Film Analysis and Reflection

Sociology Film Analysis: Media, Culture, Socialization, and the Body

Please answer the following prompt with as much detail as possible. A well-written essay will demonstrate mastery of concepts presented in the textbook, film, and relevance to both sociological inquiry and your personal life. Essays should be no shorter than 1500 words and typed in no larger than 12 fonts and double-spaced. Ensure that you write in both a grammatically correct manner and alignment and spacing utilized are in accordance with standard academic custom. Note that you do not need to utilize outside information; however, if you do choose to utilize outside sources, please ensure that you cite in accordance with a standard academic format (e.g. Mills, 22 or Berger, 15). Plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and result in an ungraded assignment (hence a “0” for that assignment). Once you have typed your essay in a word processing document, submit in the dropbox prior to the due date. This assignment is worth 15% toward your total grade.

Prompt

The films Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In delve into numerous themes related to concepts discussed in your textbook. Both films include discussions concerning media representation, the social construction of masculinity and femininity, gender inequity, sexism, violence, rape, self-image, eating disorders, race, body image, media centralization, labeling, deviance, the sexualization of young girls, objectification of women’s bodies, and suicidal and homicidal violence, to name a few concepts.  As part of the discussion include concrete examples for the concepts that were addressed in the documentaries.

• Choose ONE Documentary and discuss the main points of the documentary, paying keen attention to the aforementioned issues, and, its effects on the social expectations and lives of young girls, boys, men, and women.
• As part of your discussion identify and include specific examples from within the documentary that demonstrate the themes and concepts listed above.
• Where relevant, in addition to the above listed concepts, relate the film to concepts listed in chapters 4, 5, 7, 11, when applicable.
• Personally reflect on what the film meant to you and how the media has contributed to your notions of beauty, sexuality, and gender.
• For this assignment you will be using Content Analysis.  Also keep in mind that you being asked to do a Sociological Analysis, when requires you to apply/use relevant theory and sociological terminology that you are learning in this course.