1. Full Citation.
Mills, C. W. (1959). On Intellectual Craftsmanship. The Sociological Imagination. New
York: Oxford University Press.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are
her/his credentials?
In 1942 C. Wright Mills received a Ph.D. from the University of WisconsinMadison. Afterwards he worked as a Professor of Sociology at University of Maryland,
College Park. His most influential works include The New Men of Power: America’s
Labor Leaders, The Power Elite, and The Sociological Imagination.
3. What are the topics of the text?
The topics discussed in the text are:
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The relationship between the social scientist’s work life and
personal life
The significance of keeping a journal
How to cultivate sociological methods
The distinction between topics and themes
Language in Sociology
How a sociologist should act
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The author’s main argument is how a young sociologist should act. Mills draws from the
experiences of his career to summarize the most important ideas of practicing great sociology.
Mills explains his methods and ethics. He explains that the sociological imagination can be
cultivated, and it is a source of creativity for the social scientist. The advice encourages the
reader to heighten their sense of awareness through practice and organization.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The sociological imagination is an important trait to develop early in the social scientist’s
career; practicing this facilitates the young scientist to develop flexible methods. The author
suggests framing situations against a different scale. By “inverting your sense of proportion” the
problem or situation being studied is framed differently, perhaps granting a new perspective.
Additionally, keeping a regular field journal grants more opportunities for framing scenarios
differently. Reading and organizing the observations allow the young scientist to view the data
in multiple ways. Use knowledge of history to place observations in useful contexts.
Mills recognizes that empirical work and quantitative studies alone are not sufficient to
develop an in-depth theme. Empirical studies are important for gathering quantitative data to
settle a disagreement about facts. It’s helpful to have an argument based on empirical data,
however it is not recommended to perform an empirical experiment unless necessary. Always
try to obtain any relevant existing data to avoid inconveniences such as funding and staff
organization. If there is a project, design it “to yield a great deal of material in proportion to the
time and effort they involve.”
Thirdly, Mills criticizes the language typically used by social scientists. He insists on using
appropriate language, taking the audience’s reading skills into consideration. The common
assumption of “superficial because readable” hinders the author’s capacity to pass on
meaningful concepts to the reader. By using overly complicated language a social scientist
attempts to increase his status amongst other men. Generally this results in “unintelligibility”,
and much of the author’s meaning is lost on the audience.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
a. “To overcome the academic prose you have first to overcome the academic
pose.”
b. “The sociological imagination can also be cultivated; certainly it seldom occurs
without a great deal of often routine work.”
c. “Any writing – perhaps apart from that of certain truly great stylists – that is not
imaginable as human speech is bad writing.”
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
a. How can I know if my writing seems pretentious to others?
b. What is cross-classification and how can it be useful?
c. How is occasionally keeping a journal useful for my research?
8. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
a. I started an occasional journal, documenting any experiences or ideas that might
be interesting to reflect on
b. Checked out Gaetano Mosca’s Wikipedia biography
c. Checked out Mills’ other books on wiki, The New Men of Power: America’s Labor
Leaders, White Collar: The American Middle Classes, and The Power Elite.
1. Full citation.
Participant Observation. (n.d.).Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field
Guide. Family Health International.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
3. What are the topics of the text?
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Participant Observation
Key Informants
Taking Field Notes
Ethical Guidelines
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The text is a guide for participant observation, instructing the reader in how to conduct
participant observation, how to protect research subjects, and how to take good field notes.
The author discusses how participant observation can be particularly useful for understanding
various contexts which the study participants experience. It is also used as a method to check
the participants’ subjective reporting against what is actually happening.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
The text discusses under what circumstances it would be beneficial to collect data using
participant observation. The benefits and drawbacks must be weighed before employing
participant observation; it may be disadvantageous if the research has time constraints, and the
method is inherently subjective. However with proper training and mindful practices, it can be
very valuable.
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Confidentiality of subjects must be maintained
Notes must be taken as observations, not interpretations
Notes should be expanded soon after being taken
Share the data often with the research team
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
a. The purpose of participant observation is partly to confirm what you already
know (or think you know) but is mostly to discover unanticipated truths. It is an
exercise of discovery.
b. The most important behavioral principle in participant observation is to be
discreet.
c. Simply put, document what you observe, taking care to distinguish it from both
your expectations and your interpretation of what you observe.
7.
What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
a. What if safety becomes a concern at some point during participation?
8.
What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
1. Full Citation.
Tales From The Jungle: Malinowski. (n.d.). BBC Four.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Bronislaw Malinowski received a doctorate in philosophy in 1908. His famous work was on
the Trobriand Islands, studying the indigenous people and their culture.
