Sociological Imagination Report

Introduction
The sociological imagination is a term given by Charles W Mills used to describe the ability to grasp the connections between personal troubles and public issues within society (Mills 1959). Mills also identifies that the ability to have awareness of social structures with clarity is to be able to trace the connections within a variety of different environments (Mills, 1959). These connections can be made when analysing one’s family tree and the variances between different generations.
Method
Information for this report was collected through verbal communication with members of the older generations of the family tree. This method was quite efficient for gaining facts quickly. Information that was unable to be gathered through

this form of collection was found online, through searches of births, deaths and marriages, as well as other ancestry sites.
Results
A family tree of the Vakararawa-Ray family was created in order to assist with the illustration of the sociological imagination and how it can help to demonstrate the changes within the family structure over the generations. SEE APPENDIX A.
Discussion
Looking at a family tree through the lens of the sociological imagination, it can be understood that different aspects of history have played a part in the changes and developments over the generations. To have a sense of historical awareness, we can understand how things develop (Willis 2011), in this case, how the family tree has developed and changed over the generations.
The sociological imagination allows us to comprehend the history and structure of the family tree while understanding the relationship between the two (Mills 1959).

Historical changes that occurred in previous generations, such as: the great depression, world wars and migration to Australia are public issues that affected the older generations of the family and has in turn impacted the subsequent generations. A specific example present in this family tree, is the aspect of migration. On both the Ray and Vakararawa sides, migration to Australia occurred at different points in time, however, both incurred major change for all members of the family. The Vakararawa – Ray marriage was a multi-racial union and had brought different racial and cultural aspects to the family. This marriage added another layer of diversity which may not have been accepted in earlier generations due to the cultural norms of the time, and would not have come to be, if migration in the earlier generations didn't occur. The migration resulted in not only cultural and economic changes but also structural changes.
Structural impacts on this family tree include a change from patriarchy in the older generations of the Ray side of the family, and more recently on the Vakararawa side, to a system where both men and women provide equally for the family. This is inline with the broader societal change of moving away from patriarchy and incorporating two incomes into the family. This point also highlights the change

in the gender roles over time.
In the older generations the women were expected to stay at home and complete the home duties, while men went out to work and provide income for their family (verbal communication, 2017). Even when the women started to receive paid work, for many generations, the men were still the main income earners and retained the ‘head of the house’ role. As the family has shifted from low income in the older generations to a moderate middle class income more recently, the family’s expectations, needs and wants in regards to finances have likewise increased. This increase required the families to have more then one income in the family, which is also inline with the societal changes.
An additional factor that has affected the structure of this family tree in recent years, is the funding that the government has started to provided those that are unable to work, or, are looking for work. This funding enables those that are not working to have a income of some kind. Although this income is quite minute, it allows the individuals to live and maintain their position within society, where as in previous generations,
When analysing the role that class, race and gender has played on the history of this family tree,
With each of these societal changes, the cultural norms and customs of the family have changed. In recent years, homosexual and divorced family members have benefited from the changes of cultural norms, allowing them reflect a diversity within the family. This diversity may not have been expressed in previous generations due to the accepted cultural and societal norms of the time.
Through the different aspects of history, class, race, gender, and cultural norms highlighted above, the sociological imagination has helped to demonstrate how this family has developed and changed over the generations.
Critical Reflection
A challenging aspect prevalent at the commencement of the research was the ability to find information on the Vakararawa side of the family.

This was due to the lack of written information, as well as the language barriers present. These barriers made it nearly impossible to gain information on the older generations as those that may have had the information were unable to communicate it or have already passed away.
Those completing this research that are of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, may also relate to these challenges. Due to the fact that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders utilise storytelling and verbal communication as their main form of information transfer. It could be imagined that finding out information in regards to the older generations would be extremely difficult, due to the lack of written information as well as communication and language barriers present. Another aspect that would truly affect the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander’s ability to gain this information, was the time of the stolen generation. When the Indigenous children were encouraged to forget and not talk about their culture. This created a black hole of information, and illustrates a potential issue that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders may

face.