C. Wright Mills.
Today in my policy practice class we read and excerpt from and discussed the inner workings and thoughts behind a little book called The Sociological Imagination (sounds magical, eh?). For your own reading curiosity, I invite you into the psyche of Mr. Mills via the following excerpt:
http://www.camden.rutgers.edu/~wood/207socimagination.htm
To say things politely, our country has seen better days. So, what in the world is going on? Who is to blame? Why must someone be blamed? Better yet, how do we set about to make amends?
Our new administration has set to change the way things are and we're bound to notice the upcoming tweeks and do-overs that President Obama is setting in motion in the range of social welfare policy. Mills says that one man has his troubles, but once that one man becomes many it becomes society's issue, and demands social action. I pose an interesting quesiton that has been on my mind since my class discussion: Who decides when "troubles" become "issues?" Where is that turning point? Do we suppose that a man's troubles are embedded within him, or are his troubles symptoms of larger, systemic problems that need to be fixed? Do we fix the man or do we fix the system?
People often find themselves polarized on this issue. Whichever side of the issue you land on sets the scene for how you will view policy changes in the next four years. I would venture a perspective that perhaps what we need is a balance of the two. We change the system and help the man, listen to both sides and find a healthy balance. Go figure. Maybe I'll run for president (ha!) ?
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