In our society we are preoccupied with our problems and all the bad experiences we have that they often overshadow the positive in our lives. Most of the time these bad experiences may be completely out of our hands. A Sociological Imagination helps us take a step back and look at the big picture. In essence it helps us analyze the events and people that surround and have influence on what occurs in our daily lives. This also works in reverse; we don't always directly see the consequences of our actions, and the things we do that may seem meaningless may make all the difference in the world in another person's life. Its interesting to think that if you were to map out these "cause and effect" interactions you would be able to see how some miniscule event in a random person's life has drastic ramifications in your own. I have contemplated this idea before I had ever stepped foot in Mr. Salituro's Sociology class but, now I see the importance behind it. It gives me a whole new way to interpret what happens to me, and a new way to look at life itself. An example of these interactions are seen in the movie
Crash written and directed by Paul Haggis. The movie involves a hand full of strangers from all walks of life, whose actions have severe repercussions in other people's lives. The movie's central theme is how racism affects our society, and the fate of each character seems to reveal something different about the human condition. The idea of Sociological Mindfulness is very intriguing, and I'm interested to see what we learn next in Mr. Salituro's Sociology class.
