SYP 4631: Sociology Through Film (Spring 2008) SYLLABUS

Section 02, Reference #19104, Runs 1/08-4/08

Meets Thursdays, Rm. PCA-135 (UP), 5:00 – 7:40 PM

Instructor: Dr. Steven Mizrach, adjunct professor, sociology/anthropology

Office Hours: to be arranged by appointment

Contact: via email, mizrachs@fiu.edu; leave phone messages at office (305) 348-2247; leave text messages in adjunct mailbox in DM 331 (sociology/anthropology office).

Home Page: http://www.fiu.edu/~mizrachs

REQUIRED TEXT

Andrew Light, Reel Arguments, Westview Press. Light’s text is the only one I’ve found dealing with the issue I consider of key importance – do popular fiction films have a social impact.

OVERVIEW: This class takes seriously the idea that popular film can be a vehicle for social commentary, analysis, and criticism. Through works of fiction, filmmakers can provoke audiences to confront social issues that might be too divisive or controversial to deal with otherwise. This class will examine the work of filmmakers like Oliver Stone and Spike Lee who openly use film to examine and critique society. In turn, we will critique and examine their work, and use it as a launching off point to examine a variety of social issues. In this class, we will suggest that film of all types, even popular fiction (and not just documentary) can work as a tool for social examination and maybe even social change.

CLASS SCHEDULE: Each day, during our 3 hour class session, we will usually begin by watching a film, take a short break, then come back and discuss the film and the readings. Even if you’ve seen these films before, do come to class, as we may stop and focus on specific scenes.

Class Day	Readings	TOPIC: FILM	Assignments Due/Special Focus
Thursday, January 10^th, 2008	FIRST DAY OF CLASS	“They Live” (1988)	Meet your classmates
Thu. Jan. 17^th		“Do the Right Thing” (1989)	(race relations)
1/24	Light Chapter 1	“Born on the 4^th of July” (1989)	(war)
1/31		“The Handmaid’s Tale” (1990)	(theocracy)
2/7	Chapter 2	“Higher Learning” (1995)	(campus diversity)
2/14		“Wag the Dog” (1997) (media)	(Valentine’s Day)
2/21	Chapter 3	“The Siege” (1998)	(war on terror)
2/28		“Traffic” (2000)	(war on drugs)
3/6	Chapter 4	“Minority Report” (2002) (pre-emptive justice)	Film Analysis One Due
3/13		“Life of David Gale” (2003)	(capital punishment)
3/20	SPRING BREAK	No	CLASS
3/27	Chapter 5	“V for Vendetta” (2005)	(revolution)
4/3		“Syriana” (2005)	(oil & geopolitics)
4/10	Chapter 6	“Fast Food Nation” (2006)	(corporatism)
4/17	LAST DAY OF CLASS	“Babel” (2006) (globalization)	Course Evaluations Exam Review
4/24 ?	FINAL EXAM	100 Questions	Film Analysis Two Due

CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: For this class, you have only one exam (the final), and two written assignments – two film analyses.

1. Final Exam (100 Questions – 100 Points). There is no midterm for this class but there will be a final. We will do a final exam review on the week before. The final exam will be during the exam period (4/24 ?) and you will have three hours although it is unlikely you will need it. This final will be multiple-choice, scantron-based, so please bring a No. 2 pencil. Questions on the final may come from your text, the lectures, or films we watch in class. Please note that questions may derive from the content of films in the syllabus! You are responsible for viewing them if you miss them in class…
2. Film Analysis One (Other Films) (50 Points). 4-8 Pages, Due 3/6. Choose a fiction film we will not view in class for this assignment (we will not deal with the documentary genre at all). You can get it from the library or a video store. Suggestions for other films we will not view but might be good for this assignment include: Bob Roberts, Grand Canyon, Nixon, Natural Born Killers, Lions for Lambs, etc. In this assignment, write an analysis of the film, dealing with the following questions:

· what social issues or problems does the film deal with or confront?

· does it explain and analyze those issues clearly and honestly?

· does the filmmaker interest his audience in examining those subjects effectively?

· is the film objective in dealing with complex problems and dilemmas, showing both sides?

· was the vehicle of popular fiction used appropriately for raising these questions and issues?

· does the film seem too heavy-handed and propagandistic or more subtle and sublime?

· is there any aspect of the film that as a filmmaker you might handle differently?

· does the film galvanize audiences to take action in dealing with the issue or problem it raises?

Where necessary, cite scenes, dialogue, or events from the film to support your analysis. You may also want to consult articles written about the film by other reviewers as well.

3. Film Analysis Two (Indepth – Inclass Film) (50 Points). 4-8 Pages. Due 4/11. This assignment is the same as film analysis one except you will be examining one of the films we have discussed in class. Except now you have the class discussion as a launching point. Put the class film through the same series of questions you used to interrogate the first film. Examine it indepth to see if you can touch nuances we were not able to reach in our broader discussion.

GRADING SCALE: I do not give individual letter grades for assignments; rather each assignment is worth a certain # of points, toward the total you may earn for this class. The total points you earn determine your grade:

186+ Points = “A”

170-185 Points = “B”

154-169 Points = “C”

138-153 Points = “D”

-137 Points = “F”