the american family in film & television

About The Course

2011-11-13T06:43:00.001-08:00

The American Family and Film and Television was taught by Wende Garrison at Portland State University during winter term of 2007, spring term of 2008, and the fall terms of both 2008 and 2009.

In this course students do two things. They become familiar with the events and mindsets of past decades (like the 1950s) through viewing films set in those decades and through viewing documentaries about those decades. They then analyze the ways families that were on television during those decades are portrayed, giving special attention to a handful of themes like gender roles, the image of the child, sexuality, and discipline.

Check back for additional curriculum postings.

Shitty First Drafts Extra Credit

2009-11-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Due Sunday December 13 2009

Four points possible

Requirements

Your paper must be 250 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 10 am pacific time on the due date (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

After reading the essay, think about your own writing history. Describe your writing history. (For example, has your writing process always been the same throughout all your years of school, or has it changed from highschool to college or from course to course?)
When you think deeply about why you put off writing certain papers, can you articulate your reason? Do you share any of the author's reasons?
Do you view yourself as a good writer? On what do you base your assessment?

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for discussing #1 of the assignment thoroughly
1 point for discussing #2 of the assignment thoroughly
1 point for discussing #3 of the assignment thoroughly

"Shitty First Drafts" from Bird By Bird

by Anne Lamont

Now, practically even better news than that of short assignments is the idea of shitty first drafts. All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts. People tend to look at successful writers, writers who are getting their books published and maybe even doing well financially, and think that they sit down at their desks every morning feeling like a million dollars, feeling great about who they are and how much talent they have and what a great story they have to tell; that they take in a few deep breaths, push back their sleeves, roll their necks a few times to get all the cricks out, and dive in, typing fully formed passages as fast as a court reporter. But this is just the fantasy of the uninitiated. I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much. We do not think that she has a rich inner life or that God likes her or can even stand her. (Although when I mentioned this to my priest friend Tom, he said you can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.)

Very few writers really know what they are doing until they've done it. Nor do they go about their business feeling dewy and thrilled. They do not type a few stiff warm-up sentences and then find themselves bounding along like huskies across the snow. One writer I know tells me that he sits down every morning and says to himself nicely, "It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do--you can either type or kill yourself." We all often feel like we are pulling teeth, even those writers whose prose ends up being the most natural and fluid. The right words and sentences just do not come pouring out like ticker tape most of the time. Now, Muriel Spark is said to have felt that she was taking dictation from God every morning--sitting there, one supposes, plugged into a Dictaphone, typing away, humming. But this is a very hostile and aggressive position. One might hope for bad things to rain down on a person like this.

For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts.

The first draft is the child's draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later. You just let this childlike part of you channel whatever voices and visions come through and onto the page. If one of the characters wants to say, "Well, so what, Mr. Poopy Pants?," you let her. No one is going to see it. If the kid wants to get into really sentimental, weepy, emotional territory, you let him. Just get it all down on paper, because there may be something great in those six crazy pages that you would never have gotten to by more rational, grown-up means. There may be something in the very last line of the very last paragraph on page six that you just love, that is so beautiful or wild that you now know what you're supposed to be writing about, more or less, or in what direction you might go--but there was no way to get to this without first getting through the first five and a half pages.

I used to write food reviews for California Magazine before it folded. (My writing food reviews had nothing to do with the magazine folding, although every single review did cause a couple of canceled subscriptions. Some readers took umbrage at my comparing mounds of vegetable puree with various ex-presidents' brains.) These reviews always took two days to write. First I'd go to a restaurant several times with a few opinionated, articulate friends in tow. I'd sit there writing down everything anyone said that was at all interesting or funny. Then on the following Monday I'd sit down at my desk with my notes, and try to write the review. Even after I'd been doing this for years, panic would set in. I'd try to write a lead, but instead I'd write a couple of dreadful sentences, XX them out, try again, XX everything out, and then feel despair and worry settle on my chest like an x-ray apron. It's over, I'd think, calmly. I'm not going to be able to get the magic to work this time. I'm ruined. I'm through. I'm toast. Maybe, I'd think, I can get my old job back as a clerk-typist. But probably not. I'd get up and study my teeth in the mirror for a while. Then I'd stop, remember to breathe, make a few phone calls, hit the kitchen and chow down. Eventually I'd go back and sit down at my desk, and sigh for the next ten minutes. Finally I would pick up my one-inch picture frame, stare into it as if for the answer, and every time the answer would come: all I had to do was to write a really shitty first draft of, say, the opening paragraph. And no one was going to see it.

