Applying the Sociological Imagination Applying the Sociological Imagination

I. Introduction Paragraph

I grew up in a crazy neighborhood, and I grew up in a house. I grew up with a single mother and a grandmother and; It was eight family members living in the same home. I was a good girl, and it was rare that I got whoopings. Sometimes I get punished. My family always celebrated every holiday and Sunday dinner. We were a low-income family, and the environment was not secure because there were a lot of crimes.

II. IMPACT OF PHYSICAL SURROUNDING

A. Does where you live determine how you live your life? Yes or no and why?

No, because

B. Write about the ways people’s lives are different and how that would impact how they live their lives

1. Living in a city versus in the suburbs (neighborhood with trees, streets, open grass areas)

2. Apartment living versus a free standing house

3. Inner city (like DC) versus a private community with its own security

4. Single parent versus two parents

III. INTERSECTION OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY

A. Two technological innovations that are important to you and how do they impact your life today?

B. How would those two innovations have impacted your grandparents’ lives? Having or not having those two innovations? How different or similar are you and your grandparents' experiences?

1. Use Mill’s concept of “intersection of biography and history” to explain the differences and similarities

IV. SOCIAL MOBILITY

A. Make a grid of your family tree should include three generations (see chart below)

B. For each generation: think about the social climates (what was going on in society at that time they were children and young adult) Write about the major sociocultural (social and cultural) events, rules, beliefs, and values and how it might have shaped their lives and experiences FOR EACH GENERATION

C. Using your sociological imagination write about how each generation can be understood as a product of the society they grew up in.

Generation 1 What was the social climate when your mom and dad grew up? What MAJOR social/cultural events, rules, beliefs, and values do you think shared their lives and experiences?	Mom	Dad
Generation 2 What was the social climate when your grandparents grew up? What MAJOR social/cultural events, rules, beliefs, and values do you think shared their lives and experiences?	Mom’s Mom (your grandmother) Mom’s Dad (your grandfather)	Dad’s Mom (your grandmother) Dad’s Dad (your grandfather)
Generation 3 What was the social climate when your great-grandparents grew up? What MAJOR social/cultural events, rules, beliefs, and values do you think shared their lives and experiences?	Grandmother’s Mom Grandmother’s Dad Grandfather’s Mom Grandfather’s Dad	Grandmother’s Mom Grandfather’s Mom Grandfather’s Mom Grandmother’s Dad