Category: Sociological Imagination
Destitute Pea Pickers Photograph Analysis Through Sociological Imagination Theory
“Danny Boy” and The Sociological Imagination
Dear Student,
After reading the first chapter of The Sociological Imagination by Charles Wright Mills (1959) in the classroom, we learned that it is important to be aware that we, as individuals, are part of a wider society in order to understand our behavior, feelings, and possibilities.
This short film tells the story of a guy who has something that makes him unique in his society, but also very unhappy and discriminated against.
How would you apply the sociological imagination to “Danny Boy”?
What is the tension between his individual abilities and societal expectations?
Would you consider this film’s ending a happy one?
Let’s discuss!!
Sociological Imagination Videos
Obesity in the US: Public Issue or Personal Trouble? — a good introduction to the concept of the sociological imagination using the example of obesity
The Women’s Kingdom — this brief introduction to China’s Mosuo people (a matriarchal society) is great for a discussion of ideas of love, marriage and family. It does a nice job illustrating the extent to which an individual’s norms and worldview are shaped by their particular social and historical context. This video is also good for gender, family and culture.
Reading | “The Promise” from The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills
C. Wright Mills’ “The Promise” (Chapter 1 of his 1959 book The Sociological Imagination) is a great introduction to the concept of the sociological imagination and a sociological perspective.
Sociological Imagination Essay
This is an essay that I assign early in the semester to encourage students to start to use their sociological imagination by thinking about how a daily activity they do is influenced by society and history. The questions/prompts below the assignment can also be adapted for an in-class exercise for students to do in small groups.
Sociological-Imagination-Essay