Sept. 2013 E Bowness University of Manitoba, Department of Sociology
SOC 2200: Sociology through Film (A01)
Fall Session 2013
3 Credit Hours
Instructor: Evan Bowness, MA Class Location: 160 Dafoe Library Class Schedule: Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Course Website: https://universityofmanitoba.desire2learn.com/ Email (preferred): Through D2L (course website) Email (urgent messages only): [email protected] Phone: 204-474-8875 (voice mail checked twice a week) Office: 328 Isbister Building Office Hours: By appointment only Teaching Assistant: Jill Patterson (contact via D2L)
Course Overview:
Welcome to Sociology through Film—an invitation to explore themes of social inequality and social justice by using films, documentaries and television shows as a means of illustration. We begin with an introduction to the “sociological imagination” (a quality of mind that makes connections between personal troubles and public issues), and throughout the term we’ll let a projector guide us to a deeper understanding of how individuals experience social problems. You can expect to engage with a number of critical issues in sociology, and you’ll leave the course with some familiarity of the major classical and contemporary traditions of the discipline. Best of all, we’ll do this while watching movies and eating pizza.
Required Reading:
Kendall et al. (2012). Social Problems in a Diverse Society, Third Canadian Edition with MySocKit.
1 Sept. 2013 E Bowness
Assignments and Grading:
Sociological Imagination Exercise (15 %) Due October 18th by Midnight
Develop your ‘Sociological Imagination’ through a short analytic writing assignment. In two pages or less, describe one or more personal troubles experienced by Claireece Jones from the film Precious (2009), and then situate it/them within the context of social problems discussed in Chapters 2, 3 and 4.
Social Theory Through TV Paper (25 %) Due November 15th 2013 by Midnight
Following the second lecture on social theory, find sociological literature that will help you apply the concepts of Weber’s Rationalization or Marx’s Alienation. Demonstrate your understanding of how these concepts can be used to make sense of the social world by critically analyzing the experiences of one of the following characters (you will have to watch the show on your own):
Dexter Morgan (Dexter, Showtime) Don Draper (MadMen, AMC) Frank Underwood (House of Cards, Netflix) Nancy Price Botwin (Weeds, Showtime) Nucky Thomspon (Boardwalk Empire, HBO) Patty Hewes or Ellen Parsons (Damages, KZK) Piper Chapman (Black Is the New Orange, Netflix) Tony Soprano (The Sopranos, HBO) Walter White (Breaking Bad, AMC)
Tests -- 2 x 20 % (40 %)
Two non-cumulative in-class tests multiple choice and/or true-false questions.
First Test: October 22nd 2013, 7:00 pm Second Test: December 3rd 2013, 7:00 pm
In-Class Discussion Activities -- 5 x 4 % (20%)
Small group discussions to address a list of questions referring to a film watched in class. Each group will record and submit their responses via the course website (due by midnight the day of the Activity). If you miss one, you get a grade of 0% for that Activity. Your lowest In-Class Discussion Activity mark will be dropped.
2 Sept. 2013 E Bowness
Final Grades: A+: Exceptional (90-100%) C+: Satisfactory (65-69.5% A: Excellent (80-89.5%) C: Adequate (60-64.5%) B+: Very Good (75-79.5%) D: Marginal (50-59.5%) B: Good (70-74.5%) F: Failure (Below 50%)
Guidelines for Written Assignments:
Detailed assignment instructions will be distributed in class. Be sure to:
1. Use a serif font like Times New Roman (size 12). Number your pages.
2. Follow ASA (American Sociological Association) formatting style. Purdue’s online writing lab is a great resource for following formatting guidelines: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/583/1/
3. Include the following on a title page (not included in page/word count limits): - The Course Name (SOC 2200: Sociology Through Film) - The Assignment Name: (e.g. In-Class Discussion Activity #1) - Your Name and Student Number, OR the Names and Seven-Digit Student Numbers of all group members. - The Date (e.g., September 17th 2013) - My Name (Evan Bowness)
4. Use headings (e.g., “Question 1”)
5. Save the file as a .doc or .docx file. Use the following file name format: “Firstname_Lastname_Assignment Title.”
NOTE: Late assignments will be penalized 10% per day late (including weekends).
Dropbox Submission Instructions:
All written assignments (Sociological Imagination Exercise, Social Theory Through Film Paper, and Discussion Activities) are to be submitted through the course website (Desire2Learn). NO E-MAIL OR HARDCOPY SUBMISSIONS – I will not acknowledge or accept them. Submission procedure is listed below. Be sure to carefully follow these instructions—failure to do so will result in a loss of marks:
3 Sept. 2013 E Bowness Upload a digital copy via the course website Dropbox following these steps. If it is a Group Assignment, select a student to follow the steps on behalf of the group:
1. Click on the “Dropbox” tab and find the appropriate folder (e.g., In-Class Discussion Activity #1).
2. Click on “Add File.”
3. In the popup window that opens, click on “Choose File” and locate the file that you would like to upload.
4. Click “Open.”
5. Then click “Upload.”
6. In the ‘Comments’ box, list the assignment name, your name and student number. For group projects, list all student names and student numbers.
