UNIT 1

Overview

In American society, most people believe that individuals shape their own destinies. However, while people have the ability to make decisions, their choices are often shaped or limited by larger social forces, such as our family, our social class, the economy, the education system, and gender norms. C. Wright Mills used sociological imagination to argue that we can only understand our own lives and biographies if we understand the larger history of our society. Making these connections will allow us to see the relationship between our own personal troubles (problems that we face as individuals) and larger public issues (social problems that arise in society).

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of the sociological imagination.
2. Apply the concept of the sociological imagination.
3. Understand the connection between personal troubles and public issues.
4. Understand the role of the sociological imagination for our course.

Workflow

To read:

The Sociological Imagination helps expand our understanding of the history that leads to crime and inequality

• Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World: The Sociological Perspective
• Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World: Understanding Society
• C. Wright Mills on the Sociological Imagination, by Frank W. Elwell

To watch:

A radical experiment in empathy

To study:

Power Point