The Sociological Imagination

C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination covers the recent history of sociology as a field of study relating to society and the lives of individuals therein. While Mills’ work was not well received at the time of publication due to his reputation, today it is one of the most widely read sociology books and a staple in sociology university courses. The questions this text raises and the attention it gives to reconceiving the contemporary human condition makes it relevant to both scientists and non-academics alike. By providing an in-depth analysis of the dominant trends within sociology during the 1950s, Mills provides the context in which his concept of the sociological imagination was constructed.

At the time of publication, the dominant trends within sociology were what Mills called “grand theory” and “abstracted empiricism,” and the dominant attitudes were the “bureaucratic ethos” and “liberal practicality.” While “grand theory” was limited in its abstract and general categorizations of human societies and how they operated, “abstracted empiricism” remained bogged down in an overemphasis on quantification, neglecting the other social forces that may benefit social science research.

Following the slow overlap of academic research in sociology with institutions such as corporations, companies, and governments, abstracted empiricism became the breeding ground for a “bureaucratic ethos” attitude—an approach to social science research viewing quantified analyses as the only relevant endeavor. However, this approach is blind to the moral principles of institutions that may use or fund said research. This ethos, says Mills, found another iteration in “liberal practicality” insofar as both held in common the notion that the social scientist in the university was a neutral observer, and therefore had unquestionable moral or political responsibilities toward the rest of society.

In light of the prevailing trends and attitudes, Mills puts forward the sociological imagination as the analytical framework sociologists should use to overcome the limitations he identified during this time. By using this framework, which allows the social scientist to connect history, politics, and economics with the biographical and lived reality of contemporary daily life, Mills’ believes that social scientists will be better equipped to act morally and responsibly as public intellectuals. Their work and findings have the potential to shape public opinion, political insights, and can transform an individual's feeling of powerlessness into a feeling of greater awareness of their social world.