Human Development and Ecological Systems Sociological
Imagination
Student
Institution Affiliation
Abstract
Sociological imagination entails the relationship between
people and the factors surrounding them. Human beings are affected by factors
such as gender roles, educational attainment, and socioeconomic status.
Similarly, cultural and social aspects have a great impact on the mentioned
factors. Therefore, it is upon society members to ensure they utilize the
social factors for their own welfare.
Key words: Sociological imaginations, gender roles,
educational attainment
Human Development and Ecological Systems Sociological
Imagination
The sociological imagination is the awareness of the interaction
between wider society and personal experiences (Mills,
2000). Particularly, this is not a theory rather it is an outlook that
triggers the mode of thinking among society members. People are helped to
acknowledge the fact that social context has a significant impact in
influencing historical processes. Further, sociological imaginations
illustrated that motives and norms embraced by communities can have an impact
on other people. Other sociologists perceived sociological imaginations as a
quality of mind that is capable of acknowledging the interplay of society and
individuals (Mills, 2000). Cultural,
environmental, social, and structural factors are responsible for the
development of some of the social contexts in the community. This includes
socioeconomic status, educational attainment, attitudes towards race, family
structure, and gender roles among others. On the other hand, the mentioned
social contexts are capable of influencing the private lives of individuals.
The paper will discuss how cultural, environmental, social, and structural
factors affect social contexts and their influence on the private lives of
individuals.
Gender Roles
Gender roles are responsibilities
assigned to community members on the basis of their sex. Responsibilities of
males and females are either unique or universal. However, the roles are
dictated by cultural, structural, social, and environmental factors.
Some of the cultural factors that
influence gender roles include the degree of inequality existing in a community
(Mayor, 2015). Communities that embrace
equality are able to share responsibilities equally regardless of the gender of
the members. Further, societies could be female or male based. In masculine
societies, men are given responsibilities that overlap those of women.
Additionally, such societies require men to behave assertively. Such structures
are evident in countries such as Australia and Japan where the roles of men and
women are distinguished. Additionally, cultural believes such as males are
stronger than females affect the distribution of roles among the genders. These
are stereotypic communities that perceive females to be weak. Therefore,
females are required to handle light jobs such as cooking and looking after
family members. On the other hand, males are required to engage in complex
activities that need the energy to feed their families.
Social factors also have significant
roles in affecting gender roles. Parents have been shown that they allowed to
encourage or discourage specific gender behaviors. In this case, boys are
required to emulate their fathers while girls to copy their mothers. Hence,
girls who are found engaging in male activities are condemned. The approved
behaviors by the parent become the norms that are embraced by the children.
Peers are also significant in impacting gender roles. Peers tend to demonstrate
the manner in which boys or girls should act. Mostly, boys are taught by their
peers to be aggressive while girls are shown to act in a feminine way. This
leads to the formation of boys and girls groups in schools where they teach one
another gender roles. Media channels such as television also play a crucial
role in elaborating gender roles. Most of the TV programs portray males being
involved in hard and aggressive activities. Such activities include protecting
their families. This illustrates that boys should engage in activities that
require energy.
Structural factors have also been
linked with influencing gender roles. The economic status of individuals
participates in controlling the activities carried by men and women.
Communities that are economically impoverished tend to allow both men and women
to engage in equal roles. This is focused on increasing the amount of income in
the families. Additionally, educational status has been contributing to the
distribution of responsibilities. Initially, men were more educated than women.
Therefore, males were required to engage in activities that required more
skills and competence while females were left at home to nurture and take care
of children. However, in the modern world, societies have changed. Males
together with females are being educated. Therefore, they are able to
participate in similar community activities without discrimination.
Environmental factors also affect
the distribution of roles among males and females. This is mostly based on the
health of the two genders (Ghaumi, Aminee,
Aminaee, & Dastoury, 2016). Men are considered to be tolerant to
different environmental conditions compared to their female counterparts.
Hence, hostile environmental factors call for males to engage in outside roles
while females remain indoors. Such conditions include mist and rain.
Family Structure
There
are different cultural factors that influence the definition and family
structures. First one is a set of beliefs. Some cultures hold that a family
should be a group of individuals sharing the same origin or ancestry. Hence, the
family is mostly nuclear. Other cultural values indicate that a family is a
unit that is made up of father, mother and their children. In this case, issues
of having extending families are disregarded. Cultural laws also dictate the
meaning of a family. The laws dictate the formation of a family through the
marriage between a husband and wife. In this case, the laws elaborate that the
father is the head of the family. Therefore, most activities and decisions made
in a family are spearheaded by the father.
Structural factors such as
occupational strata affect the family structures. People who are financially
stable find it easy to make decisions about the size of their families. This is
due to the fact that the individuals are in positions to cater for the basic
needs of the members. Parents have also been shown to play a crucial role in
the determination of their children’s families. In this case, parents who are
able to maintain stable marriages positively influence the type of families
made by their children.
