Sociological Imagnation
Natural Disasters, High Unemployment Rates and the End of a War Shaping My life
The sociological imagination looks at the level of the individual and sees how the larger social issues affect the troubles faced by individuals; we can also look at how the individual troubles connect to the larger social issues. I can see this happening in my life today. Looking back at my nineteen years of life, I look at three certain events and seeing how they have shaped my life; Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the Floods of 2008, the high unemployment rates of 2009 and the ending of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2010.
Natural disasters are devastating to where they occur, but I look at them as a way to unify with my community and my country. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, especially the New Orleans area. Living here in Iowa, I didn’t feel the effect of this disaster directly, but watching the news opened my eyes to how lucky I am to be for what I have, because it can be lost. At school, we had a donation drive going with the Salvation Army and I felt good knowing that this money I was donating to this fund because I was indirectly helping the relief effort. In 2008, Iowa experienced some of the worst flooding in history, especially the Cedar Rapids area. While my family was not a victim of the floods, some of our friends were. I volunteered to help with the cleanup of some properties that were affected. I think that events like these shape my life because whether or not an event like this affects you directly or not, it motivates you to help in one way or another.
After the economic downfall in 2008, unemployment rates across the country soared to high rates, in 2009, I applied for my first job: a courtesy clerk at Hy-Vee. I feel that it has helped shaped me because I am fortunate to not be a part of this unemployment rate, to have an income, and to be able to afford the items that I have. Looking beyond myself I see that there are people who aren’t employed,
The sociological imagination looks at the level of the individual and sees how the larger social issues affect the troubles faced by individuals; we can also look at how the individual troubles connect to the larger social issues. I can see this happening in my life today. Looking back at my nineteen years of life, I look at three certain events and seeing how they have shaped my life; Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the Floods of 2008, the high unemployment rates of 2009 and the ending of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2010.
Natural disasters are devastating to where they occur, but I look at them as a way to unify with my community and my country. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, especially the New Orleans area. Living here in Iowa, I didn’t feel the effect of this disaster directly, but watching the news opened my eyes to how lucky I am to be for what I have, because it can be lost. At school, we had a donation drive going with the Salvation Army and I felt good knowing that this money I was donating to this fund because I was indirectly helping the relief effort. In 2008, Iowa experienced some of the worst flooding in history, especially the Cedar Rapids area. While my family was not a victim of the floods, some of our friends were. I volunteered to help with the cleanup of some properties that were affected. I think that events like these shape my life because whether or not an event like this affects you directly or not, it motivates you to help in one way or another.
After the economic downfall in 2008, unemployment rates across the country soared to high rates, in 2009, I applied for my first job: a courtesy clerk at Hy-Vee. I feel that it has helped shaped me because I am fortunate to not be a part of this unemployment rate, to have an income, and to be able to afford the items that I have. Looking beyond myself I see that there are people who aren’t employed,