According to Allan and Lemert social theory is very significant in our everyday world. Although we do not give it the credit that it deserves, we use sociological theory and concepts everyday. Lemert uses the example of children and how they are able to question their surroundings in order to understand what happens. Lemert says that it develops early and it is something that we still do (1). However, I believe that as kids grow older and become more institutionalized they lose that need to question everything. Acceptance without questioning happens more often than not. If they do question it, it is not as easy to put into words as it once was.
Allan says that sociological theories help us grasp concepts and use the relationship to explain the way they work (11). Sociological theories are meant to take the social issues that are happening at the time and explain them through series of questions and examples. I believe that explanations to central social core questions are what social theories are. Modernity is a concept in Allan’s piece. Sociology began at modernity (4). A series of developments began, such as industrialization and urbanization. With these came new rules and new problems. Sociologists began to see these problems and question them. They became activists.
C. Wright Mills believes in the concept of sociological imagination. This is when you look at your place in the social world, and looks at how you impact the world and how the world impacts you. Sociological imagination happens when a person becomes awakened to the existence they have in the world that is beyond their control. Everyone has a sociological imagination. It happens when we question something and try to come to a conclusion by observing people (3). The troubles of our society and our personal issues mesh into one.
Mills breaks down the sociological imagination into distinguishing personal issues and public issues in order to relate to the world. When things that occur within your immediate relations and you generally have a control of the situation, this would be considered a personal issue. On the other hand, a public issue is the part of our social life that we have little control. Institutions have the control. For example, graduating high school can be seen and applied as a personal and public issue. At a personal level graduating high school can either happen or not happen due to a person’s surroundings and what is going on in their lives at the time. A person might have trouble finishing their classes because they are busy taking care of their household as well. This becomes their problem to take care of. Sociologists look at the social issues that go on. It becomes public when media interjects. Media can suspect that people do not graduate high school because they are belligerent, involved in crime, or lazy. Statistics can be made on certain areas. People start looking at these areas as a stigma or norm that it is inevitable that people will not graduate high school in these places. People who live in those areas start seeing that this is how the world looks at them, so this is what their outcome will become. People’s personal issues begin to be looked at through a magnifying glass when it becomes public.
Allan says that sociological theories help us grasp concepts and use the relationship to explain the way they work (11). Sociological theories are meant to take the social issues that are happening at the time and explain them through series of questions and examples. I believe that explanations to central social core questions are what social theories are. Modernity is a concept in Allan’s piece. Sociology began at modernity (4). A series of developments began, such as industrialization and urbanization. With these came new rules and new problems. Sociologists began to see these problems and question them. They became activists.
C. Wright Mills believes in the concept of sociological imagination. This is when you look at your place in the social world, and looks at how you impact the world and how the world impacts you. Sociological imagination happens when a person becomes awakened to the existence they have in the world that is beyond their control. Everyone has a sociological imagination. It happens when we question something and try to come to a conclusion by observing people (3). The troubles of our society and our personal issues mesh into one.
Mills breaks down the sociological imagination into distinguishing personal issues and public issues in order to relate to the world. When things that occur within your immediate relations and you generally have a control of the situation, this would be considered a personal issue. On the other hand, a public issue is the part of our social life that we have little control. Institutions have the control. For example, graduating high school can be seen and applied as a personal and public issue. At a personal level graduating high school can either happen or not happen due to a person’s surroundings and what is going on in their lives at the time. A person might have trouble finishing their classes because they are busy taking care of their household as well. This becomes their problem to take care of. Sociologists look at the social issues that go on. It becomes public when media interjects. Media can suspect that people do not graduate high school because they are belligerent, involved in crime, or lazy. Statistics can be made on certain areas. People start looking at these areas as a stigma or norm that it is inevitable that people will not graduate high school in these places. People who live in those areas start seeing that this is how the world looks at them, so this is what their outcome will become. People’s personal issues begin to be looked at through a magnifying glass when it becomes public.