SOCS185- CULTURE AND SOCIETY Week 1: Personal Experiences in Social Societies

Our decisions do not simply result from what philosophers call free will. Sociology teaches us that the social world guides our life choices in much the same way that the physical world influences our choice of clothing or the type of food we feel like eating. C. Wright Mills pointed to the power of what he called the sociological imagination to help us understand everyday events. As he saw it, society, not people’s personal failings, is the main cause of poverty and other social problems.

For this discussion, explain how a personal problem can be caused by a larger social issue. Some examples include homelessness, poverty, suicide, and so on. It can be a problem that you, a friend or family member, or someone you have read about has experienced. Describe the situation, both the personal problem and the larger social issue, and then explain the relationship in terms of cause and effect.