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Sociological Imagination

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Sociological Imagination
In chapter one we are introduced to the term sociological imagination. This is when social forces impact individuals. For instance take a woman getting pregnant at a young age. Their problem doesn’t directly impact you so you don’t feel troubled by it but rather feel remorse or empathy. Mainly C. Wright Mills used this.
The term social problem is used by sociologists that see it as a social condition that is an issue among more than a small amount of individuals. Stating its and objective reality for instance a community. However it is also seen as a subjective reality due to its ability to seem like an issue to some put sometimes not for everyone. Take abortion for example, some seen it as an abomination of God and some see it as pro choice
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For positivism the problem stays the same between different individuals. For constructionism the problems are different. Take the idea that for criminal just we have to see the gray in issues much like constructionism unlike the black and white, cut and dry.
This chapter states three major sociological theories including functionalist theory. This theory depicts like if a certain group cant maintain or accomplish what needs to be done, like a school failing to teach what is needed for that grade. There’s conflict theory that states all social problems start from the exploitation of capitalism like when a individual is racist to all African American people. There’s symbolic interaction that states that if individuals are around criminal behavior than they will take after their traits and become a criminal. Much like if after so much a bullied kid becomes the bully.
Tying into all of this is the four research methods that are used for social problems, the survey, which asks individuals for an answer. There’s the observation that watches individuals to get a conclusive answer. There’s experiment that the researcher gives false answer to see if the participate is influenced by certain factors. Finally there’s the secondary analysis where the research is taken further to get new information aside from the

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