Divorce And The Sociological Imagination
In this paper, the definition and standards of Sociological Imagination will be outlined first. The social trouble of divorce will be considered from this set of principles to see how divorce impacts people and society as a group. A description of the most important thoughts and standards in every of the three principal sociological perspectives will be accompanied by way of an analysis of divorce through each perspective. Using each of the views will uncover beneficial insights and data concerning this issue. The use of battle idea will help provide an explanation for the logic behind why people hotel to divorce. Finally, concluding ideas will be presented and supported.
Key Words: divorce, combat theory, sociological imagination.
Divorce is considered an important social problem in the United States of America (USA). Divorce influences the lives of many people out of the divorcing household inclusive of many factors of society. Divorce is playing an energetic function in reshaping the way of life of the USA by using altering the that means of my family. Because divorce is a trouble in the eyes of Americans, it’s well worth sociological evaluation the usage of the Sociological Imagination and the three sociological perspectives: Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Interactionism.
Review of the Literature
To be in a position to see the interaction between the man or woman and their community, it is essential to boost a Sociological Imagination. However, Sociological Imagination is a little two greater complicated than Mills’ definition. Once a sociologist uses his or her “Sociological Imagination” two the “imagination” part that is most interesting and enlightening. For example, you stroll into a room filled with people speakme and engaging in everyday social behavior. “Without intending to you begin to have a look at those human beings and their moves in a very biased way. You convey cultural, gender and economic biases with you as a everyday section of your consciousness.” (Arthur 2016). Observing objectively, thus scientifically, would be out of the question in this situation. Now, imagine you are an pig observing the same team of people interacting in the room. Because you are no longer a human, you do now not have a human bias like searching at a man doing the dishes with scorn. It is effortless for the pig observer to truly see interactions in a scientific manner. The pig observer would not assume that any action or conduct is unusual or wrong, the action or behavior actually is. Sociological Imagination is a fantastic way of looking at human social conduct and human agencies because it encourages the observer to see objectively and then ask the most important query in sociology: why?
Divorce must be considered using microsociology and macrosociology when the usage of the Sociological Imagination. Divorce impacts the family, a microsociological group, immediately and now and again drastically. Divorce affects the whole country, a macrosociological group, now and again lengthy after the divorce and in many small methods that add up to better problems. It can be argued that divorce is solely a personal problem. Take a younger married girl except children. Divorce would affect her economic fame and monetary future. For a younger lady going thru a divorce negatively impacts her potential to provide primary housing and nourishment needed to be a productive citizen.
She may even need to file bankruptcy to be in a position to pass on with her life in a meaningful way. This can be viewed as solely her problem. She will have to deal with terrible credit score scores for years to come and may additionally have to take lower paying jobs or live in grungy residences as a result. She may additionally become depressed and operate poorly at her job as well. These private hardships raise over into her family and administrative center agencies quickly and with lousy effects. However, the usage of the Sociological Imagination presents perception into how divorce influences a good deal extra than her and her family. Divorce impacts the society she lives in various ways. The bankruptcy she filed would negatively affect the already unhealthy economy. Because of her low savings scores she might now not be in a position to earn as a lot as she is truly successful of thus, she will spend less on necessities than she may otherwise. As she is pushed deeper into a decrease socioeconomic status her spending will also fall which slows economic growth. Because she has come to be terrible she likely cannot have the funds for personal healthcare, so she depends on public healthcare to grant her with medicinal drug to fight her depression. Her divorce had end up a public problem. The Sociological Imagination encourages observations such as this to better apprehend the implications of non-public problems within society.
There is some other way to look at the younger divorcee’s personal problem when the usage of the Sociological Imagination from a macrosociological view point. It can be argued that her divorce is rooted in a deeper social issue within the culture that she lives. For example, the social problem of poverty should have brought on her divorce. Many marriages stop due to the fact of economic hardships. If the divorcee and her then partner have been residing on wages that placed them under the poverty stage the stresses of imparting sufficient housing and nourishment would have been great. There are many other social problems that ought to make a contribution negatively to a marriage such as domestic violence causing divorce to occur.
The Functionalism perspective in sociology states that society is structured the way it is in order to hold its stability thus, its survival (Schaefer, 2008). The key principles are balance, harmony and evolutionary, not revolutionary, exchange inside the current scheme. The way the society functions now is the way it need to be because the entirety serves a purpose. This viewpoint sees society as a complex gadget that promotes balance through guiding humans with a social shape that gives sure social functions or roles. Anything that disrupts the contemporary social shape or functions is considered as dysfunction. If some part of a society does no longer make a contribution to the modern-day shape of stability, it will now not stay. The Functionalism viewpoint offers with macro-sociological corporations such as an whole country.
