SYLLABUS

SYG 4003, SOCIOLOGY THRU FILM, SUMMER A 2004

Section 02, Reference # 4267

University Park Campus, Florida International University

Building OE (Owa Ehan), Room 134

(to the east of the lake behind the Green Library)

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS, 7:50-10:30 PM, MAY 10 TO JUNE 23, 2004

PROFESSOR: Dr. Abraham D. Lavender, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, FIU.

Office: Building DM, Room 322B

Phone: 305-348-2247

The best contact is abelavender@aol.com.

“American motion pictures still dominant the world market with an impact that is difficult to measure. Their role in American culture has been a powerful one since the 1930s and is a hallmark of our culture today” (flyleaf of Hollywood’s America: Social and Political Themes in Motion Pictures, required for this course)

“There is no denying the tremendous power movies have in shaping our perceptions of the past” (flyleaf of Past Imperfect: History According to Movies, required for this course)

“Ever since Edison’s peep shows first captivated urban audiences, film has had a revolutionary impact on American society, transforming culture from the bottom up...” (flyleaf of Movie-Made America, not required for this course)

“If you want to know about the United States in the Twentieth Century, go to the movies...Movies–even bad ones–are important sociological and cultural documents” (Hollywood’s America: United States History Through Its Films, not required for this course; note similar title to the required book)

“America’s long-running romance with Hollywood is over” (Hollywood vs. America, not required for this course)

PURPOSE OF COURSE:

The purpose of this course is to learn how the movie industry in the United States reflects values in the U.S., how the movie industry is influenced by values in the U.S., and how the movie industry influences values in the U.S. The future of movies will be discussed. We will look at five demographic groups based roughly on ethnicity, religion, race, language, and lifestyle. The five groups are Native-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanics, Jews, and Gays. We will see how movies have portrayed the groups, and how and why those portrayals are changing over time. We also will look at the extent to which these groups are or are not represented in the movie industry in the U.S. We see that movies don’t just happen, but that they are influenced by larger forces and also influence the larger society. For each group, there will be a movie, class discussion, and lecture by the professor.

READINGS:

Two books are required, and assignments will be made as appropriate depending on the specific topic being discussed. In addition, handouts will also be distributed and become part of the required readings as appropriate and available. The student who wants to start early can begin by reading chapters 1, 2, and 3 in Hollywood’s America. The two books are:

(1) PAST IMPERFECT: HISTORY ACCORDING TO THE MOVIES, edited by Mark C. Carnes. This book discusses about sixty movies, analyzing the accuracy or inaccuracy of the movies.

(2) HOLLYWOOD’S AMERICA: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THEMES IN MOTION PICTURES, by Stephen Powers, David J. Rothman, and Stanley Rothman

GRADING:

There will be a midterm test and a final test. Each will have 33 questions, and will cover, about equally, class material and required readings. The questions will be a combination of short essays, short answers, multiple choice, fill in the blanks, and possibly a few true or false. The final grade (except for attendance) generally will be a combination of the tests, but the highest test will count double.

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance will be taken frequently, and the professor reserves the right to adjust a grade downwards for any student who misses more than three classes. Education also consists of the class atmosphere, hearing other student comments, observing class interactions, etc. Students who do not regularly attend classes will be at a grade disadvantage in this class.

TENTATIVE LIST OF MOVIES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):

“Little Big Man” (Native-Americans/American Indians)

“The Perez Family” or “Hispanic Hollywood” (Hispanics)

“Rosewood” (African-Americans)

“An Empire of Their Own” (Jews)

“The Celluloid Closet”or “The Silver Screen” (Gays)

In addition to these major movies, selected parts of other movies will be shown to illustrate points. Possible movies included here will be “Dances With Wolves” and “Smoke Signals” (American Indians); “Hispanic Hollywood,” “Bronze Screen,” and “My Family ” (Hispanics); “Amistad,” “Color Purpose,” and “Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood,” (African-Americans); “Fiddler on the Roof” and “The Chosen” (Jews); and “And the Band Played On”and “Making Love” (Gays). The professor has a collection of movies about the history of the movie industry. Selections will be shown from “In the Beginning: A Celebration of the American Silent Film,” “The Hollywood Ten,” and others.