SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGININGS AND IMAGINING SOCIOLOGY: BODIES, AUTO/BIOGRAPHIES AND OTHER MYSTERIES

This paper seeks to explore sociology as an imaginative pursuit. After a brief reconsideration of Mills's notion of `the sociological imagination' I examine three areas illustrating the various imaginations within the discipline: the work of Robert K. Merton; ethnomethodology; and the diversities of feminist scholarship. Two particular case studies are explored: the sociology of the body and the use of auto/biographical studies in sociology. I conclude with some suggestions for the encouragement of imaginative thought within the discipline.