So I'd start writing without reining myself in. It was almost just typing, just making my fingers move. And the writing would be terrible. I'd write a lead paragraph that was a whole page, even though the entire review could only be three pages long, and then I'd start writing up descriptions of the food, one dish at a time, bird by bird, and the critics would be sitting on my shoulders, commenting like cartoon characters. They'd be pretending to snore, or rolling their eyes at my overwrought descriptions, no matter how hard I tried to tone those descriptions down, no matter how conscious I was of what a friend said to me gently in my early days of restaurant reviewing. "Annie," she said, "it is just a piece of chicken. It is just a bit of cake."

But because by then I had been writing for so long, I would eventually let myself trust the process--sort of, more or less. I'd write a first draft that was maybe twice as long as it should be, with a self-indulgent and boring beginning, stupefying descriptions of the meal, lots of quotes from my black-humored friends that made them sound more like the Manson girls than food lovers, and no ending to speak of. The whole thing would be so long and incoherent and hideous that for the rest of the day I'd obsess about getting creamed by a car before I could write a decent second draft. I'd worry that people would read what I'd written and believe that the accident had really been a suicide, that I had panicked because my talent was waning and my mind was shot.

The next day, though, I'd sit down, go through it all with a colored pen, take out everything I possibly could, find a new lead somewhere on the second page, figure out a kicky place to end it, and then write a second draft. It always turned out fine, sometimes even funny and weird and helpful. I'd go over it one more time and mail it in.

Then, a month later, when it was time for another review, the whole process would start again, complete with the fears that people would find my first draft before I could rewrite it.

Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something--anything down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft--you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft--you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it's loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.

What I've learned to do when I sit down to work on a shitty first draft is to quiet the voices in my head. First there's the vinegar-lipped Reader Lady, who says primly, "Well, that's not very interesting, is it?" And there's the emaciated German male who writes these Orwellian memos detailing your thought crimes. And there are your parents, agonizing over your lack of loyalty and discretion; and there's William Burroughs, dozing off or shooting up because he finds you as bold and articulate as a houseplant; and so on. And there are also the dogs: let's not forget the dogs, the dogs in their pen who will surely hurtle and snarl their way out if you ever stop writing, because writing is, for some of us, the latch that keeps the door of the pen closed, keeps those crazy ravenous dogs contained.

Quieting these voices is at least half the battle I fight daily. But this is better than it used to be. It used to be 87 percent. Left to its own devices, my mind spends much of its time having conversations with people who aren't there. I walk along defending myself to people, or exchanging repartee with them, or rationalizing my behavior, or seducing them with gossip, or pretending I'm on their TV talk show or whatever. I speed or run an aging yellow light or don't come to a full stop, and one nanosecond later am explaining to imaginary cops exactly why I had to do what I did, or insisting that I did not in fact do it.

I happened to mention this to a hypnotist I saw many years ago, and he looked at me very nicely. At first I thought he was feeling around on the floor for the silent alarm button, but then he gave me the following exercise, which I still use to this day.

Close your eyes and get quiet for a minute, until the chatter starts up. Then isolate one of the voices and imagine the person speaking as a mouse. Pick it up by the tail and drop it into a mason jar. Then isolate another voice, pick it up by the tail, drop it in the jar. And so on. Drop in any high-maintenance parental units, drop in any contractors, lawyers, colleagues, children, anyone who is whining in your head. Then put the lid on, and watch all these mouse people clawing at the glass, jabbering away, trying to make you feel like shit because you won't do what they want--won't give them more money, won't be more successful, won't see them more often. Then imagine that there is a volume-control button on the bottle. Turn it all the way up for a minute, and listen to the stream of angry, neglected, guilt-mongering voices. Then turn it all the way down and watch the frantic mice lunge at the glass, trying to get to you. Leave it down, and get back to your shitty first draft.

A writer friend of mine suggests opening the jar and shooting them all in the head. But I think he's a little angry, and I'm sure nothing like this would ever occur to you.

1950s Movie Extra Credit Assignment: October Sky

2009-11-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

Due Sunday December 13 2009
The point of watching a movie set in the decade we are about to study is to get you in the mood of the decade. In teaching this course a few times, I have noticed that each decade we study seems to be so different from the current decade that students have a hard time truly grasping it. We will watch a documentary about each decade, but all those facts and events don't seem to help students grasp the feeling of the decade, the prevailing mood of the decade, how people who lived then thought, what was normal to them, what was important to them.

So when you watch one of the movies set in the decade we are about to study, try to absorb the mood of the decade. Try to get a feeling for what it might be like to live in that decade.

