Race and Media Documentaries

I am looking for a new documentary on race and media for my race and
ethnicity course this fall. I have used "Color Adjustment" in the
past, but I think it is getting a bit out of date (created in 1991--my
18-25 year old students won't have seen anything in it!)--as is
"Slaying the Dragon," from 1988, which is a great documentary about
Asian American women actresses. I just saw a new one on PBS called
"The Slanted Screen," which was a good review of the stereotyping of
Asian American men in movies/TV. I liked it, and am considering using
it, but I am not convinced it is analytical enough. Therefore, I am
looking for suggestions of other documentaries people have used.

What I want is a film that is not too long, that includes lots of
clips from TV and movies, that has a long historical timeline to show
changes in media depictions over time, and that has some analytical
commentary about stereotyping, racism, social change, etc. I don't
care too much which particular racial/ethnic/gender groupings it deals
with.

Thanks,

Mikaila Mariel Lemonik Arthur
Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology
Hamilton College

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text for intro

Anyone still around? Haven't had much activity on this list for a while.

I am frustrated since I've decided - again - to use a new textbook for my 
intro course. I get tired of them after a couple semesters. But there are so 
many choices . . . . Sometimes I just say to hell with it and stick to what 
I have. Don't want to do that this time.

I'm considering using The Engaged Sociologist: Connecting the Classroom to 
the Community, by Korgen and White. I'm wondering if any of you have tried 
it. It looks interesting with lots of hands-on activities for students. 
Lighter on theory than some, but heavier on practical things. And the style 
seems student-friendly. Also, with so many significant social issues at 
hand, it seems to be a book which encourages action.

I've been using McIntyre's Practical Skeptic. I like it all right, but I'm 
ready for a change. I'd appreciate comments and suggestions.

Thanks,

Jack Estes
CUNY/BMCC
NYC 

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experience with Bogardus Social Distance Scale?

Re: text for intro

I used Margaret Anderson's text last term and found myself choking in more
instances than I'm used to.  In the past I've used packets of readings
painstakingly culled from original sources.  I used Anderson since this
particular introductory course was designed to be somewhat remedial in
nature(don't ask) and I wasn't that confident in students' ability to
grapple with original source material.  

Why was I so disappointed?  The text represents what I like to call the
bleeding heart wing of sociology.  While I would say it was strong on theory
in places, there was just too much emphasis on the evils of American and
western societies, gender, race, class, nationality... the whole nine yards,
and not enough on the discipline itself.  Theory aside (which was well
handled) was often displaced by haranguing about social ills.  

I don't think students need a 'now let me show you the truth your parents,
high school teachers and the media in general have denied to you for the
past 18 years' approach. I think it does them a disservice.  Reading the
text I was reminded a Peter Berger's comparison of the sociologist to the
liberal protestant minister.  

Mostly, I think, students need to develop critical analytical skills.  Spoon
feeding them, or through programmed exercises, directing them to THE TRUTH,
only continues the dumbing down they've experienced.  

So what will I use next year?  Anderson again, since in the program within
which I teach, we buy the books for the students and we can't, for budgetary
reasons, discard them.

What I will do however is introduce more readings.

Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: teachsoc@...
[mailto:teachsoc@...] On Behalf
Of Jack Estes
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 10:54 AM
To: teachsoc@...
Subject: TEACHSOC: text for intro

Anyone still around? Haven't had much activity on this list for a while.

I am frustrated since I've decided - again - to use a new textbook for my 
intro course. I get tired of them after a couple semesters. But there are so

many choices . . . . Sometimes I just say to hell with it and stick to what 
I have. Don't want to do that this time.

I'm considering using The Engaged Sociologist: Connecting the Classroom to 
the Community, by Korgen and White. I'm wondering if any of you have tried 
it. It looks interesting with lots of hands-on activities for students. 
Lighter on theory than some, but heavier on practical things. And the style 
seems student-friendly. Also, with so many significant social issues at 
hand, it seems to be a book which encourages action.

