Syllabus



Social Cinema

Rationale

Sociologists collect data by conducting surveys, observational studies, and experiments. They also scavenge existing data, hunting for evidence of social patterns in newspapers, diaries, and historical archives. Why not hunt for sociological data in movies? Movies are as much a human product as, say, newspaper. They are made by and about people in particular social and historical contexts, movies can tell us a lot about typical patterns of inequality, ways of raising children, forms of deviance, and just about all other aspects of social life. In fact, because movies are easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and often a lot of fun, they are in many ways an ideal sociological data resource. This is the purpose behind this course, to help students see the underlying sociological themes found within most movies, and to understand the sociological context in which the movie fits.

Text:

NexText: An Introduction to Sociology (Wood, Yero) 2002.

Sociology: Social Life and Social Issues (Lindsey, Beach) 2000.

Description:

This course focuses on how the movies and media reflect various themes within sociology. Each theme discussed will take between two to five days to cover completely. Upon completion of the topic, students will be asked to write a brief essay critiquing the movie through the lens of sociology.

Goals:

1. To investigate and understand what role the media plays in shaping our understanding of society.

2. To recognize biases present in the media regarding certain issues in sociology.

3. To determine and evaluate the effectiveness of the media in creating public awareness of certain social problems.

Requirements:

- Students will be asked to take notes on the movies which reflect upon sociological issues which will be addressed within movies watched in class. They will also be asked for input into class discussions about each movie.

- There will be a term project which will be due prior to Spring Break. See pages 4 and 5 of this syllabus for complete details.

Resources:

Movies chosen for their value in exploring various sociological topics. These movies have been specifically selected for this course.

Social Cinema

Course Schedule

|WEEK |CHAPTERS |TOPIC |

|2/1-2/4/2011 | |Intro to course, Media influence and control |

| | |Discussion of Requirements |

| | |Discussion of Term Project |

|2/7-2/11/2011 |11 |Social Influence of Mass Media |

| |(Pgs 202-207) |Aim: “How much influence does the media have over public opinion and political |

| |12 |thought?” |

| |(pgs 240-245) |- Movie “Wag The Dog” (R) |

| | |- Exam 2/11/2011 |

|2/14-2/18/2011 |1 |Intro to Sociology, Research Methods, Peer Groups |

| |(Pgs 2-9) |Aim: “How does the research done in the Blair Witch Project reflect actual research |

| | |methods in Sociology?” |

| | |- Movie “The Blair Witch Project” (R) |

| | |Exam 2/18/2011 |

|2/21-2/25 | |Midwinter Recess |

| | |No Classes |

| | |- Read Chapter 1 |

|2/28-3/4/2011 |3 |Social Structure and Group Dynamics |

| |(pgs 43-47) |Aim: “How does the portrayal of the military hierarchy reflect social structure and |

| |(pgs 50-54) |group dynamics?” |

| | |Movie “We Were Soldiers” (R) |

| | |Exam 3/4/2011 |

|3/7-3/11/2011 |4 |Socialization |

| |(pgs 68-73) |Aim: “How much of our personal growth is dependant upon our interaction with society?” |

| |(pgs 77-82) |Movie “Instinct” (R) |

| | |Exam 3/11/2011 |

|3/14-3/17/2011 |5 |Deviance |

| |(pgs 86-94) |Aim: “How does society view people who do not fit into our pre-conceived norms?” |

| | |Movie “Edward Scissor-hands” (PG-13) |

| | |Exam 3/17/2011 |

|3/21-3/25/2011 |7 |Family, Race |

| |(pgs 121-122) |Aim: “How can race be bypassed for a greater good?” |

| | |- Movie “Four Brothers” (R) |

| | |- Exam 3/25/2011 |

|3/28-4/1/2011 |4 |Peer Group Relationships |

| |(pg 78) |Aim: “How do the ideals of friendship and commitment play out in Wall-E?” |

| | |Movie “WALL-E” (G) |

| | |Exam 4/1/2011 |

|4/4-4/8/2011 |7 |Ethnic Minorities |

| |(pgs 123-130) |Aim: “How are ethnic differences portrayed in the cinema?” |

| | |Movie “Hotel Rwanda” (PG-13) |

| | |Exam 4/8/2011 |

|4/11-4/15/2011 |9 |Health care Issues |

| |(pgs 164-174) |Aim: “Is the bond of family strong enough to overcome any obstacles?” |

| |8 |Movie “John Q” (PG-13) |

| |(pgs 158-162) |Exam 4/15/2011 |

|4/18-4/22/2011 | |Spring Break |

|4/27-4/29/2011 | |Project Presentations |

|5/2-5/6/2011 |10 |Education and Group Dynamics |

| |(pgs 184-193) |Aim: ”How can education and friendship overcome many obstacles?” |

