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Why Is Sociological Imagination Important

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Why Is Sociological Imagination Important
Within this essay I will be discussing the meaning of sociological imagination and how it may be important for a community development worker. I will of course cite the sources I have used but most of this essay will consist of my own opinions on the topic as I will involve some of my own studies form lectures also. I feel that it is important to include my own work as social analysis and sociology are the reasons that I am able to understand a sociological imagination as well as how it connects to the mind of a community development worker.
Many sociologists have different opinions on the concept of sociological imagination but C. Wright Mills gives it a basic overview as he defines sociological imagination as “the vivid awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society” (Mills, 1959). Everybody has their own personal experiences which are all affected or shaped by surroundings and other events, these experiences build to become our stories and every other persons …show more content…
The sociological perspective views human behaviour as “mediated, shaped, channelled, and influenced by social relationships and social systems (Johnson, Richard, Gregory , & Stephan, 2006). This also links in with the behaviour of a community development worker as well as being calm and collected. As a community development worker it is important to have a positive outlook on life but also to be realistic in certain situations. While working in a community sector within an agency/organisation it is also important to consider the interaction of structure and agency. While doing so we begin to see everything as social and relational. ‘Rather than viewing society as many isolated individuals, we make connections to the larger social context in order to examine society as a whole’ (Griffin,
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