The term Sociological Imagination was coined by C. Wright Mills and refers to seeing sociological situations from a broad point of view, going beyond one’s thoughts and feelings, and by seeing it how others would see it. In the textbook Introduction to Sociology by Giddens, et. al Mills argued that we needed to “overcome our limited perspective…[and have] a certain quality of mind that makes it possible to understand the larger meaning of our experiences” (4). Therefore one should look at the overall social problems and not at a specific individual’s situation. With this concept in mind I am going to analyze the Guardian online 2012 article “Why our food is making us fat,” by Jacques Peretti. The article mainly speaks about the rapid rise …show more content…
al. the Centers for Disease Control found that “roughly 60 percent of adults are now overweight” (530). From this fact we can learn two important things: i) a fairly large number of people suffer from obesity, and ii) the reasons for the significant change in weight, with HFCS in the lead.
Another thing about HFCS people would miss were it not for the Sociological Imagination is the political and economic influences it carries. Those that profit from HFCS fight for it to remain in use and in his article Peretti points out that “there was a huge financial gain to be made by fingering fat, not sugar, as the culprit of heart disease.” The companies that gain income from HFCS try to get any bad publicity away from it, because they look at their profit margins and not at the people it affects and how it affects them. People with low income often resort to cheaper foods that tend to have larger quantities of HFCS in them. I am one such person because I try to get a bargain when I can, and often times the products I bought had large quantities of HFCS.
At the same time politicians who are willing to challenge HFCS usage refrain from doing so because as Peretti puts it, the companies are “immensely powerful, and any politician who takes it on does so at their peril.” The government side with these companies because of the income they offer, whether it be through campaigning funds, large amount of tax for the state, jobs
The sociological imagination as described by C. Wright Mills is “the ability to understand the intersection between biography and history or interplay of self and the world.” (13) Mills also describes the sociological imagination by saying, “we have come to know every individual lives, from one generation to the next, in some society; that he lives out a biography, and that he lives out within some historical sequence. By the fact of his living he contributes, however minutely, to the shaping of this society and to the course of its history, even as he is made by society and by its historical push and shove.” (1) In saying this statement, Mills leads us into what he calls the history and the biography of sociological imagination. Mills describes history has being part of the individual and biography being part of society. In an excerpt from his book, The Sociological Imagination, he talks about how troubles are our history. Mills states, “troubles occur within the character of the individual and within the range of his immediate relations with other; they have to do with self ad with those limited areas of social life of which he is directly and personally aware.” Mills says this about biography, “Issues have to do with matters that transcend these local environments of the individual and the range of his inner life.” (2)
Obese- is becoming an “epidemic!” We have 44.3 million people that are either obese or over weight. In 1986, the numbers were at 1 in 2000, and they became 1 in 400 by the year 2000. Even our high school age students are at an all time high of 16% overweight and 10% obese. As that number keeps increasing, future projections for covering healthcare expenditures must figure in the obese-related
68.8 percent of people in the United States and 30 percent of the entire global population are obese. “Obesity today is officially an epidemic; it is arguably the most pressing public health problem we face, costing the healthcare system an estimated $90 billion a year.” said Michael Pollan in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.”
The dangers of the obesity epidemic are overwhelming and the percentage of the population which suffers from this condition is increasing exponentially with the increased use of HFCS. Especially in the United States, where almost a third of the adult population is obese, the problems with obesity are readily becoming more apparent. Researchers predict that about 30 serious medical conditions can arise due to obesity. Some of these complications are type II diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and arthritis. Problems can also extend to hypertension, birth defects, increased chances of various cancers, and impaired mobility.
Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind, Americans constantly look around themselves determining their weight status as well as that of those around them. While some Americans do fit the healthy category, others enter the underweight, overweight, and even obese categories, all of which can be unhealthy.
