In this critical reflection essay, you will write about yourself. Don’t describe your whole life. Rather, recall a particular moment or event in your life, such as your childhood, or something happening in your life right now.

Critically reflect on yourself through consciously making use of the sociological imagination, as well as sociological concepts and principles learned in class. Why is your life meaningful, and how can you make sense of your life sociologically? This is your opportunity to put sociology into practice.

Be creative, and don’t be shy. Express yourself! Please look beyond the personal and into the social.

When composing your essay, consider how your self has emerged through social interaction during a particular historical and cultural era. How are you unique? How does your life emerge through your experience of others? Have you been affected by modern society, consumer culture, television and the media, gender and racial inequality, personal stigma, belonging, the Great Recession, The #MeToo Movement, the 2016 Election, or the War in Syria? Whatever it may be, your self has emerged through personal creativity and relations with others. Trace those steps, and show your self!

This 4 page essay will exercise your critical thinking skills and will also require you to think creatively about your life, social interaction, social history, and culture Keep your writing short and to the point. This essay is formal, so please use proper spelling and grammar, and citations from course materials.

Details

The intention of this essay is:

to apply course concepts to the real world experiences of your life;

to apply a sociological perspective;

to help you cultivate self-awareness and critical thinking skills;

to discover your personal and socially shared vulnerabilities;

to reimagine your past;

and to muster the courage to understand yourself and others.

The goal of this assignment is to understand contemporary social reality through the examination of one’s life experience. Please define the sociological imagination and/or sociological mindfulness, and use it to connect your personal life to larger public issues.

To complete this essay, you must also use at least two additional citations from other readings throughout the semester, including Braving the Wilderness, The Sociologically Examined Life, or Man’s Search for Meaning. Contextualize your story and make your arguments. Be specific and use examples to relate back to the readings.

Grading Rubric

Grammar, Writing Quality, Style, Length (Approximately 4 pages, Typed, Double Spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. Font)

Does the student write clearly, fulfill the page requirement, and use proper grammar and spelling?

Application of the Sociological Imagination

Does the student define the sociological imagination? Does the student use the sociological imagination to connect personal experience with the social conditions discussed in their essay?