SOCI 113 - Feminism, Life Narratives, and the Sociological Imagination

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

Auto/biographical writing is used to tell stories, make connections, build arguments, and stake political claims. But how and when do life narratives exceed the individual? In one of the most widely read sociological texts, C. Wright Mills argues that the “sociological imagination” helps us understand how the social world takes shape at the intersection of biography and history. And, feminists have long contended that the personal is not only social, “the personal is [also] political.” This first-year writing seminar examines published feminist life narratives and sociological studies—and the debates surrounding them—to illuminate how sociologists draw on life narratives as entry points into the social world. The key objectives are: 1) to develop our critical reading and listening skills 2) to gain an appreciation for the role of curiosity, question asking, and research in sociological thinking 3) to fine-tune our analytical writing and revision practice and 4) to build confidence as college writers. Light Carruyo.

Open only to first-year students; satisfies the college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS