Sociological imagination and ChatGPT conversation

This paper considers how educators in sociology may be able to use generative AI to enhance students' understanding of C. Wight Mills’ concept of the sociological imagination. Sociological theories and conceptualizations can prove difficult for students to debate and apply. The concept of the sociological imagination is well known but often difficult to apply to pedagogical practice. Given the recent excitement around the use of generative AI in higher education, it is reasonable to suggest that tools such as ChatGPT could be used to aid students in developing their sociological imaginations. The paper poses this question through a conversation with ChatGPT. What emerges from the question-and-answer turns is that while ChatGPT can offer pedagogical suggestions and ways that students can engage with the concept of the sociological imagination, it tends to offer equivocal answers and adopts a neutral stance on challenging the practices and discourses that shape and determine our lives. For Mills, the sociological imagination is something that enables us to see how our biographies are intertwined with wider historical and social processes. Generative AI can help with conceptual understanding, but it is argued that the development of a sociological imagination is also an experiential matter. This involves students engaging in self-reflection, sharing perspectives and life experiences, listening to other students’ perspectives, and applying all of this to sociology’s focus on power and practices.