Sociology 246 - The Sociological Imagination

According to C.W. Mills, the "sociological imagination" allows us "to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society." This course will help students develop their sociological imaginations by reading memoirs written by both U.S. and international authors who’ve published in English, and asking sociological questions of the stories being told. We will move beyond appreciation for the "troubles [that] occur within the character of the individual and within the range of [their] immediate relations with others" to a recognition and analysis of social facts, geo-political issues and social problems illuminated through these individual stories. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limit of 20