Tags: health/medicine, psychology/social psychology, depression, higher education, mental health, stigma, 21 to 60 mins
Year: 2012 
Length: 25:26
Access: YouTube

Summary: As stated on the University of Michigan Depression Center's website: "Created to promote awareness about depression on the college campus, [The View From Here] features students from differing identity groups, ages, and degree programs telling of their experiences with the disease. It also features faculty and staff who have worked with depressed students, and faculty and staff who have suffered from depression themselves." Specifically, the documentary draws attention to the complexity of depression, as many people—including those who suffer from it—are unaware of the symptoms and prevalence of depression. Part of the complexity relates to the numerous symptoms that are associated with the condition, which range from anxiety, anger, feelings of emptiness, substance abuse, reckless behavior, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite, and panic, among many others. Because of this, depression can often go undiagnosed. The video would be useful to feature in a class on the sociology of mental health, as it offers many points of entry for discussing the various social factors that influence mental health. In addition to social triggers, the video also discusses treatment, which can include social and non-social forms of treatment such as counseling, spiritual treatments, and medication. 

Submitted By: AuntJessica

Tags: children/youth, gender, psychology/social psychology, cognitive-development theory, gender constancy, socialization, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 2009
Length: 0:41
Access: YouTube

Summary: This short clip is useful for teaching cognitive-development theory or, the way child development affects gender socialization. Specifically, the clip demonstrates and challenges the concept of gender constancy and how our understanding of gender as something constant and immutable is not inherent. Rather, what we consider natural or obvious is the product of social learning, i.e., socialization. Note that the older girl seems to regard the categories of "boy" and "girl" as more stable and less susceptible to change.

Submitted By: Michelle Sandhoff

Tags: biology, lgbtq, psychology/social psychology, sex/sexuality, birth order, ex-gay ministry, nurture vs. nature, socialization, sexual orientation, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 2007
Length: 4:44
Access: YouTube

Summary: Sociologists almost always find strong evidence of nurture over nature in our studies, but there is one research arena where the environment and socialization has little influence: sexual orientation. The lack of nurture’s influence on sexual orientation is explained in this parody of an educational video from the documentary The Bible Tells Me So. The cartoon highlights that while social scientists cannot find links between being gay and socialization factors like parenting styles, biological determinists find strong evidence for their nature arguments that claim sexual orientation depends largely on genes, hormones, and birth order. The video also highlights how the research reflects our patriarchy by focusing almost exclusively on gay men and not lesbians. Unfortunately, this biology-based video does equate male homosexuality to “feminization,” whereas sociologists know cultural constructions of femininity have little to do with sexual orientation and everything to do with stereotypes of gay men. Notwithstanding, the core message of this video is still very sociological because it outlines that since sexual orientation is neither an outcome of socialization or a lifestyle choice, “reparative” or “conversion” therapy is not only ineffective, but can actually become a damaging socialization experience itself.

Submitted By: Jason T. Eastman

Tags: children/youth, psychology/social psychology, race/ethnicity, ideal beauty, internalized racism, representation, self-esteem, self-image, social experiment, socialization, 06 to 10 mins 
Year: 2005
Length: 7:15
Access: YouTube

Summary:  In this youth-directed short documentary film produced by Reel Works Teen Filmmaking, director Kiri Davis interviews other young African American women to gain insight about their experiences with race, racism, and beauty standards, particularly as they relate to skin color, hair, and facial features. Davis also re-conducts Dr. Kenneth Clark's famous “doll test” from the 1940s, which was used in the historic desegregation case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) to show the psychological effects of segregation on black children. Davis's recreation of this experiment shows that, sadly, despite being conducted 60 years later, the results of the experiment are strikingly similar to the original. That is, 15 of the 21 black children in Davis's experiment are shown to prefer the white doll, often describing the white doll as "nice" and the black doll as "bad." A Girl Like Me can be used to teach numerous concepts, including various theories related to the self (e.g., self-image, self-esteem), internalized racism, and socialization. Click here for another clip on The Sociological Cinema that re-creates a version of this doll experiment in order to illustrate children's racial bias.

Submitted By: Valerie Chepp

Tags: crime/law/deviance, psychology/social psychology, broken windows theory, labeling theory, research ethics, social experiment, 21 to 60 mins 
Year: 1992 
Length: 28:46 
Access: YouTube (part 1; part 2; part 3)

Summary: In 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo set out to discover whether good people can do evil things if placed within particular social contexts. To examine this, he and his colleagues transformed the basement of Stanford University's Psychology Department into a makeshift prison, recruiting local college students to play the roles of prison guards and prisoners. This social experiment would later become known for its controversial nature, testing the ethical boundaries of social scientific research on human subjects. These clips are from the 1992 documentary film, Quiet Rage, which features original footage of the experiment along with follow-up interviews with research subjects. The documentary is excellent for teaching concepts central to the field of deviance and social control, including broken windows theory and labeling theory, as well as other core sociological concepts such as norms, roles, social expectations, and research ethics. This documentary was written by Zimbardo and directed and produced by Ken Musen. The Stanford Prison Experiment website features additional information and resources. 

I would like to thank Audrey Sprenger for suggesting this clip.

