Reference no: EM132667472
SOC2260 Cities and Urban Life - University of Manitoba
Social Problems
Video Reflection Paper - ‘The Great Debaters'
PURPOSE & OVERVIEW:
The purpose of this Video Reflection Paper Assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to study and report on the culture of racial tension and ethnic relations in Marshall, Texas 1930s. This is an actual historical event captured in popular media in the movie entitled ‘The Great Debaters'. This is the story of students at Wiley College, who struggled to establish their place in history as the greatest debate team in the United States of America during the Great Depression. The students fight blatant systemic racism in their community as they travel to debate both Black and White students in segregated colleges across Texas and neighboring states. The goal of this assignment is to have students gain insights into and enlarge their understanding of historical and systemic racism that was captured in popular media.
VIDEO REFLECTION PAPER ASSIGNMENT:
Students must write a brief reflective essay with several sections that effectively answer the four primary questions and the sub-questions below. The reflective essay should be a brief, but a solid discussion, that incorporates the application of one or more sociological theories found within the course textbook. In answering these questions, students should reflect on the impact and experience of the principle characters in this movie (i.e., individuals within the actual debate team and their community), as noted below:
1. Mr. Melvin Tolson - (played by Denzel Washington),
2. James Farmer (Jr) - (played by Denzel Dominique Whitaker),
3. Samantha Booke - (played by Jurnee Smollett),
4. Henry Lowe - (played by Nate Parker),
5. Hamilton Burgess - (played by Jermaine Williams)
6. Dr. James Farmer (Sr)- (played by Forest Whitaker),
7. Sheriff Dozier - (played by John Heard), and Various other supporting actors from within the films story.
REFLECTION PAPER POINTS OF DISCUSSION:
Students will address the following questions and endeavor to identify, discuss and explain their arguments using an appropriate sociological theoretical perspective(s). Prepare one paragraph for each of the four main heading questions and answer/discuss each of the follow-up questions within that same paragraph.
Use an APA format (i.e., Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, etc.) for this reflection paper, which should be between three and five pages-not including the Title page & Reference page.
Video Reflection - Questions to Answer
(Prepare four (4) paragraphs to address these questions in their entirety.)
1. When Dr. Farmer hit the pig with his car that forced out on the road by local some children, he gave his son James Farmer (Jr) some explicit instructions that James (Jr) did not follow.
o What were those instructions and why did he think they were necessary;
o What motivated Dr. Farmer's concerns to give those instructions?
o Why did James Farmer (Jr) likely not comply with those instructions?
o Why was it appropriate to pay the white farmer a grossly inflated price for that pig accidentally killed?
2. Why were the local officials such as Sheriff Dozier so afraid and disturbed that the Blacks were organizing a union of croppers?
o Why was there such a mixed reaction and emotions among the Blacks about organizing the same union?
o What motivated Mr. Tolson to attempt to lead this movement? (i.e., what was to gain?)
o From your vantage point, what did each side have to gain and loose over this issue?
3. What were the motives for the Debaters to join and continue to participate in the Debates?
o What motivated Henry Lowe to join the debaters?
o What motivated James Farmer to join the debaters (Jr)?
o What motivated Samantha Booke to join, leave and again join the debaters?
o What motivated Hamilton Burgess to leave the debaters?
4. Thinking about the Lynching scene where Mr. Tolson stopped Henry Lowe from getting out of the car to cut the Black man down:
o What do you think would have happened if Henry Lowe had tried to cut down the man?
o Thinking about the current Black Lives Matter sweeping across the global community, how much do you think things have changed since the live events this movie was based on occurred?
Attachment:- Social Problems.rar