Introduction to Sociology/Sociological Videos

The following are videos - including fiction movies, non-fiction documentaries and recorded lectures - examining topics in the field of sociology. TitleDescriptionYearTypeTopicOnlineA Class Divideddocuments Jane Elliott's classroom experiment illustrating discrimination using eye colors1985non-FictionDiscriminationYesA Dry White SeasonSouth African apartheid1989FictionRaceA map of social theories, 1000-2000 by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on social theories. Lecture 1 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesA Passage to IndiaIndian independence from Great Britain and ethnic relations1984FictionEthnicityA Raisin in the Sundepicts a black family trying to move out of their run-down tenement apartment and into a white neighborhood1961FictionRaceA World ApartSouth African apartheid1988FictionRaceAdam Smith (1733-1790), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on Smith. Lecture 3 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesAlamo Baya despondent Vietnam veteran in danger of losing his livelihood is pushed to the edge when he sees Vietnamese immigrants moving into the fishing industry in a Texas bay town1985FictionEthnicityAlexis de Tocqueville (1805-1850), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on de Tocqueville. Lecture 4 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesAl Qaeda's new frontFRONTLINE documentary on Al Qaeda's evolution: Madrid bombings, ideological base, transatlantic differences. Divided into 4 sections; approx. 1h total?non-Fictionterrorism, Al Qaeda YesAmar Te Duelea variation of the Romeo and Juliet theme with the twist of social class differences between the families2002FictionEconomic StratificationAmerican History Xracism in the U.S.1998FictionRaceAn Inconvenient Truthan American documentary film about global warming by Al Gore.2006Non-FictionEcologyAngels & Insectsmovie about incest and the incest taboo1996FictionSexualityAvalon (1990 film)tells the story of a family of Eastern European Jews who immigrate to the United States1990FictionMigrationBad Day at Black Rock illustrates racism and discrimination in a small town in the U.S. post WWII1954FictionRaceThe Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on de Montesquieu. Lecture 2 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesBlack Like Medescribes Griffin's a six-week experience of a white man disguised as a black man traveling throughout the racially segregated states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia in the 1950s1964FictionRaceThe Blonde and Ia short film illustrating the basic concepts of Durkheim's "Suicide"2009FictionTheoryYes & YesBlue Eyeddocuments Jane Elliott's classroom experiment illustrating discrimination using eye colors1996non-FictionDiscriminationBopha!depicts the life of a black police officer in South Africa during the apartheid era1994FictionRaceBorn Yesterdaytells the story of a corrupt tycoon with a underclass girlfriend who requires re-education to be a member of the upper class1958FictionEconomic StratificationBoys Don’t Crybased on the true story of a young transman who was raped and murdered in 1993 by his male friends after they found out he had female genitalia1999FictionSexualityBraveheartethnic discrimination and stratification1995FictionEthnicityBread and Rosesdeals with the struggle of poorly paid janitorial workers in Los Angeles and their fight for better working conditions and the right to unionize2000FictionUnionizingBrokeback Mountaintells the story of two gay cowboys who hide their relationship because it is not accepted by those around them2005FictionSexualityCome Back, Africatells the story of a migrant worker in apartheid South Africa who does not have a work permit and as such is open to exploitation, arbitrary dismissal and sudden arrest1959FictionRaceCome See the Paradisedepicts the treatment of U.S. citizens of Japanese descent following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent loss of civil liberties within the framework of a love story1990FictionEthnicityConrackfollows a young teacher assigned to an isolated island off the coast of South Carolina populated mostly by poor black families who have been isolated from the rest of the world1974FictionRaceCountry Boysfollows two young men in rural Kentucky in the early 2000s growing up with serious disadvantages, both educationally and financially2002Non-FictionEconomic StratificationYesCry, the Beloved CountrySouth African apartheid and race relations1951FictionRaceCry, the Beloved CountrySouth African apartheid and race relations1995FictionRaceCry Freedomdepicts a charismatic South African Black Consciousness Movement leader in apartheid South Africa and the liberal white editor of a newspaper who exposes police complicity in the death of the movement leader1987FictionRaceDarwin's Nightmaredocuments the exploitation of fishing resources in Africa by European businesses and consumers2004non-FictionGlobalizationDefiant Ones, Thetells the story of two escaped prisoners who are shackled together, one white and one black, who must co-operate in order to survive1958FictionRaceDiary of Anne Frank, Thea motion picture based on the book The Diary of a Young Girl describing the life of Anne Frank while