Soc. 1201
Video Project Assignment
Objectives:
1. To gain deeper knowledge of a specific topic in the sociology of marriage and family.
2. To familiarize yourself with sources of scholarly information relating to marriage and family.
3. To develop skills in translating information into an audiovisual presentation format.
4. To share your knowledge with an audience (the class).
Steps in completing
the assignment:
STEPS 1-3 SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY September 23.
1. Choose a group that you will work with. Your group must consist of 3 to 5 persons. If you don’t know anyone else in the class, I will be happy to help you find a group to work with.
2. Choose a topic that interests your group. The possibilities are nearly limitless – almost anything related to marriage and/or family has been studied by sociologists! If you have no idea what your interests are, try browsing the list of suggested topics at the end of these instructions or page through your textbook. Once you have chosen an area that interests you, try to narrow down as much as possible. You will only have 10 minutes to present all your information, and you don’t want to cram too much into a short video.
3. When you have narrowed down to one reasonably specific topic, write and submit a paragraph that tells me what it is. Turn this in along with your evaluation sheet (at the end of this assignment). I plan to keep a list of all the topics and make sure no two groups do EXACTLY the same thing. I will return your proposal and evaluation sheet to you with either an approval or suggestions for revision.
STEPS 4-6 SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY October 21.
4. Your group should find at least 5 scholarly sources of information on your topic. Examples of scholarly sources might include articles in which the author(s) conducted a survey, experiment, field research, content analysis, a new statistical analysis of existing data, or a comprehensive summary of others’ research on a specific topic. Scholarly articles may be found in refereed journals and almost always include a bibliography and citations of sources. The library’s electronic resources, including databases such as Academic Search Premier and Expanded Academic Index, and/or lists of sociological journals, are very useful in locating scholarly articles. If you need help, I will demonstrate how to use these resources in class.
5. Prepare and submit an annotated bibliography. This is a bibliography, prepared in a standard style such as ASA, MLA, or APA, which includes a summary of the information in each article. I will show you examples in class. Turn this in along with your evaluation sheet. I will return your evaluation sheet with your points marked on it.
6. Decide what type of format you will use – fictional story or documentary. Consider techniques such as acting, on-camera interviews, narration, subtitles, still photos/slide shows, music, art and special effects, and location.
STEP 7 SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY November 11.
7. Prepare and submit a brief outline or storyboard of your video. A key issue here is how you will present the results of your research in an audiovisual format. Your outline should describe the main points of your video. What information or concepts from your sources or this class will be included in the video? Turn this in along with your evaluation sheet. I will return it to you, along with the evaluation sheet, with either an approval or suggestions for revision. It is quite possible that your outline will change as you go through the actual production process. If this happens, be sure to update it, since you will have to submit it when you give your final presentation.
STEPS 8-9 SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY December 9.
8. Shoot your video. You may use your own equipment, borrow it from someone else, or check it out at AV Services. If you borrow the equipment, be sure to ask the person lending it to show you how to use it (this could save a lot of grief later!). Keep in mind that faculty and students across the campus also have access to this equipment. There may be times when all the equipment is checked out. Reservations are recommended.
Special considerations:
- The
format of your video may be either digital or tape. Digital video is easy to edit on a computer
if you have the software and a lot of memory space – I would encourage you
to use it if you can. ITSS has software
and equipment for digital editing in all of their full-service labs. Assistance
is available at the Multimedia Hub in 175 Kirby Plaza. AV Services
also has equipment to edit tapes with two linked VCR's.
- People (other than yourselves) may appear in your video. If they are under 18 years of age, their parents should sign a letter of permission.
- Always keep a back-up copy of your work, during and after the production process!!
9. Edit your video and prepare to show it in class. You can show it from a laptop, DVD player, or VHS player. Your finished video should be about 5-10 minutes in length. Bring an extra copy of your finished video to turn in.
STEP
10. Show your video in class! I’ll bring the popcorn, and you can bring a soft drink if you like. After showing your video, submit a copy on DVD, CD, or tape, along with your updated outline and the evaluation sheet. Be sure your names are on the tape or disk.
Evaluation: Criteria
are listed on the evaluation sheet on the last page of this assignment.
Suggested Video Topics
These are suggestions to get you started. Feel free to choose one of them, modify it, or create your own.
1. Describe family life in a different historical period. Include such things as living arrangements, definitions of kinship and relationships, roles and norms, traditions and lifestyle, marriage ceremonies or rituals, childrearing practices and values, care of the elderly, and anything else that is interesting.
2. Describe family life in a different culture. Include such things as living arrangements, definitions of kinship and relationships, roles and norms, traditions and lifestyle, marriage ceremonies or rituals, childrearing practices and values, care of the elderly, and anything else that is interesting.
3. Describe how families negotiate an important life cycle transition such as adjusting to marriage, the first child, children leaving home, retirement, etc. (Choose only ONE transition). What changes do families face in terms of roles and relationships? What tasks and adjustments must they complete? How might the perspectives of various family members differ?
4. What challenges are faced by contemporary dual-career couples? How do they go about balancing work and family roles? What special stresses do they face, and what methods do they use to cope? How could the workplace be structured to help them manage all the demands on their time? Are there examples of companies that are especially family-friendly?
5. Compare the types of child care options available to
employed parents in the
6. Choose a nontraditional type of family (examples might be gay/lesbian families, interracial couples, families in which a stay-home father raises the children, families who adopt children from a different country, or anything other than the stereotypical American family). What special difficulties do they face in our culture and society? How do they cope? What efforts, if any, do they make to communicate their uniqueness, values, and traditions to their children?
7. Single-parent and stepfamilies are very common today. Choose one of them. What special challenges and tasks does this type of family face in our culture and society? How do they cope? What are some of the unique outcomes for the parents and children?
8. Choose one aspect of the divorce process – the stages of uncoupling, the legal issues, the custody process, the effects of divorce on children, or another issue. Describe what the experience is like. If appropriate, recommend ways to make the divorce process less detrimental to the partners and/or the children.
9. Choose a major family crisis or problem. Examples might be unemployment, illness or disability, violence and abuse, infidelity, substance abuse or addiction, or another problem of your choice. If the problem is considered voluntary (i.e., results from individual choice or deliberate behavior), what are some of the possible causes? What is the impact of the problem on the family? How do families adjust or cope? What theoretical perspectives have been applied to this problem? What solutions or treatments have been used?
10. Choose a public policy issue related to the family. Examples might be poverty and welfare, race
relations, workplace benefits and policy, abortion, gay rights issues,
responses to family violence, or some other issue of your choice. Why is this a matter
for public policy to address? Present at
least two different perspectives on the issue. Has this issue been visible in
Soc. 1201 Video Project
Grading Sheet
Full Name(s)________________________________________________________________
|
|
Possible Points |
Your Points |
|
Topic was approved by instructor (Sept. 23). |
5 |
|
|
Annotated bibliography submitted according to instructions (Oct. 21) |
15 |
|
|
Outline submitted according to instructions (Nov. 11). |
10 |
|
|
Final video (Dec. 9): Topic is adequately researched |
10 |
|
|
Main points are clear and are communicated well in audiovisual format |
25 |
|
|
Video quality is adequate (easy to see, hear, understand) |
15 |
|
|
Overall quality and/or creativity |
10 |
|
|
Directions for submission are followed correctly |
10 |
|
Class evaluations
|
25 |
|
|
Total Points |
125 |
|
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