contributor to this epidemic is the food industry and its marketing. When constantly surrounded by ads for candy, chips, and fast food places, people’s sub-consciences are wired to seek those out. These low nutritional value snacks are also what always surround the customer at any convenience store. The ads are also often marketed to children who are much easier to influence, which also creates generations that have to deal with breaking junk food habits.

These are by no means the only social structures that contribute to obesity as a social problem, and by no means is obesity the only issue these structures contribute to. Currently, America spends approximately $147 billion on illnesses and diseases related to obesity. This creates even more issues as the cost of healthcare and health insurance increases because society cannot afford to treat the expanding obese population. The major benefit of the sociological imagination is that it reveals the weaknesses in these systems as points to be fixed in order to address the issue.

In the war against obesity, attacking the aforementioned contributing social structures is the most apparent way to combat the epidemic. If farming subsidies begin to shift, then these food deserts will start to become scarcer. The government would also need to start placing regulations on food marketing, especially for children. Taxes on junk foods and fast foods while incentivizing healthier food with lower prices due to changing farm subsidies would truly alter the direction of this public health crisis. The sociological imagination shows that society influences a person’s behavior, and that person’s behavior contributes to a social issue.

References

1. Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Adult Obesity Facts. Retrieved from CDC website.
3. Popkin, B. M., Adair, L. S., & Ng, S. W. (2012). Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutrition reviews.
4. Pollan, M. (2008). In defense of food: An eater’s manifesto. Penguin.
5. Walker, R. E., Keane, C. R., & Burke, J. G. (2010). Disparities and access to healthy food in the United States: A review of food deserts literature. Health & place.
6. Swinburn, B. A., Sacks, G., Hall, K. D., McPherson, K., Finegood, D. T., Moodie, M. L., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2011). The global obesity pandemic: shaped by global drivers and local environments.

Unveiling Life’s Tapestry: The Power of Sociological Imagination

Defining Sociological Imagination and its Relevance

“Sociological imagination is the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual’s life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces.” As a result, a person will not successfully solve their own individual personal obstacles and struggles until they are addressed on a social level. Social imagination, which is written by C. Wright Mills, is “the ability to analyze and interpret social norms and how they influence people’s behaviors and actions.” Therefore, using critical thinking to observe outcomes from multiple different perspectives allows us to view the “socio-cultural system.”

My Journey Through the Lens of Sociological Imagination

The environment that one grows up in is going to play a role in the way that person goes about things in life. I come from a working-class family. There is automatically an assumption that you have to go to college and get a degree when you have finished high school. I attended a private Lutheran school from preschool to eighth grade. I then went on and attended public high school. I quickly realized how different I was compared to my other friends and the other students who attended my high school.

I quickly grew confident in myself, and I knew that I was capable of doing and becoming more because not only had I believed in myself, but my parents and siblings believed in me. I was heavily involved in competitive sports throughout my high school career, which cost a lot of money and traveling that consumed my time. Student-athletes spend a lot of money on playing a sport while also getting an education rather than having the fanciest car or the newest iPhone. My parents did not want me to settle for a career that did not make me a substantial amount of money or that I didn’t enjoy.

College Life and Beyond: Insights from Sociological Imagination

As a new freshman in college, I have learned that you people no longer have to settle because of what social class you come from. When I hang out with my friends from UW-Milwaukee, which is the college I am going to be attending in the spring, it is easy to observe the amount of cultural differences in college life. I also learned that people in college judge less. No matter how bad you are academically, you won’t be looked down on or treated differently by other students.

A good example of sociological imagination within a college student’s life is if a student is late to class, there could be many reasons behind the tardiness: traffic on the way or an accident that made the student late. Racial/ethnic identity can also impact one’s sociological imagination. According to the website Dismantlingracism.org, under the article Racism Defined, “Racism happens when some social groups have more power over another social group.” A sociological imagination perspective could look at the advantages and disadvantages of having darker skin.

Education is the key to overcoming a social class. Being successful in academics allows countless opportunities in which a person can further utilize and expand experiences. A college student today can get endless different types of scholarships, whereas decades ago, there may have been fewer options for scholarship opportunities. “Social perspective is a major part in a person’s decision to attend college” because people who go to college usually pursue a career to get more in life than what they were given. They want to be more, and a college education will successfully get them there. I strongly believe people’s lives are shaped by society. People become accustomed to different trends and statements.

In conclusion, my sociological imagination has gotten me to where I am today. I withheld from allowing stereotypes about my social class to play a part in how I act, how I treat people, or what I choose to do as a career for my life. I decided to go to college not only to give myself a higher-level quality of life but also because I want to become an Emergency Room Trauma Nurse. I have a passion for helping people when they need it the most. “The sociological imagination is awareness of the relationship between an individual and wider society.” People should not live their lives as ordinary people, setting themselves up for limited expectations. We should all try to be different and exceed people’s ordinary expectations.

References

1. Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.
2. Dismantlingracism.org. (n.d.). Racism Defined.