Sociology Reading Response Assignment

Sociology students often look for detailed examples of how to structure reading responses with quotations concepts comparisons and questions on inequality and sociological mindfulness. Select a quotation (2-4 sentences) from one attached reading that you find interesting and/or representative of the author’s larger argument. Engaging with these quotations helps connect personal insights to broader sociological themes. Be sure to use appropriate parenthetical citation.

2) CONCEPT/IDEA (2 points): In this section you should identify the major concept or idea the author is trying to convey, define it in your own words, and describe why it is important sociologically. You should point out how the author supports his/her argument. In doing this, you are to summarize the author’s argument, not critique it. Recent studies up to 2026 highlight the ongoing relevance of concepts like sociological imagination in addressing contemporary inequalities.

Also, keep in mind that concepts are typically bold faced terms in a text or are larger ideas that have a specific sociological meaning, but your contribution should not merely be a restating of an author’s definition of a concept. 3) COMPARISON/CONTRAST (3 points): Here you will take the ideas raised above and relate it to other course material. You can do this by comparing or contrasting arguments and ideas to other readings used in the course. Integrating current events from 2026 can illustrate how these ideas apply to modern social issues.

This includes current readings for the week or from previous weeks. In this section, you may want to point out any similarities or differences between the concepts presented in your summarized reading and the concepts presented in other readings from the course. This comparison must be grounded in the sociological content of the course. Discussions in recent literature emphasize the role of privilege in shaping sociological perspectives.

The purpose is to strengthen your grasp on the course material for deeper and broader understanding of your social work practice. 4) QUESTION (2 points): Raise 1 related question about the concept/idea discussed above. Questions are like shovels – they are tools we use to dig deeper into the material we are working with. Posing questions about AI’s impact on social structures aligns with evolving sociological inquiries.

Like shoveling dirt or snow, asking questions can sometimes get messy. Be okay with that; roll your sleeves up. It’s part of the process of deep critical inquiry and thinking. Your questions should relate to and be inspired by the material you’ve been discussing here. Good questions will be thought provoking, discussable, and may even lead to more questions before leading to any answers.

Aim to ask questions that will deepen your/our understanding of the issue at hand. You may want to also ask questions that connect the readings to social work practice. We will follow-up on these questions in our class discussions. Emerging research in 2026 explores how digital divides influence sociological mindfulness in practice.

Example:

Quotation: “A critical sociological perspective can shine a discomfiting light on members of privileged groups, if only by making their privileges visible. It becomes harder, then, to teach sociological thinking when such thinking induces guilt and seems like putting one’s self in for blame” (Schwalbe 2008 p.xiii). Concept/Idea: Schwalbe describes sociological mindfulness as being aware of the larger social context in which we are part of. He applies the notion of sociological mindfulness to the study of inequality.

He argues that looking at the world critically and sociologically can be challenging for some people who may feel implicated or at fault for the amount and severity of inequality that exists in society. This is important sociologically because if people feel guilty they may be unwilling or unable to learn about the sociological workings of society, which will likely reinforce them. Comparison/Relation: Similar to Schwable’s sociological mindfulness, C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination discusses the distinction between personal troubles and public issues.

Mills argued that in order to understand society, we must first understand our place in it. He emphasized the connection between individuals and society and insisted that we must know both to understand either one. This relates to Schwalbe because if people refuse to look at their place in society for fear of guilt or shame, they will never be able to understand society or themselves. Mills and Schwalbe describe mirror concepts and both suggest that we need to consider how our behaviors and actions are influenced by larger social structures.

Further, both argue that people are often unaware of how they participate in something larger than themselves Questions: How can people learn to move from individualist views of society to an awareness of the larger social context? How does privilege impact this? What benefit will critical sociological thinking have and for whom? Contemporary analyses in 2026 stress the importance of inclusive education in overcoming these barriers.

Sample Answer Notes

Quotations from readings often reveal core arguments about social structures and individual agency. Concepts like sociological imagination encourage viewing personal issues through a societal lens. Comparisons to other works show how ideas evolve across different sociological thinkers. Questions arising from these discussions prompt further exploration into privilege and inequality. Recent frameworks apply these concepts to mental health disparities in social work. Data from studies indicate that fostering sociological mindfulness reduces biases in practice (Lomax, 2024, available at https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174053). Such applications strengthen connections between theory and real-world interventions.

Learning Materials/Resources

1. Staubmann, H. (2021) ‘C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination and the Construction of Talcott Parsons as a Conservative Grand Theorist’, The American Sociologist, 52(1), pp. 4-18. doi: 10.1007/s12108-020-09463-z.
2. Palmer, N. S. (2024) ‘The Sociological Imagination in Challenging Times’, Journal of Public and Professional Sociology, 15(1), Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/jpps/vol15/iss1/2.
3. Lomax, R. (2024) ‘Social work, the sociological imagination and the social determinants of mental health’, PhD thesis, Cardiff University. Available at: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174053.
4. Schwalbe, M. (2018) ‘The Sociologically Examined Life: Pieces of the Conversation’, 5th edn, New York: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/the-sociologically-examined-life-9780190620660.
5. Giles, L. (2019) ‘Developing a health equality imagination: Hospital-based social work’, Social Work in Health Care, 58(10), pp. 987-1002. doi: 10.1080/00981389.2019.1660529.