Final answer:
C. Wright Mills is best described as a public intellectual, dedicated to making sociology relevant to the wider public through concepts like sociological imagination and the power elite.
Step-by-step explanation:
C. Wright Mills was critical of social science and aimed to link sociology to societal debates, believing that the discipline had broad relevance. The term that best describes C. Wright Mills, given his effort to make sociology accessible and relevant to the public, is B. public intellectual. Mills emphasized the importance of the sociological imagination, enabling individuals to understand their personal experiences in the context of larger societal structures. His work on the concept of the power elite, where a small group controls society's major institutions, further aligns with his role as a public intellectual who engages with social issues beyond academia.