SOCI 1001 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills, Economic Surplus
26 Feb 2017
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Chapter 1:
• What is the sociological imagination?
• A way of looking at the world from the perspective that issues are not individual,
they apply to all people within a society
• Who coined this term?
• C Wright Mills
• How does the sociological imagination help us to see connections between personal
troubles and public issues? Consider examples (e.g., obesity, credit card debt).
• The sociological imagination helps you see connections between personal
troubles and public issues because you can look at problems that an individual has
as something that is more of a cultural issue. For example, obesity may seem like
an issue for only one person, but we can look at it through the sociological
imagination and question why there is such a high percentage of people who are
struggling with obesity, and what factors in American society lead so many
people to be obese.
Chapter 2: (See also “Social Theory Review Questions” handout on HuskyCT)
• What were some of the major changes occurring in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that
shaped the perspectives of early sociologists and social theorists?
a. Urbanization: many people began moving from farms to cities
b. Industrialization: people started working in factories instead of on family farms
c. Democracy: worldwide transitions from monarchies to democracies
• What is a social theory?
a. A social theory is a systematic set of ideas about relationship between individuals
and societies.
• How does social theory differ from the sociological imagination?
a. The social imagination is a general perspective you can use to look at issues.
Theories are more specific, and focus on one specific issue that they are trying to
explain.
• What are the three common themes on which these early social theories focused?
a. How does the individual act in the context of society?
b. What is the basis for social order? What is it that holds societies together?
c. What are the circumstances or conditions under which societies change?
• For each of the following theorists or theoretical traditions, consider the context in which
they developed their concepts/theories, the big questions they asked, and the big ideas they
introduced. Where relevant, also consider the main critiques of their theories:
a. Karl Marx
• Looked at political change and conflict across Europe and the US, as well
as low wages and worsening conditions for workers in cities.
• What are the conditions that lead to revolutionary social change?
• All societies produce more goods than they need to survive (economic
surplus). Societies differ based on who controls this surplus and benefits
from it, and who has to work to be able to survive. This causes conflicts
between the haves (Bourgeoisie) and the have-nots (proletariat).
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