In your Final Project, you will use the course material to analyze the documentary/film of your choice. This analysis will demonstrate the following learning objectives outlined on the first page of your syllabus: *Demonstrate the development of a sociological imagination *Differentiate between individual and sociological explanation for behavior *Understand and identify social structures; explain how those structures shape life outcomes and inequality *Identify and explain essential sociological concepts such as: socialization, social construction, culture, media, labeling theory, Lukes’ dimensions of power, and norms *Explain how intersections between various identities and social locations, such as race, class, gender, disability, and sexuality, impact life course outcomes and social experiences This essay will demonstrate all of these learning goals. You will show: 1) development of the sociological imagination by having a paragraph dedicated to differentiating between individual vs sociological explanations for behavior, 2) your ability to apply in-class concepts to real-world situations (fictional or not) by having three paragraphs, each dedicated to one class concept that you are applying to the film/documentary, 3) your capacity to see and explain areas of social life through a structural perspective *and* to explain how intersections of identity impact life outcomes will be demonstrated through your paragraph on intersectionality and throughout your main paper. Your overarching argument in this paper should show that you can apply a sociological theme(s) to the issues in the film. To support your argument, your essay must address the following questions. Following this structure may help you organize your thoughts. You will write a sociological analysis of the documentary/film you chose using the following guidelines: Length- This will be a 5-6 page paper, double spaced, 12-point Times Roman font. This means 5-6 pages of text; the 5-6 does NOT include a cover page or your reference page(s). You should have, at minimum, 5 pages full of your writing. Your references are not just for a bibliography page. They *must* be used as in-text citations to validate the points or arguments that you are making. Style – American Sociological Association (ASA), American Psychological Association (APA), or MLA style can be used for this paper. References – Your Final Essay paper must include at least eight (8) references. You must have at least 4 references from sociological journals. **Six of your references must be from peer-reviewed, academic journal articles*** 4 Total from: peer reviewed, academic journals: specifically sociological journals 6 Total from: peer reviewed, academic journals 8 Total: minimum number of references Your references are not just for a bib page! They must be used as in-text citations to validate the points or arguments that you are making. Outline- Your paper should include: 1) Introduction Statement Paragraph: Begin with a brief summary of your film/documentary. Take this time to outline what happened, when, and to whom. End this paragraph with at least one (1) sentence that describes the three (3) areas of social life (you can use more, but three is the minimum) that will be analyzed in your paper (health, race, gender, education, inequality, etc. – **see the full list later in the instructions); 2) Body of the paper: You will be graded on how well you can discuss, define, and connect course concepts and materials to the film from a sociological perspective. Address all topics in the outline below: ) Application of Concepts: Choose at least three(3) areas of social life from topics we have covered in class. Pick areas that are present in your film/documentary. Write a paragraph on each area – this section alone should get you up to pages easily. Connect concepts in these areas to issues presented in the film/documentary. Options: Education; Culture/Media/Communication; Lukes’ dimensions of power; Poverty & Inequality; Deviance; Crime & Punishment; Race & Ethnicity; Gender & Sexuality; Health & Illness; Immigration; Environment, etc.***** Example: “People of color searching for food supplies after Katrina were labeled ‘looters’ by news media while white people doing the same thing were described as ‘finding supplies.’ This difference is a real-world example of labeling theory (citation). It also shows that issues of racial bias are still present in media and that we do not live in a color-blind society.” <----This paragraph uses two areas of social life that we covered in class - labeling theory from deviance and color-blind racism from race & ethnicity - and connects these concepts to issues present in the film. 3) Sociological Imagination: How is this social issue a structural rather than an individual problem? (give specific examples) Beginning with the reading 'The Forest and the Trees' we have discussed the importance of viewing social life from a structural perspective. Many issues such as poverty, lack of healthcare, or racial bias are described as having individualistic causes and individualistic solutions. Your goal in this section is to outline the *structural* causes of the situations in your film/documentary. For example, if you were doing this analysis with the documentary 'Brick by Brick' that we watched during our chapter on education, you could discuss the common narrative that success in school is based on effort and/or innate talent, then discuss how that narrative ignores a history of redlining, housing segregation, and school underfunding that creates failing schools and unequal opportunity. Discussing structural issues present in 'Brick by Brick' could include federal guidelines about how we fund schools. 4) Applying intersectionality: Demonstrate your understanding of intersectionality and apply it to the film or related course material. Use a minimum of three sentences when you address each of these three points. Do NOT simply reword the questions. What intersections of identity did you see in the film/documentary? How did these intersections of identity change how a person experienced the events in the film/documentary? What does an intersectional analysis tell us about the events in this film/documentary that might otherwise be overlooked? 5) Conclusion Paragraph; Clear conclusion paragraph that specifies sociological insights gained from analyzing the film/documentary. This is a great place to contrast prior understandings of the topic that you had either before viewing the film/documentary or before covering the topic in class. Example: "Prior to watching Trouble the Water, I did not understand why people didn't evacuate. Now that I've watched this documentary, I can see the intersecting issues of race, inequality, and an individualistic approach to disaster management combined to make this a very predictable crisis." 6) References. Your Final Essay paper must include at least eight (8) references. You must have at least 4 references from sociological journals. **Six of these must be from peer-reviewed, academic journal articles*** 4 Total from: peer reviewed, academic journals: specifically sociological journals 6 Total from: peer reviewed, academic journals 8 Total: minimum number of references Your references are not just for a bib page! They must be used as in-text citations to validate the points or arguments that you are making.
