This project will
consist of you taking photos in your everyday life that visually capture
something that we learned in class.
While our daily lives are now perhaps quite different due to social
distancing, quarantines, and sheltering-in-place, you can still capture images
around you, even in a small space, that have to do with deviance (in varied
forms). Remember what we have learned so
far in the class: you really can’t go anywhere without observing or even
participating in deviance. (Remember, it’s not always something against the
law. In fact, deviance is often actually legal, right?) This project’s intention is to get you to see
that (perhaps even more intensely due to our current spatial limitations).
PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHMENTS AND USE LECTURE NOTE’s THEORIES and PICTURES.
For this assignment, you are going to, essentially, act as a
“street” sociologist. The important consideration here, though, is that you’re
looking for examples of deviance. And, remember, deviance is not always
criminal.
To complete this assignment, your camera will be your
research instrument. It will be your responsibility to analyze the photos you
capture through a sociological lens and by applying concepts, processes, and
theories from our course.
Your pictures and analysis will be presented using either
Google Slides or PowerPoint slides and each student will share the link or
their slides to their gallery via a discussion board on Canvas.
You will need to create
a Google Slideshow or PowerPoint presentation that includes at least 8
photographs. Each photo is to be
accompanied by an analytic memo of what the photo illustrates, as related to
our course, and why. IMPORTANT: This means you will need at least 8 slides in
your presentation—8 analytic memos and each memo must have at least 1 picture
associated with it.
I prefer for these
pictures to NOT be pictures from the past, but instead ones you’ve taken this
summer—even better if they’re from during this class. These should not be
pictures from friends, family members, or the internet – you personally must
capture each one. This is because I want
you to observe your social space right now with the tools of this class to help
you see things with a new perspective. I
want your photo choices to be driven by this perspective that you have
cultivated in this course all semester.
An analytic memo is not
simply a description of what the picture is, but it analyzes the picture using
class concepts and research that we’ve covered this semester. For instance, if you take a picture of a
social actor in a particular place or situation, ask yourself: “Why is that
individual here? What socially defined definition do they have? Would this
picture be possible if the conditions were different? Does the setting matter
or would I see this same scene anywhere? What else is in the picture – are
there others around relating to this individual, are there procedures or events
that are about to happen or just happened? Has this type of scene always
occurred or is this particular image socially situated according to this
particular time and place? etc…..” And
your pictures DO NOT necessarily have to have people in them. Get creative.
Take pictures of things that may not seem deviant, but are (and you know
this because you’ve taken this class).
Ordinary objects can actually make for great subjects to deconstruct. Excellent analytic memos will demonstrate
that you are using a sociological perspective in understanding your pictures
and they will incorporate class material to back up your claims (in other
words, they are mini research papers and should include in-text citations –
provide in parentheses the authors’ last names and the year of any class
article that you use). No need for
outside sources, you can use class material to analyze your photographs. Strive for a paragraph or two for each
photograph, no more.
** If you do
have people in your pictures, be sure
you have their permission to be included
in your project. In
other words, do not act paparazzi style
towards others! Stick
with people you know and get their
informed consent. **
Please communicate with
me ASAP if you need any accommodations and we can work it out together. I don’t
assume everyone has the equipment needed to take photos or upload them, so just
let me know what your capabilities are and I can accommodate you.
Since I want you to draw from course readings, you do not have to
submit a references page. However, please do include in-text citations in your
analyses, e.g. (Jones 2020), so that I know which reading and/or lecture you
are using as support. (NOTE: Remember that we are using an edited volume. This
means that Adler and Adler are the editors, but they did not write each of the
readings. Use the actual authors of the reading itself for your in-text
citation.)
