Modern Technology can be understood by using the social imagination
Mills explains the importance of the social imagination in understanding society and how it is constantly changing in The Sociological Imagination. Mills was a great example of how to use social imagination in this age when technology has become a major part of our daily lives. Mills begins chapter 1 by asking three questions. One set of these questions is: “What is this society’s structure?” What are the essential components of this society and how do they relate to each other? What is its difference from other social orders” (6) These questions can be applied to modern society to reveal the impact technology has on our history. We wouldn’t notice the growing gap between third-world countries and first-world countries without the social imagination. This is due to the rapid growth technology.
We may not realize the technology we have in our country compared to other countries. In a third-world country, it might be more obvious. Mills actually mentions this idea when it says that “What ordinary men are direct aware of and how they try to accomplish are bounded” (3). This is an important point. Because people are so busy with their lives, they rarely stop to consider the rest of the globe. The sociological imagination helps us understand the differences between the world we live in and allows us to make programs that aid third world nations with better technology. Without the social imagination, it is certain that humanity would be ignorant and would ignore the rest.
