Sociological Imagination and Personal Experiences: A Reflection

This essay delves into the concept of sociological imagination as defined by C. Wright Mills, exploring the connection between personal troubles and public issues. The author, a millennial from a white, middle-class background with Republican ideologies, reflects on their social location and experiences. The essay examines how personal beliefs and experiences, such as political affiliations and family dynamics, are shaped by broader social contexts, including the rise of the Republican Party, the anxieties of the white population, and the characteristics of the millennial generation. The author also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being an American in the 21st century, the influence of capitalist ideologies, and the challenges of mental health within the millennial generation, using sociological imagination to connect individual experiences to larger societal trends and values.

Running head: SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
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1SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
According to C W Mills1, sociological imagination is the ability of a sociologist to
link personal troubles with the public issues. These troubles are said to occur within the life
of an individual or it may be related to someone known by the person. Trouble is understood
to be a private matter of the individual. The concept of issues is that it transcends the local
environments pertaining to the individual. Issue is of public concern as their collective values
are threatened. Keeping the notion of sociological imagination at the backdrop, this essay is a
reflection about my social location a millennial, ideologies, upbringing and diverse facets of
my life.
C W Mills states that the personal problems of an individual should not be understood
as isolated events as it is located in the broader social context and issues in the society. This
perspective of sociology enables the individual to view their everyday routines in life from
different perspective. I understood the significance of sociological imagination whilst
introspection about my own life journey as a white, privileged, middle-class, millennial born
into a family that believes in Republican ideology. I was born in the year 1993 in a middle-
class family in Chicago and our family has been strong advocates of the Republican Party.
Therefore, the exhortation by President Trump to make America great again appealed to me
and the rest of my family. However, my half-sister Sarah whose mother belonged to the
Black community differed with us. She felt alienated and disconcerted whenever I would
support the Republican Party. It was only after my tryst with Mill’s Sociological Imagination
that I could situate my ideologies and Sarah’s resentment in the broader spectrum.
I have often felt that as millennials we are as racist as our earlier generation.
However, we refuse to accept our deep-rooted racist attitude and instead blame the critics.
This was all the more evident when I went for the Trump rally organized in 2017 with the
belief that America will witness growth under the new regime. The media coverage of the
1 C. Wright Mills, "The Sociological Imagination" (1959) 46(2) The Mississippi Valley Historical Review.

2SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
white millennials in the rally motivated me to understand my social location. Millennials are
defined as individuals in the age group of 18 to 35 years old. It has been found that in the
context of Chicago 41 per cent of the millennials are vacation movers who have moved ahead
to another city. Our generation emphasizes and encourages individual freedom and the
mobility of individuals once they reach their 20s. Chicago has been counted as one of the
important cities that is favorite with the millennials. An estimate of 74 per cent millennials
who have shifted to a new city have done so with the aim of relocation2. 40 per cent among
these millennials move to a new place because of work or a new job and 30 per cent prefer to
shift their base for experiences3. Millennials have shown preference for settling down in new
areas with 69 per cent who prefers to live in the city or in the inner areas of the suburbs. I
have come across literature that identified the characteristics of the Trump supporters among
the millennials.
In the light of the conflict between the Democrats and the Republicans most
millennials have voted for Trump. This behavior may be attributed to the rising economic
anxiety among the millennials and the issue of racial resentment that have resurfaced on the
American soil. The anxiety of the whites may be rooted in their fear of white vulnerability.
The whites in America have developed the fear of losing their control and therefore there is
an aggression needs to their territories. The whites in America found in Trump a messiah who
would save them from the challenges posed by a heterogeneous America where the
minorities are encroaching the territories of the whites. This white vulnerability is related to
2 Florian Justwan et al, "Social Media Echo Chambers And Satisfaction With Democracy Among Democrats
And Republicans In The Aftermath Of The 2016 US Elections" [2018] Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and
Parties.
3 Checking Millennial Privilege: Remembering The ...<https://bowdoinorient.com/2017/05/05/checking-
millennial-privilege-remembering-the-contributions-of-our-ancestors/>.

3SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
the repulsion towards the other race4. A recent survey has shown that the republicans are
largely white. It was found that 2 per cent of the blacks in America are Republicans and 6 per
cent of them are Hispanic5. 70 per cent of the Americans who support independent candidates
are white6. Only eight per cent of the independents are blacks. My social location as a white
individual who swears by the Republican ideology is not an isolated event but rooted in the
broader context of whites being allied to the Republican ideology. The conservative ideology
reflected in the values of the Republican Party is in consonance with the values and ethos of
the white. This is unlike the Democrats that are composed by the two-third of the Black
Americans.
Being an American in the 21st century has its set of advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of being an American in the 21st century are that America is one of the key
players among the global powers. USA is characterized by the culture of innovation and
openness that would render it the number one position in the world. However, the
disadvantage of being an American in the 21st century is that of the perception of the non-
American immigrants about America as materialistic, individualistic and a bastion of shallow
human values. I find it quite problematic because as Americans we have always upheld the
principles of human values. We value relationships and are deeply attached to our family.
The resurgence of the Republican Party has also rendered a bad image to America.
Americans are being labeled as racists, classists, sexists and are accused of being driven by
4 Why Are So Many White Men So Angry? - The Washington
Post<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/08/29/why-are-so-many-white-men-so-
angry/>.
5 Who Can Now Say The Republican Party Isn't A Vehicle Of
...<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/republican-party-vehicle-white-power-trump>.
6 Caroline Sarojini Hart and Arathi Sriprakash, "Understanding Cultural Dissonance And The Development Of
Social Identities" (2018) 27(1) International Studies in Sociology of Education.

4SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
able-bodied outlook. My grandfather told me that once upon a time, being an American had
little privileges. It is because depression and civil war wrecked the peace of Americans. The
cornerstone of the foundation of the privilege identified by the Americans was laid by our
forefathers. I have always been heard from my grandfather that one can achieve anything
with hard work. This value of hard work can win us anything is rooted in the belief the
dominant capitalist ideology that has swept America by storm. The idea of individual action
can turn the wheels of the destiny and lead to progress has it foundations in the
Enlightenment project of empiricism and scientific temperament that would culminate to
progress and happiness. Like most of my peers, I suffer from mental anxiety. A study by Jean
M. Twenge on the mental health of the millennials has demonstrated that their lives revolve
around production, competition and achievement that makes us anxious all the time7.
However, I have always detested the propensity of the millennial to look down upon the
elderly population. Ageism is considered pathological in America and the aged population
are pushed to the periphery8. I feel that millennials need to be appreciative of the efforts of
our forefathers who have bestowed us with a secure future.
Sociological imagination emphasizes that there is a linkage between the individual
and the various social forces. It would be a fallacy to assume that s a white, male, middle-
class who is part of the millennial generation my personal biography is different from the
others. It is tied to the experiences shared by other individuals due to the broader context of
events in the society and values endorsed by the community. The constant pressure to
succeed in life is tied to the American values of materialistic success and achievement as the
7 Malcolm Harris, The Costs Of Being A Millennial (2018) The New Republic
<https://newrepublic.com/article/145734/costs-millennial>.
8 Checking Millennial Privilege: Remembering The ...<https://bowdoinorient.com/2017/05/05/checking-
millennial-privilege-remembering-the-contributions-of-our-ancestors/>.

5SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
yardstick of performance. Even my political ideology is reflected in the larger white
community who are supporters of the Republicans.

6SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
References
Checking Millennial Privilege: Remembering
The ...https://bowdoinorient.com/2017/05/05/checking-millennial-privilege-remembering-
the-contributions-of-our-ancestors/
Harris, Malcolm, The Costs Of Being A Millennial (2018) The New Republic
https://newrepublic.com/article/145734/costs-millennial
Hart, Caroline Sarojini and Arathi Sriprakash, "Understanding Cultural Dissonance And The
Development Of Social Identities" (2018) 27(1) International Studies in Sociology of
Education
Justwan, Florian et al, "Social Media Echo Chambers And Satisfaction With Democracy
Among Democrats And Republicans In The Aftermath Of The 2016 US Elections"
[2018] Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties
Mills, C. Wright, "The Sociological Imagination" (1959) 46(2) The Mississippi Valley
Historical Review
Padilla, Jessica et al, Millennial Purchase Intentions For USA Made Apparel (2018) Iowa
State University Digital Repository
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/itaa_proceedings/2017/posters/194/
Who Can Now Say The Republican Party Isn't A Vehicle
Of ...<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/republican-party-vehicle-
white-power-trump>
Why Are So Many White Men So Angry? - The Washington
Post<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/08/29/why-are-so-
many-white-men-so-angry/>