in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands1959FictionEthnicityDigital NomadsThe results of an experiment to share the experiences of people devoted to endless digital communication are presented as online videos by The Economist. Two vidoes: Jonathan Schwartz - 05:25; Jan Chipchase - 09:182008Non-FictionCommunication, Internet YesDirty Pretty Thingsdepicts the lives of two illegal immigrants in the U.K.2003FictionMigrationDiscreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, TheThe film is about a group of upper middle-class people attempting to dine together1973FictionEconomic StratificationDo the Right ThingThe film tells a tale of bigotry and racial conflict in a multi-ethnic community in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, on the hottest day of the year1989FictionRaceDouble Happinesstells the story of an artistic young woman struggling to assert her independence from the expectations of her Chinese Canadian family1994FictionGenderEducating Ritaan English working-class girl wants to better herself by studying literature1983FictionEconomic StratificationEmile Durkheim (1858-1917), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on Durkheim. Lecture 6 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesEl Nortedepicts Guatemalan peasants and migrants1983FictionMigrationEl Superlooks at life in the U.S. from the perspective of frustrated Cuban exiles1978FictionMigrationEmigrants, Thetells the story of a Swedish group who emigrate to the U.S. in the 19th century1971FictionMigrationErnest Gellner (1925-1995), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on Gellner. Lecture 8 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesEthnic Notionstraces deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice1988non-FictionRaceEuropa EuropaAntisemitism in Germany1990FictionEthnicityFar From Heaventells the story of a 1950s housewife living in suburban Hartford as she sees her seemingly perfect life begin to fall apart; deals with complex contemporary issues such as race, sexuality, and class2002FictionSexualityF.W. Maitland (1850-1906), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on Maitland. Lecture 9 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesGaijin - Os Caminhos da Liberdadedepicts the struggles of Japanese immigrants who traveled to and settled in Brazil looking for a better life1980FictionMigrationGandhinon-violent social activism, religion, ethnic relations1982non-FictionSocial MovementsGarden of the Finzi-Continis, Thechronicles the relationships between the narrator, an Italian Jew, and the children of the Finzi-Contini family from the rise of Mussolini until the start of World War II1970FictionEthnicityGentleman’s Agreementdescribes the efforts of a journalist who falsely represents himself as a Jew to research antisemitism in New York City in the 1940s1947FictionEthnicityGuess Who’s Coming to Dinnertells the story of an upper class white woman who becomes engaged to a black doctor then brings him home to meet her parents1967FictionRaceHester StreetHester Street tells the story of Jewish immigrants who come to the Lower East side of New York City in 1896 from Europe1975FictionMigrationHigh Hopespro-socialism in the U.K.1988FictionEconomic SystemsHollywood Shuffledepicts the stereotyping of African Americans in both film and television1987FictionRaceHome of the BraveA paralyzed African-American war veteran begins to walk again only when he confronts his fear of being an "outsider" and minority1949FictionRaceHoly Innocentspoverty in Spain in the 1960s1984FictionEconomic StratificationHow Tasty Was My Little Frenchmantells the story of a Frenchman captured by Brazilian natives who adopt him but constantly threaten to eat him1971FictionCultureIntruder in the Dustdeals with the trial of a black farmer accused of murdering a white man in the 1940s; he is cleared through the efforts of black and white teenagers and a spinster from a long-established southern family1949FictionRaceIs Wal-Mart Good for America?Documentary on Wal-Mart2005Non-FictionEconomyYesJungle Fevercenters on the interracial romance between a successful married African American architect and an Italian-American woman1991FictionRaceKarl Marx (1818-1883), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on Marx. Lecture 5 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesKilling Us Softly 3, by Jean KilbourneA documentary about advertising's image of women. Studyguide. 35m1999Non-fictionGenderYesLive Nude Girls Unite!documents the efforts of strippers in San Francisco to unionize2000non-FictionUnionizingYesLosing Isaiahblack motherhood, custody issues, and drug addiction1995FictionRaceMandeladocumentary of the life of Nelson Mandela1987non-FictionRaceMax Weber (1864-1920), by Alan Macfarlanerecorded lecture on Weber. Lecture 7 in a series of 9. 