SOC 100 TERM PAPER ASSIGMENT
The Sociological Imagination
This 5-7 page paper (double-spaced, 1” margins, 12pt. Times New Roman) must be turned in to
your Teaching Assistant during your last discussion section.
This is not a research paper but an analytical essay in which you will apply the Sociological
Imagination to examine a specific case: yourself. You will be graded on your demonstration of
mastery of key concepts and theoretical ideas presented in the course. You must define and
illustrate specific sociological concepts through the careful crafting of “your story.”
The paper is worth 20 pts (20% of your final grade) and has the following requirements:
1. 2 pts: A thesis statement giving a definition (in your own words) of the sociological
imagination, and your intention to analyze some aspects of your personal history in a
sociological way.
2. 8 pts: Autobiographical reflections arising from a consideration of any four of the
following eight topics. To get your points, your story must demonstrate
comprehension of a specific sociological theory or concept. It is not necessary to
address every sub-issue listed for your topics. These are suggestions. Other
sociological theories from lecture, text, or readings could also be used if they are
more relevant to your case.
a. Culture and Socialization (values/beliefs/norms; conformity/deviance;
achieved/ascribed/master status; role conflict/strain; agents of socialization)
b. Deviance/Criminality (your own experiences or those of someone close to
you in a deviant subculture, or the criminal justice system, or the metal health
system)
c. Social Class and Work (analysis of your class background, critical
evaluation of your own social privileges, your grandparents’ or parents’
experience of wealth, poverty or social mobility, your own prospects for
work and social mobility)
d. Globalization and Environment (your awareness as a global citizen and a
consumer of X, looking at who makes the things you buy, and the effects of
its production on their lives and the environment)
e. Race and Ethnicity (as imposed socially constructed categories or as issues
of personal identity; critical assessment of your own prejudices based on
gender, sexual orientation, race, class, etc… and an evaluation of which
theory of prejudice your prejudicial views seem to support)
f. Sexuality and Gender (gender socialization, self-image, identity, sexual
orientation, violence, other sexuality issues)
g. Social Movements (your parents’ or your own experiences as a social
activist or a participant in a social movement)
3. 4 pts: An analysis of your personal experiences as a reflection of larger social issues.
4. 2 pts: A clearly stated conclusion.
5. 4 pts: Overall quality of your paper. This includes both the depth of our analysis and
the quality of your writing.