Students should choose a movie or television show that includes family as its primary focus. In all cases, the movie or television show you select must be approved by the instructor prior to starting your paper. The family portrayed in the movie or television show should be described and analyzed utilizing appropriate course material drawn from lectures and assigned reading. Students may also use outside sources to supplement their analysis if they so desire.
The paper should begin with a general descriiption of the movie or television show and a summary of the storyline as it relates to the family. This descriiption should be approximately one page in length. The remainder of the paper should be dedicated to critically describing issues the family faces and patterns of functioning in relation to material included in the course (textbook, scholarly research journals and/or class sessions). Examples should be drawn from the movie or show and then explained or addressed using appropriate theories or observations. While the descriiption of the family is important for context, your grade will be based primarily on the degree to which you critically incorporate appropriate theory and research discussed in class readings, class lectures and outside scholarly research in your interpretation of the family.
Interpretation of the family should include application of at least 2 “family theories or ecological theories” discussed in class and/or the textbook. Key concepts of the chosen theory should be applied to a discussion of the family. Beyond the theories, it is expected that students will also critically utilize 3 scholarly journal references to further describe the family.
