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ERIC Number: EJ1142449
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1743-9884
EISSN: N/A
Education, Technology and the Sociological Imagination--Lessons to Be Learned from C. Wright Mills
Selwyn, Neil
Learning, Media and Technology, v42 n2 p230-245 2017
As part of the "Learning, Media & Technology" series on "Key Thinkers and Theoretical Traditions", this paper explores the relevance of C. Wright Mills' much lauded book "The Sociological Imagination". The argument is made that we would do well to take heed of many of the central tenets of Mills' call to arms for a historically aware, politically focused and carefully crafted social science. These include Mills' concerns over the dominance of abstract empiricism, being beholden to the demands of "bureaucratic" research agendas, a tendency towards psychologism and/or resorting to default explanations of the apparent failings of individuals and institutions in terms of a cultural/technological "lag". The paper argues how Mills' writing should inspire researchers to think beyond the realms of their own experiences, interests and passions, to look beyond the shallow allure of the latest "new" technology, and to critically engage with the social, historical, biographical and political dimensions of education and technology.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A