2007LectureTheoryYesMcLibeldocuments the McDonald's Restaurants v Morris & Steel case in the U.K.2005non-FictionCorporationsMetropolitanhaute bourgeoisie culture of New York City1990FictionEconomic StratificationMission, Thedepicts the Jesuit Reductions, a programme by which Jesuit missionaries set up missions independent of the Spanish state to teach Christianity to the natives1986FictionCultureMississippi Burningracism in the U.S.1988FictionRaceMississippi Masalainter-racial and inter-ethnic marriage as well as cultural diversity1991FictionRaceMoscow on the Hudsondepicts a Russian circus musician who defects from the Soviet Union while on a visit to the United States and finds that living in America isn't as easy as he thought1984FictionPoliticsMy Beautiful Laundretteethnic relations in London1985FictionEthnicityMy Family/Mi Familiatracks three generations of a Mexican-American family that emigrated from Mexico and settled in East Los Angeles1995FictionMigrationNo Way Outdepicts an African American doctor tending to slum residents whose ethics are put to the test when confronted with blind racism in patients and community members1950FictionRaceNothing But a Manrace relations in the U.S. in the 1960s1964FictionRacePantherBlack Panthers in the U.S.1995FictionRaceParadox of Choice: Why More is Less, TheBarry Schwartz is a sociology professor at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice. In this talk, he explains how and why the abundance of choice in modern society is actually making us miserable (20m)2008lectureYesPhiladelphiatells the story of a Senior Associate at a large corporate law firm in Philadelphia who attempts to hides his homosexuality and his status as an AIDS patient from the other members of the law firm1993FictionSexualityPygmaliontells the story of Cockney flower girl becoming a refined society lady as a result of a bet1938FictionEconomic StratificationQuilombodepicts the conquest of a Brazilian tribe1983FictionEthnicityRabbit-Proof Fencetells the story of two young, mixed-race Aboriginal girls who run away from a white settlement in order to return to their Aboriginal families2002FictionEthnicityRace and Sex - What We Think But Can't SayA documentary on stereotypes, particularly related to race and gender. ABCNews production? 2002Non-FictionGender and RaceRoom at the Topreflects social class issues in the U.K. in the 1950s1958FictionEconomic StratificationRootstells the story of a young African sold into slavery in the 1700s in the U.S.1977FictionRaceRoots: The Next Generationcontinues the story of the African slave in Roots to his eventual descendant, Alex Haley1979FictionRaceRules of the Game, Thesatire of the French upper classes prior to WWII1939FictionEconomic StratificationSalaam Bombay!kids in poverty in Mumbai1988FictionEconomic StratificationSammy and Rosie Get Laidpoverty and homelessness in the U.K.; also deals with ethnicity and sexuality1987FictionEconomic StratificationSchindler’s Listtells the story of Oskar Schindler a German businessman who saved the lives of over one thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust1993FictionEthnicitySecrets & Liesrace issues in the U.K.1996FictionRaceShaka Zulutells the story of Shaka, king of the Zulu nation from 1816 to 18281986FictionCultureThe Social Construction of Realitya short film illustrating some of the ideas in Berger and Luckmann's "The Social Construction of Reality2009FictionTheoryYes & YesStand and Delivereducation in predominantly minority schools1988FictionEducationSwimmer, Thethematic exploration of suburban America, especially the relationship between wealth and happiness1968FictionEconomic StratificationThe Way We Live: Introduction to Sociology Advertised as "a comprehensive introduction to Sociology on 22 half-hour videos". ?non-FictionEconomy (and other offline) Partial: Chapter 14 - 14. Working World: The Economy and WorkThe Tank ManFRONTLINE documentary on the Tiananmen Square Massacre, The Tankman, information control in China and so on. Divided into 6 sections; approx. 1h40m total?non-FictionChina, repressions, resistance, information Yes (RM stream may be broken, switch to WMP stream)The Soldier's HeartFRONTLINE documentary on the psychological impact of warfare, based on the modern War in Iraq. Divided into 4 sections; approx. 45m total?non-Fictionpsychological breakdown, impact of warfare, War in Iraq YesTo Kill a Mockingbirdtells the story of the trial of a black man on trial in the South for rape1962FictionRaceTraces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep Northtells the story of filmmaker Katrina Browne and nine cousins who discover that their New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. They retrace the Triangle Trade and gain a powerful new perspective on the black/white divide. 2008non-FictionRaceTrading Placessocial class in the U.S.1983FictionEconomic StratificationUp Seriesdocuments the lives of a dozen or so children over the course of nearly 50 years in the U.K. to illustrate the effects of social class on life outcomes1964-2000non-FictionEconomic StratificationWedding, Theinterracial marriage in the U.S.1998FictionRaceWedding Banquet, Thetells the story of a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents and get her a green card; his plan backfires when his parents arrive in America to plan his wedding banquet1993FictionSexualityWhite Man’s Burdenrace in the U.S.1995FictionRaceZebraheaddescribes an interracial romance between a white man and a black woman and the resulting tensions among the characters1992FictionRace A new website with video clips in Sociology, The Sociological Cinema, has some video clips available as well: http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/index.html