(1) Personally, what do you think is the most important social problem facing our nation right now? Explain your answer.
(2) Think back to our discussion of social constructionism and how social problems are "in the eye of the beholder." What would be an example of a social condition that may be defined as a “problem” by one segment of society, but not by another? If you wish, you can be creative in your response and include a link to a recent news report or article discussing the social condition you have in mind, as long as it's something that could be considered a social problem (i.e., something that has negative consequences on society or on the physical world) by one or more segments of the population.
Post a thought-provoking response to the two-part discussion prompt below. Remember, each posting should be no less than six complete, substantive sentences written using college-level English skills.(In order to earn full credit, make sure you address both parts of the prompt. Your posts should consist of at least six sentences in total):
Part 1: In your own words, explain what "the sociological imagination" means, and give at least one concrete example of a "personal trouble" and a "public issue" and explain how the two are related.
Part 2: C. Wright Mills’ sociological imagination allows us to link our personal lives with our social world. An example provided in the textbook, and in the graphic above, is unemployment. If Bill is unemployed, is it due to his individual circumstances (e.g., poor employee, lazy), or might it be due to other circumstances such as high unemployment rates due to an economic recession? Discuss the benefits and limitations of applying the sociological imagination to individual troubles.