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 10 am pacific time on the due date (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

Assignment
After you write this paper/reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion at the end of your paper. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the questions.

For this essay, please rent and watch the movie October Sky, released in 1999. Not every video store will have a copy of this movie as it is older. See the right side panel of this blog for the telephone numbers of two video stores that do carry the film. Call and try to reserve the film before you go to any video store. Netflix also carries the film.

Study the parenting in the film and use three scenes from the movie to discuss how the era or the environment (small town, depressed economy in town) influenced the type of parenting seen.
Remember that you will cite scenes from the movie to prove the three points you are making and are discussing thoroughly.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
1 point for discussing one way in which the era or the environment (small town, depressed economy in town) influenced the type of parenting seen in the film (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for discussing one way in which the era or the environment (small town, depressed economy in town) influenced the type of parenting seen in the film(only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for discussing one way in which the era or the environment (small town, depressed economy in town) influenced the type of parenting seen in the film(only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for treating the title of the film correctly according to a nationally accepted citation style of your choosing

1970s Extra Credit Movie Assignment: Born on the Fourth of July

2009-11-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

Due Monday November 30 2009
The point of watching a movie set in the decade we are about to study is to get you in the mood of the decade. In teaching this course a few times, I have noticed that each decade we study seems to be so different from the current decade that students have a hard time truly grasping it. We will watch a documentary about each decade, but all those facts and events don't seem to help students grasp the feeling of the decade, the prevailing mood of the decade, how people who lived then thought, what was normal to them, what was important to them.

So when you watch one of the movies set in the decade we are about to study, try to absorb the mood of the decade. Try to get a feeling for what it might be like to live in that decade.

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on 10/19/2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

Assignment
After you write this paper/reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion at the end of your paper. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the questions.

For this essay, please rent and watch the Oliver Stone film Born on the Fourth of July, released in 1989. Not every video store will have a copy of this movie as it is older. See the right side panel of this blog for the telephone numbers of two video stores that do carry the film. Call and try to reserve the film before you go to any video store. Netflix also carries the film.

Before watching the film please read the portion of the Wikipedia entry "Post Vietnam War Activities." Then read the entire entry on the My Lai Massacre at Wikipedia. Its important to be aware that Vietnam was the only war America had ever lost. It was incredibly hard for all Americans to be involved in such a long and defeated cause. And the attitudes toward the war at home were extremely negative, for a variety of reasons, including My Lai. When soldiers returned from Vietnam, they were sometimes spit on in the street.
Watch the movie carefully, trying to get a deep feel for how everyone in the film reacts to serving in the military and war in general before Ron signs up and after he returns.
Just as in the Revolutionary Road, the question was "what are the rules?", and in the JFK essay the question is "what are the deep differences?", in this essay, the question is
How is military service and the war perceived? And how is that different or the same from now?
Remember that you will cite scenes from the movie to prove the three points you are making and are discussing thoroughly.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
1 point for discussing how military service is perceived before Ron goes to war (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for discussing how the war is perceived after Ron returns from war (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for discussing how these perceptions are different or the same as war and military service now (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for treating the title of the film correctly according to a nationally accepted citation style of your choosing

1950s Extra Credit Movie Assignment: Pleasantville

2009-10-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Due Monday November 2 2009
The point of watching a movie set in the decade we are about to study is to get you in the mood of the decade. In teaching this course a few times, I have noticed that each decade we study seems to be so different from the current decade that students have a hard time truly grasping it. We will watch a documentary about each decade, but all those facts and events don't seem to help students grasp the feeling of the decade, the prevailing mood of the decade, how people who lived then thought, what was normal to them, what was important to them.

So when you watch one of the movies set in the decade we are about to study, try to absorb the mood of the decade. Try to get a feeling for what it might be like to live in that decade.

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on 11/2/2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

At the beginning of the movie, notice the home situation of David/Bud. Notice how attentive his mother is to him as compared to the scene with Bud he is watching on TV. At the end of the movie, notice how David/Bud interacts with his mom. What has he learned?
What changes do David and Jennifer bring to Pleasantville. Keep a list of the things they change--both big and small.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
1 point for discussing thoroughly what David/Bud has learned in relation to dealing with his mother.
1 point for describing one change that is brought to Pleasantville, citing a scene and commenting on why this change was chosen, or what effect it will have on the people of Pleasantville. For instance, are they happier after the change than they were before?
1 point for describing a second change that is brought to Pleasantville, citing a scene and commenting on why this change was chosen, or what effect it will have on the people of Pleasantville. For instance, are they happier after the change than they were before?
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for treating the title of the film correctly according to a nationally accepted citation style of your choosing

Learn Your Name Assignment

2009-10-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Description

It is 100% your responsibility to make sure I know your name by Friday October 30 2009 (or the end of week five.)

