People are social creatures and our interactions with other people play a critical part of our lives that, unfortunately, impedes on our individual sense of uniquity. This phenomenon can be described as the advertent and inadvertent influence of social structures that limit our agency. Social structures being the relationships that bring various parts of society closer together (Crossman & Scherer, 2015) and set powerful limits and boundaries within which we live our lives that often appear to be quite natural (Crossman & Scherer, 2015, p.14). Agency being the ability of individuals and groups to act independently in a goal-directed manner and to pursue their own free choices (Crossman & Scherer, 2015, p.14). Our human nature of socializing has complex consequences that manifest themselves in rules and resources that hinder individuals freedom. Furthermore, many aspects of an individuals life can be accredited to societys broader macro and global structures. C. Wright Mills, devis
ed this concept of the sociological imagination (Crossman & Scherer, 2015). The sociological imagination is split between three kinds of sensitivities in which we can analyze society historical, critical and comparative. Relative to my body, the concept of the sociological imagination can be self-applied as I have sought out to change my bodys physique, conforming to societys idealized hegemonic masculine physique. Crossman & Scherer (2015) state hegemonic masculinity as the dominant vision of masculinity that many boys and men consent to as something that is entirely natural and self-evident, even while [it] is being perpetually challenged, reinforced, and reconstructed (p.16). In addition, I will argue that my physique is shaped more by societys social structures instead of my own agency due to societys impact through the three types of sensitivities. After analyzing my own body, I will provide an insight on societys powerful, but unseen effect of manipulating peoples physique.