Originally this column was intended to chart my way through my first formal study of sociology. I’d tripped from one degree to another, with some arty, creative, musical projects in between and ended up in sociology. Apparently, accidentally. When I… Read More ›
C. Wright Mills 
In March 2012 it will be the 50th anniversary of the death of C Wright Mills. In this special series, Sociological Imagination will be considering the life, legacy and ideas of this unique man and what they mean for Sociology in an age of austerity.
Making the familiar strange
In this video, Dalton Conley discusses the C.W.Mills’ idea that a successful sociologist makes the familiar strange.
An early review of the Sociological Imagination
“Imagine a burly cowpuncher on the long, slow ride from the Panhandle of Texas to Columbia University, carrying in his saddle-bag some books which he reads with absorption while his horse trots along. Imagine that among the books are some… Read More ›
Charles Wright Mills documentary
A short documentary on C. Wright Mills life, theories, accomplishments, and impacts on society. Not exactly the slickest film you’re likely to find on the internet but a useful and sympathetic overview of his work.
C. Wright Mills’ Pragmatism
Often when speaking of post-war developments in pragmatism, many people tend to focus on the philosophy of the latter Wittgenstein or Rorty. However, such an exclusive focus tends to eclipse other notable contributions. In Cornel West’s genealogy of pragmatism, C…. Read More ›
“You ask for what one should be keyed up?”
“You ask for what one should be keyed up? My god, for long weekends in the country, and snow and the feel of an idea and New York streets early in the morning and late at night and the camera eye always… Read More ›
The Life and Work of C. Wright Mills
“C. Wright Mills” on Bundlr
The Independent Artist and Intellectual
By permission of the estate of C. W. Mills. Photo by Yaroslava. “The independent artist and intellectual are among the few remaining personalities equipped to resist and to fight the stereotyping and consequent death of genuinely lively things. Fresh perception now… Read More ›
No nation now, but the imagination
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of C. Wright Mills’ death, Sociological Imagination pays a respectful and moving tribute to the man who gave this forum its name through the legacy of his classic 1959 book, The Sociological Imagination, a veritable manifesto for… Read More ›
C. Wright Mills at work
By permission of the estate of C. W. Mills. Photo by Yaroslava.
Would C Wright Mills have kept a blog?
After a particularly inspiring session at the BSA Conference this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of C. Wright Mills’ death, I have started to read The Sociological Imagination again. It was a standard introductory book for sociology students and… Read More ›
One Story High
One Story High is a collection of very short sociological biographies I curated and edited for the on-line journal Fast Capitalism late in 2009, featuring the work of novelist and literary critic Amitava Kumar, anthropologist Katie Stewart and filmmaker John Cohen… Read More ›
Mike O’Donnell on “Charles Wright Mills and the (Continuing) Problem of Radical Agency”
This podcast is a recording of Mike O’Donnell’s talk at the C. Wright Mills session from the BSA conference in April 2012. Mike has written for SI on similar themes in the past: Charles Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination and why we fail to… Read More ›
John Holmwood on “Sociology’s ‘moments’: C. Wright Mills and the critique of professionalism
This podcast is a recording of John Holmwood’s talk at the C. Wright Mills session from the BSA conference in April 2012. The snippet below is from the subsequent q&a session. (main podcast) (snippet)
Les Back on Sociology’s Promise
In this podcast Les Back discusses the enduring significance of C. Wright Mills to sociology. He mentions a (fantastic) book during his talk which we’ve embedded below. Les Back on Sociology’s Promise
What does the Sociological Imagination mean today?
It has been over 50 years since C. Wright Mills wrote the Sociological Imagination. In that time the world has changed beyond recognition: the Cold War ended, the Keynesian consensus broke down, a globalizing neoliberalism rose to the ascendancy and… Read More ›
C. WRIGHT MILLS: LEGACIES AND PROSPECTS – 50 YEARS ON
C. Wright Mills: Legacies and Prospects – 50 Years On Friday 13th April, 11-12.30pm BRITISH SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE In March 2012 it will have been 50 years since the death of C. Wright Mills. In that time the world has… Read More ›
What does the Sociological Imagination mean today?
It has been over 50 years since C. Wright Mills wrote the Sociological Imagination. In that time the world has changed beyond recognition: the Cold War ended, the Keynesian consensus broke down, a globalizing neoliberalism rose to the ascendancy and… Read More ›
C. WRIGHT MILLS: LEGACIES AND PROSPECTS – 50 YEARS ON
C. Wright Mills: Legacies and Prospects – 50 Years On Friday 13th April, 11-12.30pm BRITISH SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE In March 2012 it will have been 50 years since the death of C. Wright Mills. In that time the world has… Read More ›
C. WRIGHT MILLS: LEGACIES AND PROSPECTS – 50 YEARS ON
C. Wright Mills: Legacies and Prospects – 50 Years On Friday 13th April, 11-12.30pm In March 2012 it will have been 50 years since the death of C. Wright Mills. In that time the world has changed beyond recognition: the… Read More ›
BSA Conference Event – C Wright Mills, 50 Years On
C. Wright Mills: Legacies and Prospects – 50 Years On Friday 13th April, 11-12.30pm In March 2012 it will have been 50 years since the death of C. Wright Mills. In that time the world has changed beyond recognition: the… Read More ›
Prickles and Goo (or Quals versus Quants)
A new video of an old talk by philosopher Alan Watts (1915-1973) perfectly illustrates the falsity of the quantitative vs qualitative sociology divide:
The Sociological Imagination
Mills believed that the diffusion of the sociological imagination within American culture contained the political promise of helping individuals better understand and control the larger structural forces that shaped their lives. Many people, he claimed, failed to comprehend the impact… Read More ›
Popular culture and the unconstrained sociological imagination
Over the last few years there has been one passage of academic social science text that has stayed with me more than any other. The issue it raises concers the way in which the sociological imagination is located and deployed… Read More ›
Sociological Imagination eBook
Just a quick message to say that unfortunately we’ve had to cancel the eBook project. The idea was to get it done in time for the 50th anniversary of Wright-Mills’ death in early 2012 but this just isn’t feasible. We’re… Read More ›
What does the Sociological Imagination mean today? Conference and eBook
In March 2012 it will be 50 years since C. Wright Mills died. To mark the occasion Sociological Imagination will be convening a one-day conference, live streamed over the internet, exploring the meaning of the sociological imagination in the 21st… Read More ›
Technology overload: have we reached a tipping point?
This recent article in the Economist argues that Today, automation is having an impact not just on routine work, but on cognitive and even creative tasks as well. A tipping point seems to have been reached, at which AI-based automation… Read More ›
What does the Sociological Imagination mean today? Conference and eBook
In March 2012 it will be 50 years since C. Wright Mills died. To mark the occasion Sociological Imagination will be convening a one-day conference, live streamed over the internet, exploring the meaning of the sociological imagination in the 21st… Read More ›
What does the Sociological Imagination mean today? Conference and eBook
In March 2012 it will be 50 years since C. Wright Mills died. To mark the occasion Sociological Imagination will be convening a one-day conference, live streamed over the internet, exploring the meaning of the sociological imagination in the 21st… Read More ›