The concept of sociological imagination was described by Henslin (2007) from the work of Mills, as: “an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society” . Using this definition, the current discourse hereby presents another example of a social issue that illustrates the power of sociological imagination. One thought of the social dilemma of addiction (whether to drugs or substances or cigarettes) as falling within the theoretical framework of sociological imagination.
When an individual gets to be addicted to a regulated drug, for instance, Demerol, the problem initially starts with generating negative impacts to the individual (psychological, emotional, financial, and even physical adverse effects). Eventually, the problem would affect the individual’s family through manifested behavioral changes, need for more financial support to sustain the addiction, and coping with mood swings. The behavioral changes would be most challenging to the spouse, children, or even to the parents of the individual who got to be addicted to the drug. Further, the dilemma would be classified and categorized as a social dilemma due to the repercussions to society. There would be a need to evaluate policies in enabling the individual to access sources of the drugs, despite it being classified as restricted and regulated. In addition, the individual who got to be addicted to drugs could not contribute to the productivity of society through skills, labor, or employment. Likewise, the costs of health care and medication to address persistent confinement to the hospital to seek medical care would be a burden to society. Until now, despite advances in medical approaches which aim to treat (or prevent) addiction, the social dilemma still pervades contemporary societies on a global sphere.
References
Henslin, J. (2007). Down to Earth Sociology: 14th Edition: Introductory Readings, Fourteenth Edition. Simon and Schuster.
Johnson, B. (2014). C. Wright Mills: Sociological Imagination and the Power Elite. Retrieved from education-portal.com: http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/c-wright-mills-sociological-imagination-and-the-power-elite.html#lesson
