The document provides instructions for a sociology writing assignment analyzing representations of social statuses in a television show or film. Students are asked to choose two of the following social statuses to analyze in their selected media: gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, or class. For each status, students should discuss the quantitative representation, the roles of different groups within that status, and how the representations relate to dominant ideologies or patterns identified in the course textbook. The analysis for each status should be in separate paragraphs or sections.

1. sociology writing paper 5
TV/Movie CritiqueFor this assignment you will be asked to analyze the representations of
various social statuses in a television show or film. Watch a film or TV show of your choice,
paying attention to the representation of any two of the following social status: 1) gender,
2) sexual orientation, 3) race/ethnicity, or 4) class. For example, you could choose sexual
orientation as one of the social statuses you analyze, and class as the other. For each of the
two statuses you choose, please respond to the prompt below. Unlike previous assignments,
I am requesting that you construct your analysis in paragraph form. However, it’s not an
essay, and I am not asking you to create one cohesive argument from your discussions of
the two statuses. Instead, please keep your discussions of each status separate, and label
them section 1) and 2) or A) and B) or something like that. Please do NOT include an
introduction or conclusion. Again, it’s not an essay. Your total page count should be
between 2 and 4 pages double-spaced. Word count at least 700. PromptFor each of your
two selected social statuses, please address the following. (Note that since you will select 2
social statuses, you’ll essentially be responding to this entire prompt twice, once for
each of the social statuses that you chose.)The quantitative (numerical) representation of
that status: this is the “How many― question that we should consider when analyzing
representations in media.Data from the film/show (2 points) (Note: You do not need to
answer all of these questions; they are just to give you ideas of what to look for. However,
you should answer some of them.)Look at the main characters. How many of them are
members of the various categories of the social status you chose? Examples: If the social
status that you are analyzing is class, how many of the main characters are from poor,
working class, middle-upper class, or wealthy classes? (You might infer this based on
occupation or aesthetic tastes or living environment.) Another example: If the social status
you’re analyzing is race, what is the racial/ethnic distribution of the main characters?
What we’re interested in here is the numbers (or estimated numbers).Same questions,
but what about the secondary actors who aren’t main characters but who have a
speaking role – what is their distribution according to your selected social status?
(Estimate or give a rough percentage if too numerous to count.) How about the
“extras― or people in the background?Discussion (connection to the textbook) (2
points) How does the numeric representation of diversity in the film/show compare to the
patterns identified in the corresponding section of Ch. 7 in Croteau & Hoynes? In your
response include a discussion of both the overall trends described in the textbook as well as
several more detailed points made by the authors that are related to your findings. Indicate

2. page numbers to cite where you found the arguments from the textbook.How members of
different groups within that status are represented. This should comprise the bulk of your
analysis.Data from the film/show (2 points) In terms of your selected social status (race or
gender or class or sexual orientation), what roles are people who are members of different
groups playing in the film/show? (For example, if the status you’re analyzing is class,
what roles are being played by characters who are poor, working class, upper-middle class,
and wealthy?) For this you will mostly likely be focusing on the main characters and
supporting/secondary characters. (Note: You do not need to answer all of the following
questions in this section; they are just to give you ideas of what to look for.)Are there
“token” characters – single members of a certain group that serve to “check the
box― of inclusion? Are certain characters used to represent an entire class or gender or
race/ethnicity or sexual orientation? Do certain characters exhibit stereotypical
traits/characteristics? (Stereotypes can be positive or negative.) Are certain
traits/characteristics or behaviors exaggerated? Discussion (connection to dominant
ideologies) (2 points) Based on your observations, identify at least one dominant ideology
that is being promoted/portrayed (or refuted/resisted) in the film/show. (Choose from the
list provided at the end of this prompt.) Give a definition or explanation of the dominant
ideology and support your assertion that this ideology is either being portrayed or resisted
with examples from the film/show.Hint: Croteau & Hoynes mention on p. 241 and 239-240
that overt, blatant portrayals of traditional form of racism are decreasing in media (though
still can certainly be found) in media. Yet other forms of “color-blind racism― or
“modern racism― are in many ways taking their place. Similarly, patterns of
representation of gender are changing and generally (though not always) are less overtly
sexist than in the past, but other, often more subtle forms of sexism are taking their place
(Croteau & Hoynes p. 246). Discussion (connection to the textbook) (2 points) Discuss how
the patterns of representation in roles correspond or do not correspond to the patterns of
representation described in the corresponding section of Ch. 7 in Croteau & Hoynes. In your
response, include a discussion of both the overall trends and any relevant details the
authors discuss. Indicate page numbers to cite where you found the arguments from the
textbook.Tip: When drawing from the textbook, you should be capturing both the broad
patterns discussed in the relevant section of the chapter, and also utilizing detailed points
that were made in the textbook to help interpret and contextualize what you observe in
your selected film/show. Note: If you would like, you can include an intersectional analysis,
but this will only count as one of your two statuses. For example, you could have your first
section be an intersectional discussion of race and class as represented in your selected
film, and then your second section could be about representation of gender in your film.
Dominant IdeologiesClassism – the notion that being a member of the upper class, or being
wealthier, is desirable, and that being of a lower socioeconomic status is deplorable. Racism
– the ascription of certain stereotypical traits or behaviors to a person, or discrimination
against a person, based on their race/ethnicity (this could be outright racism, but more
likely it would be “color-blind― racism)Color-blind racism – the notion that racism
and race privilege no longer exists, that we can be a “color-blind― society, and thus
refusal to acknowledge the persistence of racist social structuresModern racism – the

3. rejection of overt racism, but the continued presence of more subtle stereotypical
representation, often done subconsciouslySexism – the ascription of certain stereotypical
traits or behaviors to a person, or discrimination against a person, based on their sex (often,
though not always, implicit/subtle nowadays)Patriarchy – a social system in which males
have greater authority and power in a society than females, and the notion that this both
natural and goodHegemonic masculinity – a sexist set of socially-constructed expected
behaviors and attitudes that men, according to the ideology, “should― have/portray;
often associated with physical strength, stoicism, machismo, etc.Heteronormativity – the
assumption that heterosexuality is “natural,― normal, and preferred to other
sexualitiesAgeism the valuing and privileging of individuals of certain ages in a society –
often in our society this is referred to in the privileging/valuing of youth, but not
alwaysAbleism – the valuing and privileging of individuals without disabilities (however
they are defined) in a society, and discrimination against those with disabilities