Social factors also affect family
structures. Social stratification is the first thing that has been shown to
influence families. People in society are divided into lower, middle, and upper
strata. In the upper strata, members are not willing to have families that are
large. Instead, they opt for small families. This is due to the commitment in
their professionals which limit the period they have to watch over their
siblings. Family disputes and divorces are other social factors affecting
families. The conflicts ruin the stability of families. Additionally, the
conflict discourages other young individuals that look forward to forming
families.
Environmental factors have also been
shown to play part in the formation of families. Conducive environments such as
cool weather with optimum rainfall encourage family formation. Such
environments are rich in food and other resources needed to raise a family. Additionally,
there are environmental factors such as legislative laws that give guidance on
family formation. Similar laws dictate the number of children that a family
should have. This is in line with protecting families from abject poverty.
Attitudes toward Race
Cultural aspects have helped
community members to perceive other races in a unique way. Such aspects include
beliefs, norms, and practices. Cultural groups have unique beliefs that are
respected by other races (Croft, Schmader, &
Block, 2015). The beliefs are used to express the attitudes of other
individuals to that race. Similarly, this applies to cultural norms and
practices. Each race is perceived depending on their cultural values and
practices. In this case, a race is considered hardworking, welcoming, or
independent.
Further, there are structural
aspects that help in creating attitudes towards races. Financial strength among
races improves the attitude that other people have towards it. Additionally,
the coordination of activities in society creates a distinguished image concerning
a certain race. For instance, African Americans are perceived as less educated
and uncivilized individuals. The attitude towards the race resulted from the poor
arrangement in their daily endeavors. Besides, the race has largely depended on
the help of the natives for basic amenities. This portrays an image of weak and
a dependent race.
Additionally, social factors could
lead to people having varying attitudes towards a specific race. Religious
beliefs have largely contributed to a varying perception towards a race (Collins, 2017). Some races believe in dark
forces such as witchcraft. The races are viewed as weak and the image can
hardly escape from the eyes of the society members.
Environmental factors also play part
in a specific attitude concerning a certain race. Some races live in
environments that are dry and suffering from resources scarcity. This creates a
negative attitude among the viewers. Races in such environments are perceived
to be poor and struggling to meet their daily needs.
Educational
Attainment
Cultural independence is one factor
that has been influencing the need for educational attainment. Several
societies have been fighting to eradicate limiting crude traditional beliefs
and practices. As a result, the communities have been pushing for their members
to acquire education. Moreover, social factors have been linked with education
attainment. Most societies group their members according to their education
attainment. Individuals with higher level degrees are respected and valued by
societies.
Structural factors such as the availability
of learning resources lead to educational attainment. The structural resources
act as motivating factors that encourage people to learn. Additionally, the presence
of learning equipment such as books has been shown to be pivotal in encouraging
learning. On the other hand, conducive learning environments such as peaceful
and calm areas motivate people to learn. Therefore, governments have been
working to ensure they provide the public with proper environments that will
improve levels of learning.
Socioeconomic Status
Cultural factors that influence
socioeconomic factors include beliefs and practices. Inheritance is one of the
cultural practices that is shown to improve the socioeconomic status of
community members. Artistic and intellectual skills are other factors in a
culture that are shown to improve a person’s socioeconomic status. For
instance, musicians are valued in the communities for their ability to
entertain and inform society.
Structural factors such as factories
and industries create employment opportunities. The employed individuals
improve their socioeconomic statuses where they are able to cater to the need
of their families (Nofer, Hinz, Muntermann,
& Roßnagel, 2014). Social factors such as the formation of
organizations assist in improving the socioeconomic status of the members.
Members in a group can contribute funds or properties that are offered to
poverty-stricken communities. The organizations are also mandated in coming up
with ideas that will lead to the development of members.
Finally, environmental factors have
a significant role in enhancing socioeconomic factors. Environments that are
conducive for farming boost the financial status of the members (Ranstad, Midlöv, & Halling, 2017).
Similarly, the government has strived to create an environment that encourages
trade activities for the citizens. This carried through reducing taxation
policies and laws that protect businesses. This acts as a booster in enhancing
the financial and social welfare of the public.
Effect of the
Institutions to Privates Lives of Individuals
Gender roles tend to affect the private
lives of community members. It is shown that both men and women pursue
different responsibilities. This creates a division between the two genders.
Particularly, women are believed to be weak. This affects their private life
where they fear approaching some responsibilities without the assistance of
their male counterparts. The society is to be blamed for the stereotypic
mentality that affects females. On the other hand, males find it hard to handle
tasks especially those that are house-related. Such duties are perceived to be
female-oriented.
Due to the social perception on
gender roles, pressure builds up on individual that are required to handle
roles that are viewed to be for the opposite gender. For instance, males
carrying household chores are given pressure to marry. Certainly, this intrudes
their private life. Individuals have varying decisions concerning when to
marry. The decision should be made voluntary. However, when the social pressure
increases, the individuals are forced to make quick decisions which could be
wrong. Such a decision should be given time since they need adequate
preparation.
