Sociological Imagination

The sociological imagination helps us understand our surroundings. The context in which we grow up helps shape the person we will become. The settings we familiarize ourselves with have been built upon the social norms that have been set in place by changes in time. Norms are unwritten rules that we adopt throughout life and live by. C. Wright Mills underlines the connection of history and biography into the ideals that shape how your life will develop. In an attempt to understand Mill’s concept better, I broke a reliable norm of invading personal space. For most people, a distance between people is more comfortable. Speaking with two girls, one I knew and the other I didn’t, I approached them within six inches and began conversation. Talking with the girl I didn’t know, I stopped and introduced myself, slowly leaning in. Every time she leaned back, I got closer. My heart was beating faster with every word; I noticed she was also uncomfortable. Finally, after thirty seconds of conversation, she asked me what was going on. I explained that the close conversation was for an assignment. When doing a similar exercise with my roommate we were talking about our day, and then added expressions such as ‘sweetheart’ to the end of our sentences. It felt completely normal and was less stressful. Seeing how much more comfortable I was with my roommate instead of a random girl, shows how my self-securities stepped in. A social norm is an unconscious set of rules that humans abide by that separates us from animals. Social norms are a way of keeping order and peace in society. Respecting people’s personal space is a social norm in society that allows us to converse with each other without causing tension. We are socialized by our parents, media and the people around us to become comfortable with the people we trust. This is why when people make friends; you become comfortable around them by opening up and expressing your true self. Trust in others is important and also