Category Archives: Social Stratification
Rize
“Rize” by the famous photographer and director David LaChapelle, is an amazing documentary that showcases the dancing culture of South Central LA. This culture is portrayed as the salvation for a community that is riddled with crime, drugs, and oppression. … Continue reading
Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women
Many people hold the belief that advertising does not affect them, stating that they are the exception to its influence. However, Jean Kibourne challenges this assumption in her shocking 1999 documentary called Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women. … Continue reading
Brown Eyes vs. Blue Eyes
Brown Eyes vs. Blue Eyes (1968) is a famous experiment done by Jane Elliot, where she gives her third grade students “a first-hand experience in the meaning of discrimination” (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/). She does this by dividing her class superior and inferior … Continue reading
Stupid in America
The John Stossel special Stupid in America (2006) looks at serious problems in the American education system. Whereas most people blame school inequality on lack of funding, Stossel argues that the real problem is how the money is spent. His … Continue reading
Grass
Grass is a documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that came out in 1999. This documentary chronicles the history of the social perceptions of Marijuana and Marijuana laws in the United States. The most fascinating aspect of this documentary is how … Continue reading
Human Stain
The Human Stain (2003) is an excellent example of the implications of the one-drop rule that only people of African decedent have historically faced in America. It details the great lengths the main character went through, out of fear of … Continue reading
Good Hair
“Good Hair,” it seems like such a benign term, however to the Black American female community this term embodies expectations that have racist roots. The film Good Hair (2009) details the extreme measures Black American females go through -including, spending … Continue reading