Sociological Imagination

Wright Mills defined sociological imagination as “the vivid awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society”. Having a vivid sociological imagination means understanding that much of our life experience and biographical arc is shaped by sociological forces beyond our control. The time and place of our birth, our birth date and birth year, age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, the type of family we are born into, social class, birth order, generation and generation size, cultural inheritances, family inheritances, and the timing of our lifespan with much larger historical events and processes all help shape our collective experience in life.
In the paper you will use your biography as an inspiration to write about how these categories play a role in shaping the lives of the people in them. You will use your sociological imagination to go beyond the personal. All of the things that you think give your life a distinctive personalized experience are in fact shared by other people in the categories that make up your “sociological matrix”. In this paper you will select one or more of these categories and write about them. This is not a biography. It is a sociological analysis how people in these categories share a common experience.
For each category you select, you should write about both the positive and the negative aspects associated with them. If you are an immigrant, for example, you might face discrimination, but you also might have very close relations with others in your community. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being born in your particular birth year? How has your particular generation been shaped by forces outside of your control? What kind of family do you come from? Are you from a military family, an immigrant family, a musical family, a law enforcement family, an alcoholic family? What are the common experiences of people who come from these types of families? Did you grow up in the United States? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the U.S. in the early 21st century? You can choose from the list above or you can come up with some variables of your own.
You may need to do some research to complete the assignment. Find out what generation you are and read about its characteristics. What common historical events are shared by members of that generation and how have they had a positive and negative effect on people’s lives. What is your birth year? Were a lot of people born in that year or was it a small birth year? You can focus the paper on one characteristic (i.e. race or gender), but you can also write about several categories. Make sure you clearly outline what you intend to write about in the introduction to the paper. I also suggest you consider doing at least one major revision before turning it in. I’ve always found that improves the finished product immensely. And remember to list any references at the end of the paper.
Building your sociological imagination will help you adapt to the times you live in. Like a swimmer who swims with the current instead of against it, understanding the larger forces that shape your life can lead to more effective choices, and make you a more aware and empathetic member of society.

Instructions for the Assignment

1. Make a list of all the sociological categories that define you as a person:
   (gender, ethnicity, social class, generation, birth year, etc)
2. Pick one or more of these categories to write about
3. In the paper, discuss the advantages and disadvantages people in your chosen categories (not yourself specifically) experience in their life chances because of their membership in that category.
4. Do some research if you need to. If you come from an alcoholic family, for example, do some research online about the children of alcoholic families and the challenges they face. Repeat this process with all the categories you choose to write about.
5. After you finish the first draft of your paper, let it sit for a couple of days, and then go back and rewrite it. If you have time, repeat that process. This will really improve the paper and help you organize your thoughts. (I do this myself, and it really improves the quality of your writing).
6. If you too stressed, take some time off to reset yourself emotionally. Then resume after you have taken a break. Remember that to become a good writer takes practice. Be patient with yourself.
7. Have someone proofread your work and if they find grammar or spelling errors, check them and make corrections before turning the paper in.
   Requirements:
   At least 1000 words
   Use MLA format.
   At least 3 references required.
   Formatted Correctly
   Paper checked for spelling and grammar

NOTE: information to develop the essay.
I am a male, born in the year 1970 in Nigeria before migrating to USA. Nigeria civil war ended in 1969, thereafter there were a lot of children born same year with me.
I am black African by ethnicity.
Social class: poor. My parents were not educated, in fact they didn’t go to school but just subsidence farmers and had no money. I’m from a Christian family.
In my community in Nigeria, there was no electricity, no pipe borne water not a single good road. Generally, everyone was poor in the society and uneducated.
My mother loved education hence she motivated me and saw me through high school just like other children in the society.
I migrated to USA thanks to diversity visa lottery which I won. Now, in a different society where everything works, I am desperate to see myself through university.
If there are other points you need just ask me to explain, please.