Conflict Theory is a standpoint that views society as agencies that are struggling over power or assets (Schaefer, 2008). The key concepts are tension, inequality and revolutionary change. Society is the way it is because of inequality, and this inequality ought to usually be opposed. This perspective views society as disparity that motives war and change. Change is viewed as a effective pressure for a society. combat theorists are interested in why some humans have so many assets whilst others have so few and how this is either being maintained or changed. The Feminist view is intently related to the war viewpoint due to the fact each deal with inequality (Schaefer, 2008). Feminist view looks at disparity between the genders in terms of women’s decrease statuses in most societies. It asserts that gender inequity is the force that is at the center of behavior and the status quo. Both the Feminist view and the conflict point of view overlap with liberal political views and focal point on macrosociological organizations such as American women.
The Interactionist perspective, also recognised as symbolic Interactionism, generalizes about person social interactions as a way to see society as a total (Schaefer, 2008). The key ideas are interactions, members of the family and symbolic meanings. This standpoint views society as a product of day-to-day interactions. Humans are viewed as dwelling in a world of meaningful objects with an emphasis on the importance of symbols. This point of view is intently related to social psychology. The dramaturgical approach and nonverbal conversation are of precise pastime to this point of view due to the fact they help to make clear how private interactions are accomplished. The Interactionist perspective overlaps with libertarian political views and offers with microsociology such as a symbolic exchange between coworkers.
Divorce when viewed from the Functionalism perspective contributes to the stability of the society as a whole. Fewer divorces would definitely be dysfunctional because divorce serves a purpose. For example, as a end result of divorce many lawyers, judges and court docket officials are employed. The public system of healthcare employs doctors, nurses and social employees that deal with and care for the poorer people in society such as those that have lost so much due to the fact of divorce. Without the modern-day prices of divorce many humans would be unemployed (Glenn 1991). Unemployment would destabilize societal structure consequently divorce fees must stay where they are to make certain survival of the social scheme. The “status quo” must remain in place.
Divorce when considered from the Conflict standpoint have to be analyzed as a microcosm of society. Conflict theorists would describe the divorce as the competition for sources and power within the marriage where both events cannot come to an agreement.The conflict over sources generates anxiety that outcomes in a trade in the marital status. Looking at divorce from the Feminist view can be considered as warfare between a girl that is addressing the inequality stemming from her gender function and a man that does no longer want to relinquish electricity or resources to her. For example, she may additionally have wanted her own checking account with personal get admission to to funds whilst her husband saw this as an unacceptable quantity of electricity for her to have. The ensuing anxiety triggered a innovative exchange in their social structure. Divorce is seen in this light as a fantastic pressure because it is altering an inequality.
Divorce when seen from the Interactionist standpoint examines the picks that every man or woman has made, the interactions between husband and wife, and the symbolic which means of marriage and divorce. Nothing is right or incorrect is it certainly a way of searching at society from a very small scale while deciding how these interactions form the large group. A symbolic Interactionist would ask the divorcee what she thinking about the that means of marriage and divorce. Her records taken with thousands of different interviews would form a photograph of the contemporary which means of divorce. For example, the institution of marriage as a symbolic contract between a pair of people and the community has changed. Marriage was at as soon as a repute image and ceremony of passage. It used to mean you have been on the proper music in lifestyles and offering balance to your community. Conversely, divorce was once considered as a fantastic shame and something to be hidden if at all possible. Today multiple divorces are not uncommon. The stigma attached with divorce has declined just as the “necessity” of marriage has declined. Using the Interactionist standpoint uncovers the changing which means of divorce as a image in society.
Theory Application
Of the three sociological theories (functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and fighting theory), the war concept presents a extra convincing and applicable view of divorce. It solutions “why” divorce occurs in the most logical way. Americans are the most self-absorbed and conceited people in the world. In today’s American culture, we uphold money, splendor and strength as the most necessary goals one have to work closer to to prevail in life. These values do not promote long time period relationships. They promote conflict. For example, tensions arise in a marriage because of the battle over money, property and electricity in a relationship. When one person in the marriage becomes unable to manage the disproportion of assets a disagreement occurs. Women’s historic gender roles are nevertheless in effect. Because ladies are still expected to manage a family while working a full time job frustrations arise. These issues as nicely as infinite others make a contribution to the modern-day divorce rates. Conflict theorists would describe the divorce as the competition for resources and energy inside the marriage the place both events cannot come to an settlement (Glenn 1991).