| | |Movie “Dangerous Minds” (R) |

| | |Exam 5/6/2011 |

|5/9-5/13/2011 |13 |Environmental Issues |

| |(pgs 256-263) |Aim: ”How do we impact the world we live in?” |

| | |Movie “The Day After Tomorrow” (PG-13) |

| | |Exam 5/13/2011 |

|5/16-5/20/2011 |8 |Aged in Society |

| |(pgs 150-157) |Aim: “Are the elderly still a vital and important part of our society?” |

| | |Movie “Grumpy Old Men” (PG-13) |

| | |Exam 5/20/2011 |

|5/23-5/27/2011 |14 |Urbanization, the Environment |

| |(pgs 266-272) |Aim: “How does man’s encroachment on the environment impact society as a whole?” |

| |13 |Movie “Medicine Man” (PG-13) |

| |(pgs 256-263) |Exam 5/27/2011 |

|5/31-6/3/2011 |9 |Family, Disability, Peer Groups |

| |(pgs 158-162) |Aim: ”Is society able to look past a person’s disability and see the person inside?” |

| | |Movie “Finding Nemo” (G) |

| | |Exam 6/4/2011 |

|6/6-6/14/2011 | |Final Exams Given |

Weekly Exam

Essay

Directions: Write a well organized essay that includes an introduction, several body paragraphs,

and a conclusion, based upon the sociological issue discussed that week and how it was portrayed in the movie watched. You are asked to read the corresponding chapter for the week. Each of these assignments will be counted as an exam. Missing the work for that week, or missing the essay assignment, will result in a zero for that assignment. Make up assignments will only be given with a doctor’s note. Each assignment is to be done in class on the Friday of the week the topic was started.

There are several questions you must focus upon in order to write the essay correctly.

How to Watch Movies from a Sociological Perspective

One may assess a movie from sociological, literary, historical, dramatic, technical, philosophical, artistic or other points of view. In each case, the reviewer applies different evaluative criteria drawn from different disciplinary perspectives.

The sociological perspective suggests at least five criteria for evaluating movies, any one or more of which may be highlighted in a review:

1. How does the movie reflect its social context?

2. How does the movie distort social reality?

3. To what degree does the movie shed light on common or universal social and human

problems?

4. To what degree does the movie provide evidence for or against sociological theory and

research?

5. To what degree does the movie connect biography, social structure, and history?

In short, when you select a movie to review, make sure that it affords you the opportunity to illustrate the value of the sociological perspective. Use one or more of the five criteria listed above to help you choose a movie and a theme for your review.

Term Project Assignment

You will be given a choice in the way you put your project together. They should all,

however, be based around a central theme which should aid you in answering the

question “How does the media shape our understanding and perceptions of social

issues?”

Choice Number 1: Research Paper

Directions: Write a well-organized research paper that includes an introduction, several pages, and

a conclusion, based upon a sociological them you have selected from the terms coursework.

Use evidence from at least four movies in the body of the paper. Support your response

with relevant facts, examples, and details. Research the topic in the library, on line, and

in the textbook. Choose a minimum of four movies which relate to the theme you have

selected. The movies should be approved by the teacher in advance. Examine how the

movies you have chosen reflect the topic you have chosen, using examples from the

movies as well as information from your research.

1. The paper should be no less than 4 typed pages, size 12 times new roman font, 1.5 line spacing, with a cover page and a bibliography page.

The project is due no later than Friday April 15th 2011.

Context:

The field of Sociology is a reflection on how we, as humans, view our interaction

with each other. There are many instances of this interaction in the movies

produced by Hollywood.

Task: Using information from the coursework and your research, answer the following questions.

1. How does the media portray the sociological theme I am trying to research?

2. Is this theme portrayed positively or negatively, give examples.

3. Why is it important to show this theme in this light?

4. Is the media trying to educate us about this topic through the movies? If so, how? And to what end?

Choice Number 2: Script

Task: In the study of sociology, there are many different themes we come across. Some of the themes we examine reflect major valid social concerns. While studying the role of the media in the shaping of public opinion and awareness of the issues. We have also seen how the media tries to use its influence in shaping public opinion regarding those issues.

The Assignment is as follows:

Select a social issue you feel strongly about. Research the issue thoroughly and try to answer the following question as completely as possible.

“If I had to present this topic to a major audience as a movie,

how would I persuade them to see the topic my way?”

After trying this question, write the beginnings of a script where you are trying to persuade your audience to a specific point of view. The persuasion cannot be overt! You must make the persuasion as subtle as possible. Think of the movies we are watching and how they try to persuade their audiences.

Format of Project: The acceptable format for the research portion of your term project is as follows:

a. Cover page including: Title, Name, Class, Period OSIS, and Date.

b. Project consisting of a minimum of 3-5 written pages, typed, times new roman font, size 12 font, 1.5 spacing.

c. Bibliography listing books and web addresses alphabetical by author’s last name.

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