Asociologist is conducting a study on a small group of poverty-stricken individuals. she understands that an individual's impoverished status results from larger economic situations and unemployment rates in the local community rather than the individual's personal problems. the sociologist is using

sociological imagination

Explanation:

According to my research on studies conducted by various sociologists, I can say that based on the information provided within the question the sociologists is using sociological imagination. This is the ability for a researcher to see things socially and how they interact and influence each other, but can only be done if the researcher views the situation from an alternate perspective. Which is what the sociologist in the question is doing when looking at the individual's economic status as an environment problem instead of personal problems.

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