Private Lives of Men Are a Series of Traps - Essay Example

PRIVATE LIVES OF MEN ARE A SERIES OF TRAPS By Location Private Lives of Men are A Series of Traps Introduction In his work titled Sociological Imagination, Wright Mills highlighted that, Nowadays men often feel that their private lives are a series of traps. They sense that within their everyday worlds, they cannot overcome their troubles, and in this feeling, they are often quite correct: What ordinary men are directly aware of and what they try to do are bounded by the private orbits in which they live; their visions and their powers are limited to the close-up scenes of job, family, neighbourhood; in other milieux, they move vicariously and remain spectators (Mills 2000, p. 2). Mill sought to elaborate the evident link between the private problems experienced by men and the critical social issues that affect the lives of men. It is unfortunate that men are overwhelmed by numerous societal changes that serve to trap them. However, the trapping of men caused by social problems has been interpreted as resulting from private problems. Whereas men have been trying to liberate themselves from the evident traps, more societal changes serve to trap them even more. This paper will analyse the different traps that the society places for men and how the social and environmental issues affect the lives of men. According to Mills, many individuals have been unable to view themselves in relation to the societal changes and other social processes that affect daily life. Such people opine that the situations and troubles in their lives are isolated and independent cases. However, Mills reveals that men experience the feeling of being trapped because of their lack of ability to view themselves in the context of social changes. The problems that make men feel trapped are not unique and isolated cases (Giddens & Sutton 2010, p. 56). On the contrary, social processes and changes have served to trap men for a long period. Mills highlights that many men view such traps as existent in their private orbits. They focus on the close details of their jobs, family, as well as the neighbourhood. However, they fail to give attention to other aspects of the environment or their social sphere that affect their lives. In the words of Mills, men choose to “remain spectators” in some aspects of their social sphere. As men gain awareness of the ambitions and threats that define their environment, the feeling of being trapped only increases. At this point, Mills highlights that, “Underlying this sense of being trapped are seemingly impersonal changes in the very structure of the continent-wide societies” (Mills 2000, p. 4). Evidently, global societies have registered numerous changes that have affected the lives of men. It is unfortunate that many men do not recognize that such social changes are responsible for the feelings of being trapped that they experience in their daily lives. One of the evident social changes that have affected the lives of men is the industrialization of the society. In the view of Karl Marx, industrialization introduced capitalism, which converted peasants into workers. On the other hand, feudal lords or landowners assume new responsibilities as business men. Industrialization brought forth numerous changes to the society. It introduced a new realm of challenges for men that have served to make them feel trapped. Workers experience exploitation under the capitalist system, and they have no solution despite the evident exploitation. On the other hand, businessmen face the compulsion of taking critical risks in the business world. Due to industrialization, the tactics in the business front have changed. Many men are overwhelmed by the changes in the business world, and the increasing bills and family responsibilities (Bahçe 2014, p. 250). In a society whereby men are required to work for more than 8 hours, and strike and effective balance between work and family, it remains obvious that men are facing challenges and are constantly under pressure. However, industrialization is not an individual problem. Industrialization is one of the aspects that have altered the global scene. Industrialization has introduced new technologies and innovations that have converted the traditional society into a modern society with different expectations. The increasing expectations exhibited in the industrialized societies have served to stretch men beyond their limits. Therefore, men have to struggle constantly if they are to survive and succeed in the modern society. Karl Marx opined that capitalism introduced alienation to the workers. Many of the workers have no connection to the product of their labour. In addition, they do not enjoy their job responsibilities because they are compelled to work. The kind of work available under capitalism causes self-estrangement because workers do not pursue their interest but rather the interests of capitalists (Gatzia 2012, p. 48). Without a doubt, such form of alienations defines the problems faced by men in the modern society. Men do not recognize that industrialization and capitalism are to blame for some of the problems they face. Class changes in the society that define the upper and lower classes have also affected the lives of men. Men who find themselves in the lower class do not have access to any form of employment and have to rely on limited sources of income. When a man is unemployed, other people are likely to blame him for lacking the relevant skills or for not being aggressive. Such critics do not recognize that unemployment is a social issue that affects men. With the fluctuating investment rates and the unpredictable global economies, men face more challenges. Many of them are likely to become bankrupt amidst the financial crises that result from the economic instability. Although it may seem obvious that the financial crisis associated with the economic instabilities compel some men to be poor, such men are criticized for the lack of aggression and focus. With the uncertainties associated with the global economy, men continue to feel more trapped (Rubin 2012, p. 239). They realize that they have to fend for their families despite the hard economic situations. Such economic situations are not their making. Economic instabilities are the causes of social problems that define the social sphere of men. Mills opined that other social changes such as war and revolutions served to trap men further. A close analysis of the human history reveals that it is impossible to separate the history of a society and the lives of