Submitted By: Valerie Chepp

Tags: goffman, psychology/social psychology, social construction, theory, face, impression management, interaction order, self, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 2004
Length: 2:16
Access: Comedy Central

Summary: One of the most difficult aspects of Ervin Goffman’s face to understand is the concept’s multifaceted nature. Face is both ‘something we are in’ during social interactions as we conform to social roles, identities and practices; but simultaneously face is also ‘something that can be gained and lost’ through our impression management. To overcome this difficulty, Dave Chappelle’s ‘When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong’ can be used to highlight the multifaceted nature of Goffman’s concept. In this video, Vernon Franklin feels a colleague violated the rules of the interaction order by being insensitive, thus creating a social situation where the two facets of face conflict with each other. Vernon is forced to choose between ignoring an insensitive comment and maintaining face as afforded to him by his colleagues because he abides by the rules of the interaction order; or challenging his offensive colleague and save the face he claims for himself through his personal pride and dignity. Vernon chose the former by leaving face and “keeping it real;” or he abandons the line others expect him to play to maintain a positive self-perception of his own self. Because of his own violation of interaction order, he ends up first losing face as afforded to him by others when he is fired from his high paying job and then the face he is able to claim for himself as he is relegated to the occupational role of a poorly paid car wash employee.

Submitted By: Jason T. Eastman

Tags: psychology/social psychology, theory, althusser, interpellation, hailing, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 1993
Length: 0:37
Access: YouTube (start 4:23; end 5:00)

Summary: In this short clip from the movie, The Fugitive, police officer Samuel Gerard (played by actor Tommy Lee Jones) chases after Dr. Richard Kimble, (played by actor Harrison Ford) a man on the run from the law, and wrongfully accused for the murder of his wife. Jones is unsure if the man he is chasing is in fact who he thinks it is, the fugitive he's been chasing. This clip is a great example to use when teaching the Althusserian concept of interpellation, or "hailing". When an individual is interpolated, the individual becomes the (addressed) subject. (Subjective) identity is established by the hailer at the moment a response in affirmation is made by the hailed. When the detective (Jones) leans his head over the stair's railing and yells "Richard" the unknown man (individual) becomes Kimble/Fugitive/Deviant (the subject) the moment he (Ford) looks up in response.

Submitted By: Aimee Koon

Tags: psychology/social psychology, social construction, theory, commuters, cooley, integrators, identity maintenance, looking-glass self, symbolic interactionism, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 1995
Length: 0:45
Access: YouTube

Summary: In this clip from the Seinfeld episode, "The Pool Guy" (Season 7, Episode 8), a panic-stricken George complains to Jerry about "worlds colliding" when "Independent George" (as single/identity presented to friends) may meet "Relationship George" (as 'boyfriend' to Susan/identity presented to potential and/or current partners) at a social event wherein both social networks are present. If such an event were to happen, then according to character George Costanza, "Independent George" would cease to exist (or visa versa). This clip serves as a great example of identity maintenance and symbolic interaction, including Cooley's looking-glass self (where George imagines his appearance differently across difference audiences). It is also an excellent illustration of Wayne Brekhus' work regarding identity commuters (or "chameleons") as explained in his book Peacocks, Chameleons and Centaurs: Gay Suburbia and the Grammar of Social Identity.

Submitted By: Aimee Koon

Tags: goffman, psychology/social psychology, theory, backstage, corrective practice, defensive practice, definition of the situation, dramaturgical discipline, front stage, impression management, interaction repair, protective practice, roles, symbolic interactionism, working consensus, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 1993
Length: 4:51
Access: YouTube

Summary: Clips from Seinfeld seem to be full of interesting insights about human interaction. Economists have been using Seinfeld clips to illustrate insights from rational choice theory, and here at last is a clip that demonstrates concepts from the symbolic interactionist perspective in sociology. In this clip from season 5, episode 10, "The Cigar Store Indian," Elaine and some other women are playing poker when Jerry shows up. He enters from the "outside," and it quickly becomes apparent he does not completely share the women's definition of the situation. The role he tries to enact (i.e., friend, comedian, potential lover) is completely bungled once he unwraps his gift of a cigar store Indian for Winona, who is Native American. Elaine tries to protect Jerry to no avail and attempts an interaction repair with her friend, Winona, but Jerry's errors are too great to overcome. The scene is a vivid illustration of what Goffman called a break down in his essay, "Embarrassment and Social Organization." Other useful scenes come from the episodes, "The Barber," "The Raincoats," and "The Lip Reader," all of which feature examples of disruption, embarrassment, and break down. 

Submitted By: Caitlin Cross-Barnet

Tags:  capitalism, children/youth, consumption/consumerism, corporations, marketing/brands, media, psychology/social psychology, advertising, false needs, 06 to 10 mins
Year:  2004
Length: 9:28
Access: YouTube

Summary: This excerpt is from the documentary The Corporation (based on the book by Joel Bakan), which examines the role of corporations in our lives today. This brief clip moves between commentary from Barbara Linn (professor of Psychiatry at Harvard's Baker Children's Center) and Lucy Hughes (a marketing executive at Initative Media), a Co-creator of "The Nag Factor." The Nag Factor is a scientific study of how children nag their parents to to "help corporations to help children nag for their products more effectively." Hughes notes the study found that "20% to 40% of purchases would not have occurred unless the child had nagged their parents" and emphasizes the use of psychologists and media technology to better advertise to children. Professor Linn is highly critical of the industry that spends $12 billion/year to market to children, and argues "comparing the marketing of yesteryear to the marketing of today is like comparing a BB gun to a smart bomb." Viewers may be asked if it is ethical to market to children? While Professor Linn argues against it, the marketing executive says she doesn't know, emphasizing that it is her job to sell products. What is the role of marketing and advertising in society today and has it gone too far? How is it related to capitalism (e.g. the Marxian concept of false needs) and the corporation? At 7:40, the clip ends with the story of two college students who became "corporate sponsors" to pay for their college tuition. See other educational uses of the documentary here and see also this NYT video on advertising on college campuses.

Submitted By: Paul Dean