The Promise of Sociology – C. Wright Mills

    C. Wright Mills "The Promise of Sociology" is a complex and well written article. With proper effort, many different layers of understanding can be gleaned from the text. However, over-shadowing the content of the article is an impression of superiority that is very off-putting. My impression is that C. Wright Mills is not as superior to the human race as C. Wright Mills thinks he is. For example, Mills (1959) states that "they do not possess the quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of man and society, of biography and history, of self and world" (p. 1). If he was able to "grasp" these concepts, why should the rest of the world not "possess the quality of mind" to do the same? In answer, maybe society in 1959 was less interested in information than our current society in 2011. I cannot believe that is the answer, however, because I do not believe that the thirst for information that our modern society possesses is a new or novel trait. I believe this thirst for knowledge is something inherent in every human being.

    Perhaps, even though this thirst for information may be inherent, Mills and other like-minded sociologists are to thank for the direction that our self-examination has gone since this was published. As a human race, maybe we have always sought knowledge. However, it might just be that because of Mills (1959) and his peers, we now seek to understand the "interplay of man and society" (p. 2). In this we should be grateful because it gives us the ability to erase indifference and uneasiness and enables us to experience well-being and crisis (Mills, 1959).

    Personally, I learn two different things from this article. First, humility is worth its weight in gold. If Mills had been a little more humble in the construction of his text, he might have been able to connect better with the readers. Second, I am grateful for the self-awareness that our society today possesses. I do believe that as an individual understands where they are, it makes it easier for them to go where they want to be. Having global knowledge of the one's society makes that transition possible.