Dalton Conley You May Ask Yourself Analysis

In Dalton Conley’s You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking like a Sociologist, Conley defines the sociological imagination as “the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual’s life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces (Conley, pg 4). The two readings that contributed the most to the development of my sociological imagination are Robert J. Brym’s, “Six Lessons of Suicide Bombers” and Javier Auyero’s and Debora Swistun’s “Amidst Garbage and Poison: An Essay on Polluted Peoples and Places”.
In Brym’s article he discusses what research has shown about the motivations of suicide bombers. Brym and my fellow classmate explained to me how suicide bombers may be motivated by politics, religion, or retaliatory aims (Brym, Kyra Howard). Both Brym and Howard helped me view the issue of suicide bombers in multiple

perspectives that I have not considered before. I put myself into the situations of all the individuals discussed in the article. In the past, when I heard about suicide bombers I assumed every incident was linked to religious beliefs, but now I am able to view this sensitive topic from other stances. I am capable of digging deeper and connecting this issue to larger societal forces.
Similar to Javier Auyero’s and Debora Swistun’s article about a town in Argentina which is being polluted by a Shell oil refinery, I do not simply see a filthy town, but a town that deserves better.

Before taking this course, I was under the impression that I kept up to date on important matters, but in reality, although I tried to be informed, I was not fully. While I kept close watch on multiple media outlets, I never attempted to imagine myself in another person’s predicament. Auyero’s and Swistun’s article aided my sociological imagination growth. Prior to reading the article I was not bothered by other people’s environmental issues. I did not give time to consider their situation until I pictured myself in it. Reading the teenager’s testimonies while looking at their photos forced me to think about how I would live in their same conditions. Quotes from the teenagers such as, “There’s a lot of disease here” and “how can we take photos of the things we like if there’s nothing nice here” forces me to reflect on all the possibly forces causing this town to decrepitate (Auyero, Swistun, pg. 153 &

150).