3. What are the topics of the text?
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Biography
Time spent on Trobriand Islands
Argonauts of the Western Pacific
Functionalism
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The film shows the biographical events that lead to Malinowski’s book, Argonauts of the
Western Pacific, and explains the influence it had on anthropology at the time. Malinowski
developed participant observation as a method of research on the Trobriand Islands, where he
lived for years with the indigenous peoples there. His research led him to the conclusion that
“all human cultures had a purpose. Every custom could be interpreted as serving a function in
society.” He called this theory Functionalism.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
Before Malinowski began his work on the Trobriand Islands he considered native peoples as
primitives or savages. By participating in their culture, he gained insights that, at the time, no
social scientist had yet speculated about. By the time he released his book, he had completely
changed his mind, defending the natives’ culture as intricate and unique.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
8. What three points, details, or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
a. Functionalism- anthropological framework which views society as a complex
system that promotes “solidarity and stability”
b. Macrosociology- emphasizes analysis of social systems and populations on a
large scale
1. Full Citation.
Dakowski, B. (n.d.). Strange Beliefs: Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard. Strangers Abroad.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Evans-Pritchard studied history, then economics in England. His anthropological work was
influenced by Malinowski, and so he appropriately began participant observation fieldwork in
1926 by studying the Azande. Pritchard believed anthropology should be built on a wider
historical perspective.
3. What are the topics of the text?
 Primitive mentality
 Rationalizing culture
 Participant observation
4. What is the main argument of the text?
Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard practices participant observation to investigate the culture
of the Azande and the Nuer. Both cultures’ traditions were seen as irrational, but
Pritchard lived with each of them to study their societies. He emphasized that the
anthropologist was to be seen as an interpreter rather than as a scientist.
5. Describe at least 3 ways that the argument is supported.
a. The Nuer governed themselves without any tribe member having superiority or
authority. The culture does not utilize centralized institutions; in that regard
their way of life is similar to anarchy. Their way of life is not seen as irrational
when put into the context of their culture’s assumptions.
b. There are advantages to working outside of one’s culture; it tends to be easier to
make objective observations about behaviors in societies that are new and
unfamiliar. Pritchards stressed that all aspects of social life can evaluated
objectively when the society is distinct from your own.
c. Similar to the Nuer, the Azande’s assumptions about life rationalizes what would
otherwise be illogical behavior. Witchcraft is a form of spirituality to their
culture, and because it is not based on fact, it cannot be incorrect.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
a. “if one must act as if one believed, one ends in believing as one acts”
b. “if the children accept you, sooner or later the parents will too”
c. “I think they regarded me as an oddity, really”
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
a. What is the most difficult part of trying to temporarily assimilate with a
completely foreign culture?
b. How can complex ideas like feelings, mood, or attitude be translated from a
foreign culture into useful field notes?
c. How can a researcher be confident that his or her field notes on abstract
concepts represent the culture accurately?
9. What three points, details, or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
a. Checked out Pritchard’s Wikipedia biography
b. Used google to research primitive mentality in anthropology
c. Checked out Lucien Lévy-Brühl, an anthropologist who also worked on primitive
mentality in the early 1900s
1. Full Citation
Singer, A. (n.d.). Franz Boas - The Shackles of Tradition. Strangers Abroad.
2. Where did/does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Franz Boas studied geography and physics. He took an expedition to Baffin Island to survey
uncharted Arctic territory. Increasingly significant were his observations of the Eskimo people,
migration patterns, relationships with other tribes, and travel methods. He kept notes in the
form of letters while he lived with Inuit peoples over the course of several expeditions.
3. What are the topics of the text?
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Boas’ letters describing how he lived with Eskimos
Environment is not the only thing to determine culture
The significance of race in determining human potential
4. What is the main argument of the text?
The main idea of the film is a biography of Franz Boas focusing on the events leading up to and
including his contributions to anthropology.
5. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
a. Boas gained intimate knowledge of Eskimo culture during survey expeditions of
the Arctic. He recognized that Eskimo culture is not primitive or savage, and in
fact has some merits when compared against “educated life”. Boas visited the
Pacific Northwest to try to trace factors that shape culture which are not related
to the environment, such as migration and history.
b. Boas’ research about race and physical characteristics produced results which
minimized the significance of race. This was a valuable notion because it did not
encourage racism in immigration policy in the U.S.
c. Boas tried to document as much about Native culture as possible. He wrote
lengthy descriptions in letters, and later even used film to capture traditions and
other unique nuances of the culture.
6. What three quotes capture the message of the text?
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“if he who promotes truth and searches for it, it may be said he has not lived in vain”
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“I often ask myself what advantages our good society possesses over the savages…”
“…we highly educated people are much worse, relatively speaking”
“How can we recognize the shackles that tradition has laid upon us? For when we
recognize them, we are also able to break them.”
7. What three questions about research methods does this article leave you with?
a. How do you begin to learn a new language? Especially if the language has its own
alphabet.
8. What three points, details, or references from the text did you follow up on to advance
your understanding of and skill with HASS research methods?
a. Research ethics at Ellis Island