Note: MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE RUBRIC FOR THIS PAPER SO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET THE POINTS FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. THE PROMPT IS MERELY A GUIDELINE TO HELP YOU ORGANIZE THE PAPER. THE KEY TO SCORING HIGHLY ON THIS PAPER IS TO MAKE SURE YOU ORGANIZE IT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS ME TO CLEARLY SEE HOW YOU ARE GETTING TO THE TOPICS PRESENTED IN THE RUBRIC. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ASSIGNMENT PLEASE SEE THE TUTORIAL ATTACHED TO THIS MODULE.
In this class, a number of sources have examined the various American fears, hopes, anxieties, and dreams that have formed over the years around race and schools. In particular we have looked at:
teacher in the hood movies and white savior movies–Our America, Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers, Lean on Me (use at least three)
a documentary on the desegregation crisis in Boston, MA
chapters from the book Savage Inequalities
In this paper, you are being asked to compare how each of these sources addresses or answers the following questions:
What does the source frame as the main problems facing urban schools, students, and residents?
What does the source frame as the main solution(s) to these problems?
What does the source frame as the major source(s) of resistance to the implementation of these solutions? Why don’t these problems get solved sooner or at all?
The teacher in the hood movies you can use for this paper should include: Lean on Me, Freedom Writers, and Dangerous Minds. You may also use the trailers from other teacher in the hood movies if they provide appropriate clues. You are grouping the teacher in the hood movies together as single source, although you should identify the individual film you are referring to in any given example. But the point is to find commonalities between the teacher in the hood movies.
While your argument can take any number of possible routes, every paper should address the following:
How does each source frame the overall question of agency and structure? Are the problems, solutions, and resistance in each source portrayed primarily as a function of agency, structure, a combination of both? In other words, does an agency viewpoint or a structural view point dominate movies like Our America, Freedom Writers, Lean on Me, and Dangerous Minds? How about the book Savage Inequalities? How about the documentary on the desegregation of schools in Boston? Compare and contrast how each source frames the questions of agency and structure. What problems, solutions, and resistance seen in the sources are the function of agency and what problems seen in the sources are the function of structure?
How does each source contend with the question of white racism (defined as racism by whites against non-whites)? What is the nature of white racism in each of the sources? What effect, if any, does white racism play, either on individual or mass level, on the problems, solutions, and resistance presented in each of the sources? Compare and contrast how each source addresses white racism. How significant of a factor is it in each source?
How do the sources address the importance of parenting? How does parenting in each source, if at all, contribute to the problems, solutions, and resistance presented. Compare and contrast how each source addresses parenting. How significant of a factor is it in each source?
Most importantly, do not shy away from addressing the importance of race to the ideological choices made by movie makers. Make race an important part of your analysis. You are being asked to deconstruct and then compare and contrast the dominant ideological underpinnings of each of these three sources, using agency/structure, white racism, and parenting as the building blocks of your argument.
The paper should include a 100-word-minimum conclusion. The conclusion does not have to be limited one paragraph. Which of the three source perspectives resonated as the most truthful one to you, personally, and why? Which of the three source perspectives resonated as the least truthful one to you, personally, and why? The conclusion should also address the meta-aspects of this assignment (i.e. Why do you think this paper was assigned to you? What is the point of it?).
Minimum Word Count=1500
Points=10
Note to Students: Every GE course at SSU needs to have a signature assignment. This assignment is the signature assignment for AMCS 392. Papers for this assignment will be archived anonymously and may be used by accreditors in the future to help determine the viability of Sonoma State’s GE program. Students do not need to do anything else besides complete the assignment, but I did want to inform you of this situation.
Rubric
Comparative Schools paper
Comparative Schools paper
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWord Count
3 pts
1500 words
Paper is at least 1500 words long, including a 100-word-minimum conclusion.
2 pts
1250 words
Paper is at least 1250 words long.
1 pts
1000 words
Paper is at least 1000 words long.
0 pts
No Marks
3 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAgency and Structure
.
3 pts
All three sources
Paper successfully contends with how agency and structure influence the ideological messages of all three sources.
2 pts
Two sources
Paper successfully contends with how agency and structure influence the ideological messages of two of the three sources.
1 pts
One Source
Paper successfully contends with how agency and structure influence the ideological messages of one source.
3 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWhite Racism
2 pts
All Three Sources
Paper successfully contends with how all three sources address the significance of white racism, if at all, to racial inequalities in schools.
1.5 pts
Two sources
Paper successfully contends with how two of the three sources address the significance of white racism, if at all, to racial inequalities in schools.
1 pts
One source
Paper successfully contends with how only one of the sources address the significance of white racism, if at all, to racial inequalities in schools.
2 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeParenting
2 pts
All three sources
Paper successfully contends with how all three sources address the significance of parenting, if at all, to the problems, solutions, and resistance to solutions facing inner-city schools.
1.5 pts
Two Sources
Paper successfully contends with how two of the sources address the significance of parenting, if at all, to the problems, solutions, and resistance to solutions facing inner-city schools.
1 pts
One sources
Paper successfully contends with how only one of the sources addresses the significance of parenting, if at all, to the problems, solutions, and resistance to solutions facing inner-city schools.
2 pts
Total Points: 100
Below please find the 11-paragraph model (preferred) and 5-paragraph model that you can use to organize the signature assignment.
NO ARGUMENT NEEDED—JUST HIT THE DATA POINTS
1500 words—approximately 150 words per paragraph
Introduction
Hollywood films—Agency/Structure
Boston documentary—Agency/Structure
Savage Inequalities book—Agency/Struture
Hollywood films—White racism
Boston documentary—White racism
Savage Inequalities book—White racism
Hollywood films—Parenting
Boston documentary—Parenting
Savage Inequalities book—Parenting
Conclusion—see prompt
Introduction
Hollywood films—all three data points
Boston—all three data points
Savage Inequalities—all three data points
Conclusion
