October 28th, 2021 
Reading 1: Mills (in Lemert 2018)
Introduction to C. Wright Mills (p.275)
The sociological imagination (pp.275278)
Questions:
1. Lemert explained that, true to [Millss] ideal of the sociological imagination, his writings based
strong critical ideas on careful empirical work (page 275). What might this tell us about Millss
approach to research and theory?
2. What do you think Mills meant when he wrote, The sociological imagination enables us to
grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society? (page 276)
3. What were the three sorts of questions asked consistently by the classic social analysts who
had been imaginatively aware of the promise of their work? (page 276).
4. What kind of capacity does that imagination allow? (page 276)
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