The best way to do this is to come to class early each day. I generally try to arrive a few minutes early and I practice people's names while we are waiting for class to start.
Another effective way is to make a little desk tent with your name written on it in colorful, large letters.
It also works well for you to personally tell me a unique fact about yourself ("I'm an identical twin." "I fly helicopters." "I write a poem every day.")
Check in with me often until I assure you that I know your name.

Points

Due

Friday October 30 2009

Objective

It is my strongly held belief that real learning only happens in relationship. Maybe humans can memorize facts in isolation, but in order for knowledge to really sink in and affect your heart and mind, you have to be in relationship, discussing knowledge and its implications. This is a big class. The only way for us to connect with each other in a class this size is to work hard at knowing each other. Let's start with our names.

1960s Movie Assignment: JFK

2009-10-09T08:35:00.001-07:00

Due Monday October 19 2009
The point of watching a movie set in the decade we are about to study is to get you in the mood of the decade. In teaching this course a few times, I have noticed that each decade we study seems to be so different from the current decade that students have a hard time truly grasping it. We will watch a documentary about each decade, but all those facts and events don't seem to help students grasp the feeling of the decade, the prevailing mood of the decade, how people who lived then thought, what was normal to them, what was important to them.

So when you watch one of the movies set in the decade we are about to study, try to absorb the mood of the decade. Try to get a feeling for what it might be like to live in that decade.

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on 10/19/2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

Assignment
After you write this paper/reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion at the end of your paper. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the questions.

For this essay, please rent and watch the Oliver Stone film JFK, released in 1991. Not every video store will have a copy of this movie as it is older. See the right side panel of this blog for the telephone numbers of two video stores that do carry the film. Call and try to reserve the film before you go to any video store. Netflix also carries the film.

Watch the movie carefully, trying to get a deep feel for the differences in the culture between present time and the 1960s. Identify three deep differences. Be careful in doing this. In order to do this, you will have to pay close attention to the movie. If you have never seen the film, you may have to watch it twice. It is a captivating story and it may absorb you. In that case, go back and watch it a second time to be able to gather evidence for the position you will take in the essay you will write.
You may be able to find the movie online somewhere. In my google search I found the following link.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3GlGaZP5W4 (this is in parts. look on the right hand side for the subsequent parts.)
- http://mymovees.com/archives/watch-jfk/
Be aware I have not tested this link. Be cautious when visiting any website or downloading any content. The instructor and Portland State takes no responsibility for students watching films for this course online and would always recommend renting the film.
Just as in the last essay, the question was "what are the rules?", in this essay the question is "what are the deep differences?"
To caution you again, you must find deep differences. Differences in fashion, cars, etc. will not receive points.
Remember that you will cite scenes from the movie to prove the three deep differences you find and discuss thoroughly.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
1 point for the first deep difference (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for the second deep difference (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for the three deep difference (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for treating the title of the film correctly according to a nationally accepted citation style of your choosing

Swine Flu or H1N1 Flu Symptoms

2009-10-07T09:18:00.001-07:00

According to the CDC, like seasonal flu, symptoms of swine flu/H1N1 flu infections can include:

fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
cough
runny nose or stuffy nose
sore throat
body aches
headache
chills
fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu

Signs of a more serious swine flu/H1N1 flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure.

1960s Movie Extra Credit Assingment: Bewitched

2009-10-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Due Monday November 23 2009

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on 11/23/2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

Assignment
After you write this paper/reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion at the end of your paper. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the questions.

For this essay, watch the first two episodes of the series (episode one and two of season one) (http://tv.blinkx.com/show/bewitched/0fmizvFVNqilv3Sjtaox_YKY_Nw#s1) or (http://www.tv.com/bewitched/show/140/episode.html?tag=list_header;paginator;1&season=1) of the 1960s TV series Bewitched. Next rent and watch the 2005 movie Bewitched.

The first two episodes are:

I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha
Be It Ever So Mortgaged

Please study how the main character, Samantha, is portrayed in both pieces of media. In your essay, please compare and contrast the differences in those portrayals.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
1 point for the first deep difference (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for the second difference (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for the three difference (only if an appropriate scene is cited and then discussed thoroughly.)
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for treating the title of the film correctly according to a nationally accepted citation style of your choosing

Late Policy

2009-10-04T21:02:00.001-07:00

For papers turned in late, a point will be deducted for each 24 hour period the paper is late.

