Write a 5-6 page paper that shows how your biographythe story of your lifewas shaped by social and historical forcesthe story of society, and/or the relationship between your private troubles and public issues.

According to C. Wright Mills, The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise.

Write a 5-6 page paper that shows how your biographythe story of your lifewas shaped by social and historical forcesthe story of society, and/or the relationship between your private troubles and public issues.

The first 1-1 pages should be an overview of your lifewhere you are from, what your family did for a living, and the important relationships and events in your life. The last 3-4 pages should show the relationship between your biography and history; in other words, show how social factors shaped your biography. To do this well you probably have to include a little research on historical events (Internet research is fine but avoid Wikipedia). Also, CITE YOUR SOURCES (in whatever format youd like). You cannot get an A on this paper without citing sources.

Mills discusses the relationship between private troubles and public issues; however, if you feel that your life has been trouble-free, you may say so, as long as you discuss the social and historical reasons for your trouble-free life. For example, if you benefited from the dot-com boom, you may say so, but show how it was a social phenomenon. To brainstorm, do as Dalton Conley suggests and ask yourself what seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces shaped the most basic, intimate aspects of your life. Here are some topics you might want to explore, though this is not an exhaustive list: