Abstract
By adapting the in-class exercise described in Adams (2010), the following activity helps students explore C. Wright Mills’ sociological imagination by generating examples of private troubles and public issues. By the conclusion of the activity, students should be able to explain the difference between troubles and issues, provide their own examples of...Download this resource to see full details. Download this resource to see full details.
Details
- Subject Area(s):
- Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems
- Resource Type(s):
- Class Activity
- Class Level(s):
- College 100
- Class Size(s):
- Small
Usage Notes
Suicide is a sensitive, even upsetting subjective for some students. I suggest giving a trigger warning prior to the start of the activity.Also, when I talk about the work of a prominent sociologist, I always give a brief background of their professional and personal life. Since C. Wright Mills had a particularly colorful professional and...
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Learning Goals and Assessments
Learning Goal(s):
- Students will understand, describe, compare and contrast the terms private troubles and public issues.
- Students will provide their own examples of private troubles and public issues.
- Students will brainstorm solutions to contemporary social problems.
Goal Assessment(s):
- Written discussion questions that students will hand in for credit.
- Written discussion questions that students will hand in for credit.
- Written discussion questions that students will hand in for credit.
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