“Seeing Social Movements” Assignment.
SOC 3250, Fall 2019 “Seeing Social Movements” Assignment: General Instructions Movies and documentaries are not only for entertainment; they can also shed light on important political issues and debates of our society. In addition, through movies and documentaries, we can observe social movement or protest activity when it is otherwise unobservable—such as movements from distant places or past historical periods. For this assignment, observe a social movement or a wave of protests depicted in a movie or documentary as if you were “in the field” and analyze it using the theoretical perspectives and concepts from the course. For the purposes of this assignment, watch the movie or documentary as if you are directly observing a real social movement. Try to become engulfed in the activities, characters, images, emotions, and themes of the movie/documentary, just as you would if you were there. Take notes as you watch: Review the instructions below before you watch the film. Then, as you watch, jot down notes about interesting and relevant scenes that you can reference in your memo. Writing your memo: In analyzing the movie or documentary, first provide a brief description of events and background of the social movement or protest activities. Then focus on answering these questions: 1. Can the actions depicted in the movie or documentary be considered a social movement or is it more an example of less permanent or transitory collective action events (a wave of protests that does not become a movement)? How does it fit the definition and conceptualization of the social movement form examined in the course? Make your argument citing clear evidence from the movie or documentary and tying it to course readings and the class. 2. Does the movie or documentary depict one of the scholarly explanations for movement emergence (Jenkins & Perrow, Morris, and Freeman)? Explain and cite evidence from the film. 3. Does the movie or documentary present the movement’s or wave of protests’ goals? What kind of goals—broad, specific, explicit, implicit? 4. Movements encounter challenges as they work toward their goals, such as government repression, skewed media coverage, internal conflict, and difficulty sustaining participation. Discuss one of these challenges and what we can learn from how it unfolded in the case of this movement or protest. 5. Think about the movie or documentary itself as a tool of activism. After watching it, would you say it was effective in inspiring action? Why or why not? Does it fairly depict reality, or do you think the filmmaker(s) manipulated reality for artistic or commercial purposes? Cite evidence from the movie/documentary. Do not forget to finish with a strong conclusion – a paragraph in which you summarize the main aspects presented by you throughout the paper. SOC 3250, Fall 2019 – “Seeing Social Movements” Assignment: General Instructions Final product: Your memo should be 2 to 3 pages in length, double space. You must comply with ASA citation style rules and academic integrity (i.e., absolutely no form of plagiarism or cheating). Don’t forget to review and proofread your assignment. Check your syllabus and deliver your paper by the deadline. All submissions on Blackboard; submissions by email will not be accepted. Suggested movies and documentaries1: • Bread and Roses (labor and immigrant rights movement); • Harlan County USA (labor movement); • Selma (civil rights movement); • Freedom Riders (civil rights movement); • She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry (women’s movement); • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (Black Power [Black Panthers]); • ¡Palante Siempre Palante! (Black Power [Young Lords]); • Milk (LGBTQ movement); • How to Survive a Plague (LGBTQ movement and HIV/AIDS activism); • The Weather Underground: The Explosive Story of America’s Most Notorious Revolutionaries (leftist guerilla emerging out of the New Left); • How to Change the World (antinuclear activism and environment movement); • KKK: The Fight for White Supremacy (white power movement); • Battle in Seattle (antiglobalization movement); • The Square (Occupy-style movements [Arab Spring]); • Whose Streets? (anti-police brutality activism); • Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock (indigenous movement and environment activism). Movies can be found on Netflix, iTunes, YouTube, Vimeo, and/or other streaming services on demand. You are responsible for finding proper access to the movie you decide to analyze. If you cannot/do not want to pay to watch a movie, talk to me and I will find an alternative. 1 If there is one movie you would like to be considered for this assignment, you can suggest it to your professor; however, you should do it before the deadline.SOC 3250, Fall 2019 “Seeing Social Movements” Assignment: General Instructions Movies and documentaries are not only for entertainment; they can also shed light on important political issues and debates of our society. In addition, through movies and documentaries, we can observe social movement or protest activity when it is otherwise unobservable—such as movements from distant places or past historical periods. For this assignment, observe a social movement or a wave of protests depicted in a movie or documentary as if you were “in the field” and analyze it using the theoretical perspectives and concepts from the course. For the purposes of this assignment, watch the movie or documentary as if you are directly observing a real social movement. Try to become engulfed in the activities, characters, images, emotions, and themes of the movie/documentary, just as you would if you were there.