Sarah
The full quote as received is below. My changes we to maintain
privacy. That is no longer needed.
Sarah Murray wrote:
I don't feel you're being accurate,
necessarily-- I loved the movie, and my positive reactions are as
accurate as yours. Anyway, what I was asking was how to combat the
negativity displayed by SOME male students. Plenty of people e-mailed
back privately that if they refuse the viewing/discussion have them do
a long, awful research paper. I'll probably just have them read the
short story and answer questions if they are too faint-hearted for the
film But it's a work of art that can open minds and hearts, so I will
use it in some form for my courses.
How is it different from the way you worded it.
Del
Sarah Murray wrote:
I JUST REALIZED THAT YOUR QUOTE WAS
MANIPULATED TO READ FAR DIFFERENTLY THAN I WORDED IT TO YOU. I SAID
THAT PLENTY OF PEOPLE E-MAILED ME PRIVATELY TO SAY THEY THOUGHT THE
FILM WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO SHOW.
-----
Original Message -----
Sent:
Sunday, January 29, 2006 6:14 PM
Subject:
TEACHSOC: Re: using Brokeback Mountain to teach
Hi Jack,
I will address the punitive part first. By and large the post on the
list have a punitive response to most problems in the classroom,
tardiness, not working, etc. In the case of this movie
apparently the following took place with regard to those who would
refuse/object to viewing this film.
""Plenty of people e-mailed back privately
that if they refuse the viewing/discussion have them do a long, awful
research paper"
Next there is little data on what would be learned by showing the
film. The quality is not a question. For example, the film apocalypse
now was widely considered an anti war film.
However apocalypse now is used to charge college age males up for
battle. It has already been marketed as a love story with infidelity
.... so in some ways damage has been done.
Will students learn that homosexuality involves cheating on "good"
women. Who knows. On the other hand the marketing and reaction to the
film could be examined without showing
the film. For example, males who don't want to see it are quickly
labeled homophobic .... should those who want to see it be considered
voyeurs?
On the other hand Goodbye and Good Night which may not win Oscars
because of the way it was made could be more constructive in terms of
learning. Unlike Brokeback it is not fiction
and McCarthy's own words are used. Clips as have been suggested might
contain important information without risk of the doom and gloom
factor. Then I favor discovery more than
teacher/preacher classrooms and would not be likely to show films in
class. Perhaps extra credit for those who want to go and write a paper.
Del
Jack Estes wrote:
This is a topic close to my (teaching) heart. Couple
things here hit me: "a message that we want to promote" and "punitive
treatments for those...." Both lines seem a bit scary to me.
Is it the "message" we want, or is it the opportunity to teach - to
illustrate - some topic? Seems to me that almost any commercial film
can be used effectively in a clasroom in sociology if we use it as a
tool to look at the sociological issues involved (and not necessarily
to try to advance our own pet messages). Maybe the issue will be
exploitation by the producer (an external issue), or maybe it will be
an examination of the internal elements - in Brokeback's case the
relationships between the men, between the men and their wives, between
the men and the society, between the men and their boss. So much could
be studied here, I would think. In an intro class, we could look at
elements of culture (norms, values, sanctions, language, etc.), at
social structure, at socialiation, at deviance, at stratification, and
certainly at gender issues. At least. Seems to me the film - any film,
actually - is LOADED for such topics.
In fact, one of the benefits of using commercial films is to challenge
students to see their so-called casual interactions with popular
culture as, in fact, serious ways in which they are being socialized -
and exploited. It should help them to become aware of what they so
often take for granted.
I'm not sure what is meant by the punitive treatments. Did you mean,
Del, that these are punitive treatments by the "females" you refer to?
Or did you mean by the profs? Sounds like you refer to profs since you
talk about classroom experiences. I don't get this at all. You mean
you've heard that some profs are punishing students for not wanting to
watch this film? How would they do that? Seems confusing to me. Why
would they do that?
Anyway, just some Saturday morning thoughts.
Jack Estes
BMCC/CUNY
----- Original Message ----- From: "Del Thomas Ph. D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:23 AM
Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: using Brokeback Mountain to teach
Using commercial film in class
Does this film send a message that we want to promote in a sociology
class room? How do we know what is learned?
What about the variation of what is learned based on gender or faith?
This film has been marketed for females and their "Yes dear I'll go
with you" power. I understand that some have recommended
punitive treatments for those who do not want to have this as a
classroom experience.
Your thoughts.
Del
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