Sociological terminology

Sociological imagination is a term used in the field of sociology to describe a framework for understanding social reality that places personal experiences within a broader social and historical context.It was coined by American sociologist C. Wright Mills in his 1959 book The Sociological Imagination to describe the type of insight offered by the discipline of sociology.: 5, 7  Today, the term is used in introductory sociology textbooks to explain the nature of sociology and its relevance in daily life. == Definitions == In The Sociological Imagination, Mills attempts to reconcile two different and abstract concepts of social reality: the "individual" and the "society." Accordingly, Mills defined sociological imagination as "the awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society."In exercising their sociological imagination, one seeks to understand situations in the individual's life by looking at situations in broader society.