The Sociological Imagination

Charles Wright Mills was born on August 28, 1916 and was a major figure within academic and public life. During his tenure at Columbia University as Professor of Sociology, Mills published seminal works in the field of sociology and published in popular magazines. He held a lifelong commitment to his professional role as researcher and intellectual worker and maintained an equally unwavering fidelity to the figure of the public intellectual; a role that Mills writes on at length in The Sociological Imagination (1959).

During World War II, Mills, along with other historian colleagues, began a practice that is referred to as “journalistic sociology.” This writing practice seeks to blend the latest and most important conclusions of social science with a genre of writing intended to be read and understood by a broad audience of varying educational backgrounds. For Mills, the question of the intellectual worker’s moral responsibility was a lifelong interest, pursuit, and passion. This led him to become an advocate for the figure of the public intellectual, encouraging intellectual workers to help individuals in society overcome disinterest and feelings of powerlessness when confronted with their social situation and life possibilities. On March 20, 1962, Mills died from a heart attack.