THIS IS A SOCIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT!!
NO AI OR Plagiarism.. WILL BE CHECKED
Required Reading/Watching
Prior to this discussion, you should have:
- Read chapters 1
- Reviewed the lecture notes
- Watch this module’s video lectures
- Read article, Sociological curiosity: Updating C. Wright Mills by Jerry A. Jacobs.
Purpose
Through this discussion, you will fine-tune your understanding of the sociological imagination and also begin to develop your own sociological voice.
Learning Outcome(s) Addressed
- Define the concept of the sociological imagination
- Distinguish between troubles and issues
Task
Using your own words while also citing materials from the textbook, lecture notes, video lectures, and other course materials, write a substantive discussion post that responds to all of the following items. Keep in mind that excellent discussions will clearly cite any sources, use your own words, and write in such a way that demonstrates a strong understanding of the topic while also being easy to understand among non-sociology students.
- Translate the following quote from Mills in a way that non-sociology students could understand the point that he is making:
“Nowadays people often feel that their private lives are a series of traps. They sense that within their everyday worlds, they cannot overcome their troubles, and in this feeling, they are often quite correct. What ordinary people are directly aware of and what they try to do are bounded by the private orbits in which they live; their visions and their powers are limited to the close-up scenes of job, family, neighborhood; in other milieux, they move vicariously and remain spectators. And the more aware they become, however vaguely, of ambitions and of threats which transcend their immediate locales, the more trapped they seem to feel.”
- Define the terms issues and troubles and provide examples of both in detail.
- Consider the three types of questions that Mills argues effective sociologists ask. For each type of question provide your understanding of why each type is distinctly important. Put another way, what do those questions help us see that we might not otherwise?
- If you were to describe the sociological imagination to a friend or family member in about a paragraph, what would you say?
Writing a “meaningful” discussion
Remember that meaningful discussions typically have a few components. First, they should cite a variety of the materials available for review or covered in class. This demonstrates your level of engagement with the course content. Second, meaningful discussions go beyond repeating what others have said. Your discussion can include quotes from the sources but they should be primarily made of your own words so you can demonstrate the development of your own sociological perspective and voice. Third, expressing opinions are absolutely fine but they ought to be grounded in some sociological perspective or theory, not just how you feel.