7. Click “Submit.”
You will receive a confirmation e-mail indicating that your submission was received. If you do not, try again; if there is still an issue, then try again. If that doesn’t work, then you can contact me and I will help address the problem – [email protected]
Other Considerations:
Conduct: Come to class having read the assigned readings for the week and be prepared to participate in class discussions. Be respectful to classmates and the instructor – disruption by a student may result in disbarment from the course. Please notify the instructor at the onset of class if you need to leave early or if you have to come late to the next class.
Keep an Open Mind: Sociology can be a frustrating business – it often requires us to face the root of misconceptions that we hold about the social world. Be open to taking on a diversity of perspectives. Challenge your own thinking. Recognize that society shapes culture and consciousness, and expect to evaluate, scrutinize and reflect on your thoughts and actions, which might otherwise go unquestioned.
Late Assignments: Assignments submitted after the deadline (without permission from the instructor) will be penalized 10% per day, including weekends and holidays.
Extensions: I am open to granting extensions for assignments where they are warranted. Note that documentation (such as a doctor’s notes) will usually be required. I will not entertain requests for extensions after the fact – you have to make your request in advance of the deadline in question.
4 Sept. 2013 E Bowness Unclaimed Term Work Disposal: Any term work that has not been claimed by students will be held for four (4) months from the end of the final examination period for the term in which the work was assigned. At the conclusion of this time, all unclaimed term work will become property of the Faculty of Arts and be destroyed according to FIPPA guidelines and using confidential measures for disposal.
Missed Tests: Any student who misses a test or exam must provide a doctor’s note (or appropriate equivalent). This will be strictly enforced. No student will be allowed to write a make-up test without a doctor’s note (or some form of written documentation). Any student who does not inform me (by phone/e-mail/voice mail/office hours) prior to test time (that they will be absent for the test) will not be allowed to write a make-up test. This also will be strictly enforced. Missed tests must be written within one week of original test date. The instructor will inform the student of when and where the make- up test will be written. No alternate date will be given; as such, it is the student’s responsibility to show up at the specified date and time, without exception.
VW Deadlines: September 18th is the last day to withdraw and not be assessed a “VW.” November 13th is the last date for Voluntary Withdrawal without academic penalty (see refund schedule, published on the Registrar’s Office website in July 2013, for financial implications)
Special Needs: Students with special learning needs (who for legitimate reasons require extra time to write a test, or who require aids or other supports) should discreetly identify themselves to the instructor at the beginning of the term in order to arrange suitable accommodation.
Religious Holidays: The University recognizes the right of all students to observe recognized holidays of their faith, which fall within the academic year. With instructor discretion, necessary arrangements can be made to ensure studies are not jeopardized. The instructor should be notified of a student’s intended absence with at least two weeks’ notice where special arrangements are sought.
Academic Dishonesty: Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy on plagiarism, cheating, exam personation, (“Personation at Examinations” (Section 5.2.9) and “Plagiarism and Cheating” (Section 8.1)) and duplicate submission by reading documentation provided at the Arts Student Resources web site at http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/student/index.html. Ignorance of the regulations and policies regarding academic integrity is not a valid excuse for violating them.
5 Sept. 2013 E Bowness
Course Content and Schedule – 1st Half:
Week One – September 10th – Sociology Through Film
Reading: Ch 1. Taking A New Look at Social Problems
Week Two – September 17th – Sociological Theory
Film: The Matrix (1999, 136 minutes)
Week Three – September 24th – Social Class and Inequality
Reading: Ch 2: Poverty in the Canadian Context Film: The Things I Cannot Change (1967, 55 minutes)
Week Four – October 1st – Identity, Exclusion and Privilege
Reading: Ch 3: Racism and Ethnic Inequality Reading: Ch 4: Gender Inequality Reading: Ch 6. Inequality Based on Sexual Orientation
Week Five – October 8th – Intersectionality
Film: Precious (2009, 110 minutes)
Week Six – October 15 – Sexualities
Film: Milk (2008, 128 minutes)
Sociological Imagination Exercise Due: October 18th By Midnight
Week Seven – October 22nd – Test 1 (First Half Material) 7:00 PM
6 Sept. 2013 E Bowness
Course Content and Schedule – 2nd Half:
Week Eight – October 29th – The Family
Reading: Chapter 11: The Changing Family Film: The Courage to Change (1986, 55 minutes)
Week Nine – November 5th – Health and the Economy
Reading: Ch. 10 Health, Illness, and Health Care as Social Programs Film: Thank You For Smoking (2005, 92 mins)
Week Ten – November 12th – Criminology
Reading: Ch 9. Crime and Criminal Justice Film: The Corporation (2003, 145 minutes).
Social Theory Through Television Paper Due: November 18th By Midnight
Week Eleven – November 19th – Globalization and Environmental Crises
Reading: Ch 13: Problems in the Globalized Economy and Politics Reading: Ch 15: Population, Urbanization, and the Environmental Crisis
Week Twelve – November 26th – A World of Opportunity
Film: What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire
Week Thirteen – December 3rd – Test 2 (Second Half Material) 7:00 PM
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