One of the most commonly discussed issues of America in the last few decades has been obesity. It remains one of the biggest problems in American society and requires a careful, systematic but also immediate solution. Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. Today, 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight and half of those are obese. The rates for children are smaller but they are not satisfying either: 15% are overweight and another 15% are headed that way (Lemonick). Besides the aesthetic problems for many people that this condition creates, it is most importantly known as the main cause of serious health problems as well.
On June 17, 2013, 78.6 million Americans went to bed and became diseased overnight. But how did a national epidemic happen in just one night to affect millions of Americans? The American Medical Association (AMA), the country’s largest organization of medical doctors, proclaimed obesity to be a disease in hopes to draw the attention of different medical professionals to this growing medical crisis in America and ultimately improve treatment plans. It is undeniable that obesity is problematic in the United States. The number of obese Americans is higher than ever, and so are associated diseases like Type II Diabetes and hypertensive heart disease. The recognition of obesity as a disease has
Adult overweight and obesity have become a worldwide issue that has very dangerous consequences on health. World Health Organization defines obesity as the “epidemic of the 21st Century”. WHO reports show that 1.9 billion people with 18 years age and older are overweight, and 600 million of them are obese. In the United States, obesity is a serious problem today that results from overconsumption of high-fat food and sugary food with lack of exercise. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention reports show that the obesity rates are above 20 percent in all states. Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue because of their high rates of mortality and morbidity. People who are considered overweight or obese are at increased
One of the first instances where Gaines incorporates the concept of the sociological imagination is when she describes how she reacted to how the people of Bergenfield acted after the death of the 4 teens. Gaines mentions “even after they were dead, nobody cut them slack… they were referred as 'troubled losers '”. [Teenage Wasteland 8.5] Gaines is clearly frustrated at how her community treats the dead teens with disdain. However, through the sociological imagination, Gaines mentions a much greater setback for society as a result of this experience. Gaines mentions “the Bergenfield suicides symbolized a tragic defeat for young people”. [Teenage Wasteland 8.6] Essentially, Gaines employs sociological imagination by explaining how the death of the 4 teens is only tragic because they were treated with disdain
The sociological imagination can be related to experiences of individuals along with life in society. There are three main characteristics that come along with the sociological imagination, those being; history, social structure, as well as biography. In addition, to C.Wright Mills concepts of the sociological imagination, we enable ourselves in society to now have a better understanding of not only ourselves but also others through a sense of linking personal experiences. Due to some of the circumstances in my life, the key sociological factors that have occurred are education, gender, and inequality. These factors have allowed me to fully understand what the sociological imagination is and how it plays a part in my everyday life experiences.
“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.
C. Wright Mills has been defined by some as the pioneer of the new radical sociology that emerged in the 1950s, in which his book, The Sociological Imagination (1959), has played a crucial role (Restivo 1991, p.61). This essay will attempt to explain what the “sociological imagination” is, and why it has been important in the development of sociology over the last fifty to sixty years. In order to do this, it will firstly be essential to consider Mills’ work, however, in addition to this we will look at the influence on Mills that helped him form the idea of a “sociological imagination”. Furthermore, sociologists’ reactions to his work will be considered in order to assess
Femme fatale. Every culture has a mystical femme fatale that is known for being beautiful, enticing and deadly. A female being that has the ability to entice a man with the intent to destroy his very being. The Mermaids, Nymphs, Undines and Sirens, these beautiful and deadly creatures are known all over the world. The alluring charms of these creatures are legendary and have been known globally for centuries. The femme fatale is known for being able to charm and lure wayward men for safety into an out of element location. These men have been away from the company of women or just wanting the female company. The idea of a beautiful and seductive female looking for carnal pleasure is usually desired when a person is in need of physical and
Within society, there are many external forces in our lives that require us to adapt in a way that changes us internally. Society plays a huge role in how the world is constructed, as well as how we as humans are constructed to live. We often make the decisions that we make in our lives because of outward forces that may or may not be within our control, and it takes a toll on our lives. As a person experiences something that is out of their control, it is related back to social forces; this is what the sociological imagination is.
During the past 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. More than one-third of U.S.