Although much has been written in the past 50 years about the pedagogical value of "The Sociological Imagination", one section of Mills's book has been underutilized for far too long. Namely, the essay in the appendix, "On Intellectual Craftsmanship," has been rarely invoked by sociologists discussing the significance of "The Sociological…

The core ideas and lessons of C. Wright Mills are most likely among the first perspectives to which students are exposed in sociology and are a foundation to the discipline. Although perhaps difficult to recall all of the specific details of the encounter, many of these students are likely to remember the first time that they were introduced to C.…

"The Sociological Imagination" is among the most recognized books in the history of American Sociology. Yet, the sociological imagination as such, a radical form of self-consciousness, is not commonly well understood nor easily acquired. This essay examines the challenges thus faced by instructors who seek to accurately impart what Mills…

Sociological imagination is a quality of mind that cannot be adopted by simply teaching students its discursive assumptions. Rather, it is a disposition, in competition with other forms of sensibility, which can be acquired only when it is practiced. Adhering to this important pedagogical assumption, students were assigned to write their…

This article introduces a sociology role-playing game (RPG) used to demonstrate the broad range of social forces, institutions, and structures in a semester-long series of in-class and homework assignments. RPGs and other simulation games have been frequently suggested as a useful teaching methodology because of their unique ability to allow…

Although we may claim our students are developing a sociological imagination, it is quite another to realize this in our teaching and our students' performances. Through a professional move from teaching in Chicago to Maine, I was led to rethink how I teach the sociological imagination. I argue that if we are to teach the sociological imagination,…