The family structure, on the other
hand, can affect the private lives of individuals. As seen above, different
cultures have a varying explanation of what is a family. Some cultures call for
a large group of people from a common origin or ancestry to make a family. The
perception could be contrary to individuals’ wishes. Some people are interested
in living in small groups to avoid interruptions or conflicts. It is clear that
extended families are prone to regular conflicts. The conflicts arose from
varying opinions and competition of the available resources. To avoid such a situation,
some people opt to live individual lives that are peaceful. Forcing such
individuals to be in an extended family will be affecting their individual
lives.
Further, parents have been shown to
play a major part in influencing family structures. Some families encourage
polygamy. The practice leads to nuclear families that are large and hard to
manage. Due to these challenges some individuals can decide to be monogamous.
However, they would suffer from cultural pressures that force them to follow
the norm. In such a situation, the privacy of the individuals will be intruded.
Attitude
towards Race
As seen earlier, racial attitudes
have both positive and negative impacts on the community members. Racial
attitudes destroy the image of certain communities. A community can be viewed
as lazy and dependent on others. This would affect the intermarriages between
different communities. People who are married in races that are perceived negatively
start developing awkward mentality. In this case, racial attitude intrudes
individuals’ privacy.
Further, racial attitudes discourage
individuals’ perceptions of themselves. Individual morale is reduced. Other
community members also change their view on the race that is perceived
negatively. For instance, in the United States, police officers have been
accused of linking African Americans with criminal activities. This is as a
result of most of African Americans participating in most criminal activities
in the country due to their level of poverty. Due to the negative perception,
law enforcement officers tend to search indiscriminately all individuals from
minority groups that are perceived as criminals. The police disregard intruding
the individuals’ privacy where they inquire any information they find relevant
in their investigations. To change this attitude is the most challenging part.
This has led to most members of minority groups in the United States living in
fear of being accused of committing crimes.
Education attainment is shown to
help community members in becoming knowledgeable and skilled to handle
different roles. Therefore, it is required that people should strive to upgrade
their education. This has led to people spending many years in school trying to
advance their studies. However, the process of education attainment tends to
intrude individuals’ privacy.
In school, students are advised to
share their values with their peers. Some of the shared practices affect the
thinking of learners. Some shared behaviors are immoral. Hence, they go
contrary to the individuals’ believe in morality. In most cases, the immoral
practices learned from peers affect the relationship between children and
parents. The school set up offer civic education. This includes religious and
cultural beliefs. Education affects the religious beliefs of individuals.
Religious and cultural practices are personal and should not be altered by
other community members.
In most situations, education helps
in indicating some of the bright minds in society. However, there is a group of
people who find it hard to understand the education concept. Therefore,
education exposes the mental capabilities of this group of people. They are
thus viewed as retarded and academic dwarfs. This should not be the case.
Education attainment should improve people social status and brighten their
future. Unlike, education tends to reveal mental incapabilities that are
possessed by individuals with low intelligent quotient. This is an intrusion of
personal privacy and it leads to shame.
Socioeconomic status also can affect
the private lives of individuals. People with high social and economic status
are mostly focused on the society. Media channels reflect the type of lives
such as individuals live. This is contrary to their expectations where they
would wish to live personal and private lives. However, the reflections deny
them the opportunity to have a private life. On the other hand, being
financially stable helps in being free from depending on others. Individuals
who are wealthy are capable of meeting their needs and those of their family
members without seeking government support. Unlike, poverty-stricken
communities have to rely on the support of the government. During the provision
of government support, personal data are obtained in order to evaluate the
level of support needed. For example, a person is requested to give the number
of wives or children he has. Basically, such questions violate individuals’
privacy.
In conclusion, sociological
imaginations are the relationships between people and social aspects. Gender
roles, educational, and racial attitudes have been shown to be affected by
factors such as cultural and environmental aspects. The aspects positively or
negatively influence the mode of operation that occurs in society. Gender roles
are affected by cultural aspects such as beliefs and norms. Some cultures
believe males are strong and they should be aggressive in most of their
activities. Therefore, males are required to handle activities such as
providing for families. Such responsibilities require commitment and
dedication. On the other hand, females are perceived as a weak gender. Hence,
females are allowed to handle light activities and responsibilities such as nurturing
a family. Some societies are stereotypic and they value males more than
females. Such views portray women as weak and incapable. Women in such set up
are not willing to take part in social activities due to the negative image.
Further, education helps with enlightening society members. This leads to most
communities pushing for their members to join schools where they will acquire
education. Structural factors such as the availability of schools and learning
equipment encourage people to study. However, education has been shown to play a
part in intruding individuals’ privacy. This occurs where students are required
to share their cultural and religious practices. Additionally, students learn
some behaviors from their peers which could violate their personal beliefs and
practices.
References
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