How do social forces show up in our everyday lives? Which forces grab our attention, and why? When are we more inclined to see something as individual rather than social? What kinds of conclusions can we reasonably draw about the social world based on our individual experiences? In this seminar, students will read texts that use personal experience as a foundation for sociological observation, reflection, and insight. We will spend time thinking about the appeal and limitations of various methods, surveying a range of approaches to incorporating personal experience into scholarship, including memoir, autotheory, and autoethnography. Students will practice these kinds of writing throughout the semester, culminating in a final paper that blends personal writing with sociological analysis. |