Social Imagination of Poverty - Essay Example

This paper discusses the concept that Wright Mills called “Sociological Imagination.” Mills (1956) contends that sociological imagination enables the person to look into himself as a part of a larger whole, and failed to “grasp the interplay of man and society” (as cited in Henslin, 2005).

Role of Sociological Imagination in Poverty

          Poverty is not an isolated case pointing out to a particular country. Nations considered the best in the world when it comes to financial capability, also have cases of families in the poverty line. The United States, though it is the source of the world’s “American dream,” was also devastated by disasters such as the memorable Hurricane Katrina, which turned progressive New Orleans into a ghost town. Jobs were scarce after the disaster because of the damages caused by the hurricane to several business industries on both macro and micro levels (Kornblum, 2008). The problem was heightened by the recession of 2009 brought about by the foreclosure of the Lehman Brothers. Banks, real estate, and the marketing industry fell resulting in the retrenchment of jobs to save profit. The fall of the company delivered a domino effect on other businesses most especially in real estate. Prices of mortgages have gone higher than usual; a price that the jobless and middle-class Americans are unable to afford. Ling (2009) reported that families were desperate in search of jobs, food, and shelter. The effect of the recession was seen in certain places in Sacramento where people are forced to build “tent cities.” Life’s little rewards such as hot meals, hot showers, and accessibility to potable water are not the main issues; the people in the tent cities are more concerned about where to get a meal, shower, and water. Living in tent cities is like “starting to live all over again.”

          Poverty and homelessness may come from two significant and nondetachable things: personal and societal factors. The impact of the recession and the struggling budget of each family may contribute to the circulation of other problems in society such as criminalities and poor education quality.

Conclusion

Society is comparable to buildings, where each part acts as something significant in the building’s foundation. Poverty never fails to be on the list of concerns of people and would serve as a hindrance to gaining life’s bare necessities. The concept of sociological imagination is an attempt of figuring out how poverty should be addressed, knowing that the source of the problem is not solely the self but also external influences. Having a clear view of the causes would eventually yield better ideas for solving them.