Instruction
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Social Work 20: Syllabus
Fall 2017
1 | P a g e
Final Due November 20, 2017 by 11:59 pm (90 points total)
Choose a movie that explores issues of power and oppression. You may choose from the list
below, or you may propose a different movie of your choosing to be approved by the instructor
in advance.
Even if you have watched one of these movies in the past, please watch again or
choose another film looking at the movie from the lens of a social work scholar and
complete the assignment.
List of Movies
42
Selma
The Joy Luck Club
Ma Vie En Rose
Schindler’s List
Brokeback Mountain
The House of Sand and Fog
The Good Lie
North Country
Rain Man
Rabbit Proof Fence
300
Girl Interrupted
Forrest Gump
The Snow Walker
Dirty Dancing
If These Walls Could Talk
Crash
Straight Outta Compton
Freedom Writers
The Pursuit of Happiness
Antwone Fisher
Harvey Milk
Reign On Me
** A Child Called It: One Child’s courage...
**The Lost Boy: A Foster Child’s Search...
**Dude you’re a fag
**A long way gone
The Paper:
Drawing on course materials and readings, write a paper of 8-10 double-spaced
pages in length (1400-2000 words). The paper should include critical reflection of your personal
responses, references to course material and readings, and specific references to the movie.
Papers should be in APA style.
(5 Points)
Your paper should address the following questions:
•
What issues are depicted in the movie that relate to individual versus social problems? How
do you see a social worker viewing these issues differently than other professions? Why do
you think social workers might view this differently than say a business major?
(5 points)
•
How do issues of oppression show up in the movie? How do these conditions compare to
oppression of today? How do you think social workers can stop oppression in today’s
society?
(10 points)
•
Identify any characters that experience multiple oppressions in the movie, and describe these
intersecting (multiple types of) oppressions (racism, sexism, poverty, trauma, etc.) and how
they might shape the characters’ experiences. How may this expression be manifested (shape
or affect them) later in life?
(10 points)
•
Identify social rules, policies, attitudes and values that are oppressive or are used in the
movie to introduce or maintain power imbalances. Does this still exist in society today? If so
how can social workers help? What can society do to offset this type of oppression??
(10
points)
Social Work 20: Syllabus
Fall 2017
2 | P a g e
•
How does power show up in the movie (who has power, and who does not- do others not say
anything because they are scared of those in power)? Which characters seem to hold the
most and least power and what aspects of identity contributed to this power or lack thereof?
How does this understanding help you understand power dynamics better? Use social work
theory or concepts to back-up your claim
(10 points)
•
How is culture expressed in the movie? Is there a dominant culture? Is there cultural
sensitivity? How do you know? How would you describe the culture of the oppressor and the
oppressed in the movie?
(10 points)
•
Select a character from the movie and discuss how the character views her/him. Describe
your perceptions of how the character constructed her/his identity? What social influences
might have shaped the character’s identity? How does this change throughout the movie?
How does this identity influence the behavior or the character? Describe the character’s
strengths? How might the character’s story have been different if aspects of her/his identity
were different?
(10 points)
•
Describe assumptions you made about this character and how your own experiences and
socialization led to these assumptions. In your life, how have you benefited from, or worked
to counter, the oppression depicted in the movie or in general life?
(10 points)
•
How does this movie help you understand social work, oppression, and/or power better?
What theory can you apply to help you understand some of the dynamics within the movie
that much better? Why did you choose this movie/book out of all movies?
(10 points)
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