PSYC9140: Social Psychology Essay Assignment
Your written assignment for this course will consist of an opinion piece you write based on a movie of your choice taken from the list below. The theme of your assignment is prejudice and discrimination, as examined from a psychological viewpoint.
Your assignment should be between 4 to 5 pages (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font) in length, and should include: 1) a description of the movie you watched; 2) a discussion of relevant course concepts raised in the film; 3) your assessment of how well the film fits with material on prejudice & discrimination taken from class & your textbook. You should use APA style and be sure to include a reference section for any sources that you cite, including your text, my lectures, and online sources.
Remember to tie your discussion back to material about stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination from both lecture notes and class readings. In other words, this is NOT simply a movie review.
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For this assignment, you are to do the following:
- Read Chapters 11 & 12
- Choose a move from the list below, and watch it.
- Write your commentary, by tying course concepts to the film, and describing your reactions and insights (see above).
The assignment will be worth 30 marks (30% of your final grade). Marks will be divided as follows:
- 10 marks for writing style, grammar & punctuation;
- 20 marks for the quality of insights provided;
Movie List:
Below is a list of films you may choose to watch for your written assignment:
American History X (1999)
A former neo-Nazi attempts to reform his little brother after spending time in prison.
Billy Elliot (2000)
In the middle of a 1984 miners’ strike, a young boy from a northern England mining town takes up dancing and soon wants to make it his life’s work, against the wishes of his gruff father and older brother.
Boys Don’t Cry (2000)
Boys Don’t Cry tells the true story of 21 year-old Teena Brandon, a girl from Nebraska who chose to live as a boy.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Forbidden love between two cowboys and the turmoil the relationship creates.
Crash (2004)
Several characters of different racial backgrounds collide in one incident. The different stereotypes society has created for those backgrounds affect their judgment, beliefs and actions.
Dance Me Outside (1995)
This film offers a look at life on a Northern Ontario reservation.
Glory (2001)
Glory is a celebration of a little-known act of mass courage during the Civil War, however the heroes involved have been ignored by history due to racism.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1968)
The Oscar-winning story of a wealthy white family who learns that their daughter’s fiancee is black. Very controversial at the time it was released.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
A black detective investigates a murder in a racist southern US town.
My Left Foot (1989)
The Oscar-winning portrayal of the life of Christy Brown, an artist with cerebral palsy.
Mask (1985)
The real-life story of a disfigured teenager who overcomes pain, loneliness and prejudice and emerges as an inspiration to his classmates and teachers.
Mississippi Burning (1988)
A Hollywood dramatization of the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers by the Ku Klux Klan.
Once Were Warriors (1994)
The clash between Maori traditions and modern values, told against the backdrop of one New Zealand family’s spiral of domestic violence.
Philadelphia (1993)
Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are two competing lawyers who join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination.
Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)
In 1931, three aboriginal girls from Australia escape from an official government camp after being taken from their homes to be trained as domestic staff and set off on an epic journey across the Outback that will lead them home.
Radio (2003)
The story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man he took under his wing.
Remember the Titans (2000)
True story of a black football coach hired over a white coach in Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1970’s during a time when the school had just been integrated to allow black students.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge and his children against prejudice.