The Social Network and The Sociological Imagination.

What are the values of using sociological imagination to understand social life?

• i dont quite get what my teacher is asking. thanks p.s. i dont know if he is asking, what are the advantages of using sociological imagination to understand social life or what.

• Answer:

  Its as simple as the question, but make sure your imaginations do not run wild..:D.The most important thing you learn in sociology is that 'empathy' is the way to sociological success, Il give you an example. 'Imagine' you are a US soldiers wife, who just received a phone call, from the pentagon, stating that your husband is no more. John was fighting in Afghanistan , where to save the soldiers of his regiment he fought on with heavy artillery from the bearded beasts, the bloody afghans. But he could not fight of 30 of them carrying missiles. He was shot, and as he limped to the ground, the Afghanis laughed and spat on him, before all of them shot John to pieces. But you......you do not even have a body to bury, all his blood and flesh is lost in the sands of Afghanistan. What will you tell your kids? What will you tell John's parents? What will you tell the neighbors when they ask wheres the body? How will you pay for your children's education? And how will YOU convince yourself that the love of your life has been shredded to death and by the same race?...................................… take a moment to actually be in this woman's shoes....really,,,,,,,,,,,,.............… heres the key to understanding social life....................................… John, with Ahmed........you are Ahmed's wife....Ahmed who is a 'terrorist' in Afghanistan. But not a terrorist to Afghanistan. Today morning you saw him leave with his missile, and before he left he knelt down to Sultan, Ahmed and your little boy and told him 'Son i am fighting today, so that you can have your freedom tomorrow', you know what he is talking about. Freedom from oppression, hunt for human blood to replace it with oil, and when its all gone, they(americans) too are gone. Leaving behind ashes of human civilization. So you know we must fight back, we have no choice but to. But alas....Ahmed is shot dead by the end of the day. and you are a widow, with no insurance to fall back on and with the americans labelling your small boy as terrorist now, the next target. When will this nightmare end? Perhaps never...................................… a minute. Now see how by stepping inside two different shoes, you have linked two worlds into one, and now you can look at the link nd create changes for a better life, for a better coexistent. That my friend is sociology. :) hope this helps