Sociological Imagination Paper
The goal of this assignment is to help you situate your life in the social context and understand the impact of social forces on you. In completing this assignment, make sure you are being sociological. To facilitate this, use three concepts and/or theories you have learned in this class and integrate all of them into your paper. YOU ONLY NEED TO USE 3. For example: gender, class, race, ethnicity, subculture, socialization, functionalism, symbolic interaction, conflict theory, etc. Choose the three you think are most relevant to you.
It is important that you don’t just list the three concepts randomly but demonstrate your understanding of them by using them appropriately. Define each concept first and then apply it, using it to describe, illustrate and explain.
The paper must be a minimum of 2 pages. Double-spaced, 12 pt font, with one-inch margins.
Papers will be turned in on Canvas.
Example of how you can structure your paper:
For this sociological imagination paper, I choose to apply three sociological concepts to my life to better understand how sociology is relevant. In other words, my life does not exist independently and apart from other forces, but is intimately connected to larger social structures that shape other people’s lives as well. The three sociological concepts I choose are:____, _____, and _____.
First, I am going to discuss (your concept) and how I have been shaped by this social force. (Your concept) is defined a ___________. It applies to my life (or current event/popular culture) in the following way. [REPEAT with your 2 other concepts].
In conclusion, the three concepts that I applied to my life are ____, ______, and _____. Briefly summarize your main points (i.e. how you understand these concepts relating to your life or contemporary example.)
Example of concept you can choose and questions to ask yourself:
Concept: Race/Ethnicity
How do I see myself in racial terms. Why?
How do I experience my ethnicity? Is it part of the dominant culture, or is it a subculture?
How I believe that others see me.
Read Ch. 11 and determine if you can apply/relate to any of the material in that chapter.
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