Social Imagination Discussion
I need 250-300 words using the sociological imagination to describe influences of guns in the U.S. Assignment requirements are listed below. Content Warning:
As with any sociology course, our class readings, discussions, videos, and assessments will often focus on mature, difficult, and potentially distressing topics that may elicit strong feelings (such as anxiety, anger, and/or discomfort). Such topics are not only unpleasant but may be personally traumatic for some to explore.
I am dedicated to creating a space that is both intellectually rigorous and safe. Please be respectful of each other (even when you strongly disagree) and be mindful that we all come to class with unique experiences. Also, please reach out to me if a topic is potentially too upsetting. We will figure out a different path to take.
Your book introduces you the the Sociological Imagination (Chapter 1). The text states: “Sociologists often study culture using the sociological imagination, which pioneer sociologist C. Wright Mills described as an awareness of the relationship between a person’s behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person’s choices and perceptions. Its a way of seeing our own and other people’s behavior in relationship to history and social structure (1959).”
Basically, we are products of our society. We make decisions based on how we’ve been raised, how we’ve been socialized (by our parents/family, peers, media, friends, religion, etc.).
For instance, you may have a very strong feeling about abortion — most people do. But by using the sociological imagination, we can see that our attitudes about abortion do not “come out of nowhere.” We form our attitudes based on many things (how technology has made abortion less invasive, how birth control is easier to acquire, how women’s rights have changed over time, how the laws have changed over time, etc.).
For instance, my friend “Janice” has certain attitudes about abortion. She believes it is a woman’s right to choose. Using the sociological imagination, I can see that her mother influenced her feelings about abortion by being a feminist in the 1970s and by teaching Janice that her body is her’s alone.
She also was influenced by the fact that abortion is “safe and legal” and in the eyes of the law, a woman’s right. Had Janice been raised in a very strict religious household, in a very conservative community, her feelings about abortion might be different.
Given this illustration, and after reading about the sociological imagination, please do the following: 1) Please acknowledge that you read and understood the content warning. 2) Use the sociological imagination to understand how it influences our opinions about guns in the U.S.
You may either write an autobiographical account of your own attitudes toward guns (gun control/gun rights) or consider how someone else might be influenced by the sociological imagination. (Write between 250 – 300 words.)
Please begin with a clear statement of the position (gun control/gun rights/no opinion) followed by a description and analysis of how you think broader social forces have influenced personal views. (Please keep in mind, no one else will read this paper, and the position you choose makes no difference to me.
I want to make sure you understand the sociological imagination and how sociologists use this to study human behavior.) To earn full points for this assignment: Answer all questions in complete sentences. Demonstrate an outstanding understanding of the sociological imagination. Have fewer than five (5) spelling and/or grammar mistakes. Write between 250 and 300 words.
