Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

Sociology - Essay Example This concept is what Wright Mills called â€Å"Sociological Imagination.† Mills (1956) contends that sociological imagination enables the person to look into himself as a part of a larger whole, and failed to â€Å"grasp the interplay of man and society† (as cited in Henslin, 2005). Poverty is not an isolated case pointing out to a particular country. Nations considered being the best in the world when it comes to financial capability, also having cases of families in poverty line. In the United States, though it is the source of the world’s â€Å"American dream,† was also devastated by disasters such as the memorable Hurricane Katrina, which turned the progressive New Orleans into a ghost town. Jobs were scarce after the disaster because of the damages caused by the hurricane to several business industries in both macro and micro levels (Kornblum, 2008). The problem was heightened by the recession of 2009 brought about by the foreclosure of the Lehman Brothers. Banks, real estates, and the marketing industry fell resulting to the retrenchment of jobs to save profit. The fall of the company delivered a domino effect to other businesses most especially in the real estate. Prices of mortgage have gone higher than usual; a price where the jobless and middle class Americans are unable to afford. Ling (2009) reported that families were desperate in search of job, food and shelter. The effect of the recession was clearly seen in certain places in Sacramento where people are forced to build â€Å"tent cities.† Life’s little rewards such as hot meal, hot shower, and accessibility to potable water are not the main issues; the people in the tent cities are more concerned of where to get a meal, shower and water. Living in the tent cities is like â€Å"starting to live all over again.† Poverty and homelessness may come from two significant and nondetachable things: personal and societal factors. The impact of the recession, the struggling budget