individuals. During war times, men had no option but to join the military groups. As men served as soldiers in the war, they abandoned their families, leaving their wives as the sole breadwinners and separated from their children. Such situations constantly pressured men often making them lose meaning in life. However, it is evident that wars are social problems that eventually affect the private lives of people. In the views of Mills, men have not yet recognized that the challenges they face are directly connected to historical changes and institutional contradictions. They have not appreciated that the good tidings they have enjoyed are a result of the positive changes in the society. It is impossible to draw boundaries between the world history and people’s patterns of lives. There is a salient need for men to understand that the social environment, as well as the human history, shapes their individual lives. If men want to experience positive changes and be able to overcome personal troubles, they have to participate actively in introducing structural transformations in the society (Schmidt & Konradi 2004, p. 56). It is evident that public issues have contributed to private troubles in the lives of men. Public issues define organizational aspects, institutional values, as well as the historical society that has served to shape the social sphere. Contrary to the understanding of many, all these public issues often overlap, interpenetrate, and eventually define the structure of the society as well as the historical life. For example, the issues of unemployment qualify to be a public issue. However, people are likely to accuse some unemployed men a factor that makes them view unemployment as a personal trouble. Worth noting is the fact that unemployment results from the economic and political institutions that define the society. If the institutions are either dysfunctional or corrupt, then unemployment will result. Therefore, the conception of unemployment as a personal trouble is a misconception because unemployment qualifies as a public issue defined by institutions in the society (Solis-Gadea 2005, p. 119). Men who do not recognize that unemployment is a public issue, consider it as a personal trouble a factor that makes them experience the feeling of being trapped and often face depression. An additional example of a public issue concerns marriage. In the modern society, there is an alarming increase in the divorce rates. With such high levels of divorce rates, it is evident that the marriage institution is facing a critical crisis. The crisis faced by the marriage institution is a result of the social structural changes that have taken place in the recent past. However, men facing challenges in the marriage institution are likely to view their cases as personal and isolated. The failures of men to manage marriage institutions successfully have continued to make them feel trapped. It is evident that the failure of the marriage institution is a result of changing social structures. It is important for men to figure out the kind of society they live in and its historical context, as well as how the emerging social changes affect personal lives. In the view of Marx, crises resulting from institutional arrangements are contradictions or antagonisms. Without a doubt, these contradictions have resulted in the trapping of men and exposing them to the feeling that they will never overcome their current challenges (Taylor, Logio, & Andersen, 2005, p. 39). The social sphere and the problems that define it depend on critical public issues that affect the social structures. For example, the emergence of metropolitan cities has introduced a new realm of personal problems. Men living in metropolitan cities need to have a decent home. Men belonging to the upper class have the capacity to access private lands, build private homes, and maintain a measure of security (Mantilla 2007, p. 71). However, although such measures are personal solutions to metropolitan challenges, they do not address the root public issues that have resulted in the new structures. Evidently, metropolitan cities need proper planning and building of infrastructure aspects that qualify as public issues. If the personal problems that men experience in metropolitan cities are to be solved effectively, there is a salient need to confront the structural issues involved. Other public issues cause personal problems that cannot be addressed by developing personal solutions. For example, the issue of unemployment is beyond personal solution. In addition, the marriage institution requires men to be providers and the issue surrounding marriage are beyond personal solutions as well. Evidently, societal structures and changes, determine the personal troubles that men face. In the recent past, the global societies have exhibited numerous changes and registered new structures. Such structural changes define the realities of many men today. Whereas many people continue to view such issues as personal, it is impossible to separate individual lives from the social changes that are evident in the modern world (Hironimus-Wendt, & Wallace 2009, p. 83). Therefore, men need to use the available information and recognize the link between their personal problems and structural changes in the society. When that happens, they will be able to visualize their position in a society that changes so often. They will be able to associate their personal problems with public issues that need to be addressed. Such knowledge will help the society to focus on addressing public issues in an effort to make men less trapped. Wills described this concept as a sociological imagination that allows an individual to picture personal life in the larger context of the social sphere (Goode 2008, p. 248). Conclusion As highlighted above, Mills quote reveals that the society affects individual lives. It is impossible for people to stay away from evident social problems. Any changes in the economic and political institutions of the society are likely to introduce changes on a personal level. For example, economic uncertainties have resulted in unemployment and limited sources of income problems that men consider personal. The views of Karl Marx make it evident that social changes and systems such as capitalism and the emergence of social classes affect individual lives immensely. In the capitalist society, men are completely trapped by its exploitative nature, and unless they address the structural issues involved, the traps will continue to prevail. 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