Introduction: Sociology is only as useful as you can apply it outside of the classroom. This assignment asks
you to practice your “sociological imagination” by getting into the habit of looking at your everyday life
through a sociological lens. For this paper, you will be analyzing a feature-length film using your sociological
imagination.
Choosing a Film: There are no restrictions on the genre of film nor on the era in which the film was produced.
The only requirement in selecting the film is that it must be amenable to a sociological analysis. Hollywood or
Indie films are preferred over documentaries, although if you have a specific documentary in mind, please let
me know and we can discuss how this changes some of the elements of the assignment.
The main goal of this assignment is not necessarily to describe your
film’s plot or scenes, but to demonstrate that you can identify specific sociological concepts as they appear
“naturally” in the film. You will need to do this in several ways.
• First, you will need to provide a brief (no more than one paragraph) summary/description of your movie
and the relevant plot details. Why did you choose this film, and what specifically will you be focusing
on in your sociological analysis?
• Second, describe in your own words what the sociological imagination is, and then make explicit how
you are using your sociological imagination to this film. How are you “stranging” the familiar? Are you
addressing the history/biography connection, the personal trouble/public issue connection, or both?
What specifically makes your analysis of this film sociological?
• Third, you will need to identify at least three (3) specific sociological terms or concepts that you think
apply to the film you have chosen. These terms should appear in bold in your paper, and you must
define, explain, and apply these terms using specific examples from the film. Linking your terms to a
specific reading from class and citing this reading in the text of your paper is preferable, but at the very
least you need to define each term in your own words.
Hint: Pay close attention to sociological variables of interest, such as race, ethnicity, gender, social class,
age, social interaction, deviance, stereotypes, presentation of self, conflict/power, functionalism, etc., in
the film. Remember that sociologists also focus on these variables in terms of how structure/agency and
macro/micro tensions take place across these institutions/social issues/behaviors/categorical differences.
You too should connect the terms you select in a broader sense of these observations in your analysis.
• Fourth, you should be sure to edit, proofread, and revise your paper in terms of style, grammar, and
organization. Well-written papers without typos or misapplied concepts, and with logical flow/style
elements will receive the highest grades.
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