Length: 3 full double-spaced pages
Assigned Readings:
C.W. Mills, “The Sociological Imagination”
Herbert Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton, “The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience”
Lisa McIntyre, “Hernando Washington”
What did C.W. Mills mean by the concept of “sociological imagination”? According to Mills, of what value is the sociological imagination to the average person? Consider the work done by Kelman/Hamilton and McIntyre. In your informed judgment, in what way did each author demonstrate (or not) that they have a sociological imagination? Explain how you arrived at your conclusion by discussing the evidence you relied upon to form your conclusion.
Tips:
There’s no need for an introduction paragraph. I recommend clearly and effectively re-stating the prompt up front and then jumping into the Mills reading.
There’s also no need for a conclusion paragraph in this type of paper as they are usually just summaries the preceding info. Once you finish explaining how/why you know McIntyre has a sociological imagination that’s that.
Don’t forget in-text citations!