A core goal of an undergraduate degree in sociology is to cultivate what C. Wright Mills calls a “sociological imagination. Please define the concept, while also discussing what Mills means by the interplay between both: 1) biography and history, and 2) troubles and issues. Include an example of each of these terms in your response.

In Starting Where You Are, Loftland and colleagues argue that often the best sociological research starts from ones own personal biography. Please spend a paragraph or more reflecting on your own identity, experiences, and opinions (including your intersecting statuses, identities, and roles) which give rise to your unique vantage point. How might your social position inspire a research project for this class? If you already have a research question in mind, how might your social position impact the way you relate to the project?

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