Social Construction and Sociological Imagination

Running head: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
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1SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
Introduction
Social constructionism has been instrumental in remodeling grounded theory. In
attempting to make sense of the social world and daily social activities of individuals, social
constructionists perceive knowledge as constructed as opposed to created. Social constructionism
and sociological imagination are regarded as important theories of sociology. Michailakis and
Schirmer (2014) have noted that in sociology there can be witnessed individuals’ personal
dilemmas and public issues which align to the concept of sociological imagination developed by
C. Wright Mills. Mills successfully elaborated social logical imagination as the vivid awareness
of the association between experience and broadened aspect of the society and further to perceive
oneself away from the familiar associates of everyday life (Galbin 2014). As individuals personal
and public issues are well connected with sociological imagination and social construction
theories it has been interconnected with issues related to do unemployment. The following essay
will evaluate the ideas of social construction and sociological imagination to understand
unemployment as a social problem in Australian society.
Discussion
Sociological Imagination to Understand Economic Inequality in Australian Society
In recent times unemployment in Australian society has emerged as a critical issue which
can no longer be disregarded. Increasing levels of unemployment along with 5 rate of
homelessness and public awareness of the financial disparity between the economically
advantageous and disadvantageous has been increasingly apparent to the society. Studies
conducted by Dannefer, Kelley-Moore and Huang (2016) have found that for many Australians

2SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
home ownership, secured employment, substantial salaried job appear to be redundant
aspirations by a bygone era.
According to Huang, Perales and Western (2016), it is easy to put accusations on
individual for these issues. However it is important to note that when several individuals
encounter similar problems and challenges it no longer remains and individual issue but
gradually develops into a society problem which must not be overlooked. Thus, using the social
logical imagination theory one can view that Australia comprises a proud legacy of
egalitarianism. However, as globalization gradually started to receive significant momentum
during the late 20th century several business organisations rationalized their operations in order
to sustain their competitiveness in the international market (Jenkins 2014). Such maintenance of
competition by organisations has been led by introducing superior machinery and advanced
information technology services along with outsourcing inexpensive offshore labour which
gradually replaced the local workers.
These changes in the industrial sector gradually witnessed the rate of unemployment to
drastically augment from 5% in 1972 to 13% in 1995 and to 6% in 2017. Reports of authors have
revealed that more than 95,000 Australians have been looking for secured employment in 1966,
which have elevated to around 720,000 in 2018 (Olofsson et al. 2014).On the other hand
comprehensive studies of authors have noted that sociological imagination has further help in
explaining the causes of unemployment which has been affecting housing affordability in recent
times. Authors have revealed that home ownership has become an inaccessible dream for several
low-waged or unemployed Australians. According to Huang, Perales and Western (2016) the
economic girls between the financially beneficial for employee class and the unemployed
Australian households can be witnessed when the unprivileged section tends to conflict or