Reading 1: Mills (in Lemert 2018)
• Introduction to C. Wright Mills (p.275)
• The sociological imagination (pp.275–278)
Questions:
1. Lemert explained that, “true to [Mills’s] ideal of the sociological imagination, his writings based
strong critical ideas on careful empirical work” (page 275). What might this tell us about Mills’s
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)
What is “intersectionality”, and should it be applied as a theoretical basis for liberatory
practice?
What is this question asking and what is the potential scope?
• Firstly, introduce and explain “intersectionality”.
o But your essay introduction should only very briefly introduce “intersectionality”
without detail. Save the details for paragraph 2.
• Secondly, the question is asking you to take a position on whether or not “intersectionality”
should be applied as a theoretical basis for liberatory practice ! This is a thesis
statement.
• The focus for “intersectionality” is the work of Crenshaw (and maybe also earlier bell
hooks work, and maybe also Cooper?).
• The focus for “theory as liberatory practice” is the work of bell hooks.
o Why is she arguing that theory and practice are – or “should” be – synonymous?
o Why is she arguing that theory and practice “should” be liberatory?
o Note that the word “should” is a normative term, based on a “value judgement” or
“moral judgement”. Hence this question gives you the opportunity to make a
strong thesis statement – an either / or argument (“should or should not”)
discussion. And then you need to back up your thesis statement with the
subsequent discussion: If so, why? If not, why not?
o Even if you think that any kind of feminist theory – or specifically, “intersectionality
theory” – “should” be applied as a theoretical basis for liberatory practice, you
might also want to reflect on possible “problems”, “implications”, “unresolved
issues” etc. towards the end of your essay (maybe in the conclusion, but after
summarizing your essay and argument). For example, considering that hooks was
applying her “theory and practice” argument to teaching/education, does this make
education less “neutral” and “balanced” ! Does it matter, and can education ever
be “neutral” anyway?