I've been using McIntyre's Practical Skeptic. I like it all right, but I'm 
ready for a change. I'd appreciate comments and suggestions.

Thanks,

Jack Estes
CUNY/BMCC
NYC 

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Social Problems & the Media

Hi Everyone,

I'm teaching Social Problems (100-level) for the first time this fall, and
I am planning on organizing my course around the media's construction of
social problems.  My substantive goal is to integrate components of the
issues themselves with the media's role in making some more salient than
others, etc.  On a more methodological note, I am interested in
introducing aspects of quantitative literacy - showing them charts,
graphs, and tables and helping them to be more critical of the numbers
they encounter, especially in the world of social problems.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest any readings or exercises in this
vein?  Any help would be much appreciated.

Best,
Catherine Siebel

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Re: Social Problems & the Media

IMO, the best resource ever is the social problems texts and instructor
materials developed by Paul Baker -- see a copy of the text, the instructor
manual (if you can locate one)and his articles, especially those in Teaching
Sociology.  (I easily found a number of useful titles using Google Scholar,
searching 'Paul Baker sociology.') The text is, alas, no longer in print; the
most recent edition I found online for sale is :

Social Problems: A Critical Thinking Approach by Louis E. Anderson, Paul J.
Baker, and Dean S Dorn (Paperback - 28 Aug 1992).

Susan Webb
Professor of Sociology
Coastal Carolina University

Quoting "Siebel, Catherine" <csiebel@...>:

>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I'm teaching Social Problems (100-level) for the first time this fall, and
> I am planning on organizing my course around the media's construction of
> social problems.  My substantive goal is to integrate components of the
> issues themselves with the media's role in making some more salient than
> others, etc.  On a more methodological note, I am interested in
> introducing aspects of quantitative literacy - showing them charts,
> graphs, and tables and helping them to be more critical of the numbers
> they encounter, especially in the world of social problems.
>
> I was wondering if anyone could suggest any readings or exercises in this
> vein?  Any help would be much appreciated.
>
> Best,
> Catherine Siebel
>
>
> >
>

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Re: Social Problems & the Media

Re: Social Problems & the Media

hi, Catherine

something i have started doing is incorporating media literacy into my courses. this assists in teaching
students how to think critically about the content of various media and how it is biased one way or another.
a good resource is:

http://www.medialit.org/

i have also used portions of:

Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion
by Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson

RE: graphs...the Statistical Abstract of the US is rife with these; great collection of data on many, many
aspects of the American population. .pdf version of the 2007 edition can be found here:

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

john

John E. Glass, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Division of Social & Behavioral Science
Collin County Community College
Preston Ridge Campus
9700 Wade Boulevard
Frisco, TX 75035
+1-972-377-1622
http://iws.ccccd.edu/jglass/
jglass@...

"Strangely enough, it is the community that teaches the individual to 'know himself'"
B. F. Skinner

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Deviance Projects

Re: Deviance Projects

Hi:

One item regarding teaching deviance that I got off of this list (thanks 
whoever sent it!!!) shows up every semester on my evals as a thing the 
students found most useful and fun.  They have to commit a random act of 
kindness and report back to the class.  (Look in "Teaching Sociology," I 
think, for an article citation.)  They have done things from laundry for dorm 
mates, to carrying groceries, to babysitting younger siblings, to buying a 
couple of gallons of gas for strangers and have had a blast.

Another thing they enjoy (also recommended previously on this list) is viewing 
the video "Trekkies" about Star Trek fandom and having a class dicussion.

Both of these activities also demonstrate that deviance is not always criminal 
and/or bad.

Kathy

Kathy Stolley, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Coordinator, Women's and Gender Studies
Virginia Wesleyan College
1584 Wesleyan Drive
Norfolk, Virginia  23502
kstolley@...
757-233-8768

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