Index cards cannot be turned in late.

Revolutionary Road Assignment

2009-09-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on Monday October 5 2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

In the film Revolutionary Road (2008) April Wheeler (played by Kate Winslet) asks her husband Frank Wheeler (played by Lenardo DiCaprio) "who made these rules?". In your essay, please list the rules you think she was referring to. Please be as detailed and complete as possible. Be sure you cite scenes that demonstrate your claims. Remember I have seen the movie. You do not need to summarize it. Time spent summarizing will drop how many points you can earn.
Next, comment in depth about what rules are in place today. It may be that, in your opinion, some of the exact same rules are in place today. It may be that different ones are in place. There is no right answer.

Syllabus for CFS 399 during Fall 2009

2009-09-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

The American Family in Film and Television

About the Course

Images of the American family on both the small and silver screen have a great influence on our society. Gender roles and parenting styles from post-war television shows are still influential even more than 50 years later. Notable films have changed our national conversation about families.

This course explores those powerful images and follows the evolution of the changing image of the American family in film and television throughout three of the most influential deacdes of the 20th century and compares the realities he American family faced during the same time periods.

Special attention is given to economic, political, and social changes, their affects on families, and how film and television families mirrored those societal changes or shifted in response to them.

About the Instructor

With interdisciplinary degrees in Film & Television and Rhetoric & Composition, Wende Bonner Morgaine has been teaching at Portland State since 2001. Wende has taught a wide range of courses:, including

Family Studies
The Serial Killer Film Genre
Gay Rights, Film, Television, and Social Change
Politics, the Silver Screen and You
The City in Film

As a genre scholar, Wende is always interested in what various pieces of media can tell us about the people who watch them.

When she's not teaching, Wende is a leading national expert in facilitating group creation and revision of authentic assessments by faculty for higher education. VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) Initiative Manager for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, her skills in designing, organizing and coordinating comprehensive national educational projects are unprecedented.

To contact Wende about any questions you have about this course, please email her at wendemm@gmail.com. Include "CFS" in the subject line so your messages doesn't get deleted in her spam.

About the Course Policies

The first policy to be aware of is that all written information provided about this course and its assignments are subject to change. Information about all other Portland State policies, including policies about the flu, that apply to this course can be found on the course blog at:

http://americanfamilyontv.blogspot.com/

About the Flu

Here are some policies that, if followed, can help control the epidemic.

Students will not be penalized for illness-related absences and will be provided with opportunity to make up missed assignments.
Faculty will not require a physician’s note for student absences. If faculty are concerned that student absences might not be justified they should contact the Dean of Students.
Faculty are responsible for communicating basic information available from Student Health and Counseling Services (SHAC) regarding prevention and control of flu to their class on, at least, a weekly basis. Information and recommendations will be updated regularly on the SHAC site http://www.shac.pdx.edu/.
Faculty have the authority and responsibility to require a student who is exhibiting clear symptoms of the flu to leave the classroom and not return until they are without a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.* According to the Centers for Disease Control flu symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, tiredness (can be extreme), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches.
Faculty should provide alternative means of communication with flu-affected students so that the student may continue contact with the course. Examples include use of email or websites. OIT is developing additional tools that can be found on their website http://oit.pdx.edu/ that will be useful to faculty in helping ill students maintain contact with the class.
Faculty must stay home and use their sick leave if they have flu symptoms and not return to work until they are without a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.* Faculty should work with their chair, in advance, to identify other faculty or graduate students who may be able to cover their classes.
Faculty should work to create a classroom environment, when possible, that minimizes flu transmission. Examples include not passing out paper that might be handed from one student to another, when possible asking students to leave empty chairs or desks between them.
In the event of a campus shut down PSU will issue specific guidelines, policies, and procedures regarding matters such as course completion, grading, and financial aid that might not be covered by existing policies.

CDC guidance recommends that, based on current flu conditions, faculty, students, and staff with flu-like illness should stay in their home, dormitory, or residence hall until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

About Renting Movies

You will need to rent between three and six movies for this course. That will be the extent of the cost associated with this course. In addition, we will be seeing documentaries and television episodes during each class period. All the materials we will see in class (except for one) are available through Netflix. (One of the documentaries cannot be rented anywhere.) You can get a monthly membership at Netflix (with unlimited Instant Watching) for less than ten dollars a month. Some of the movies you will be asked to watch on your own are hard to find in video stores.

If you do not use Netflix, I suggest either the Hollywood Video on Burnside by PGE Park or Movie Madness at aproximately 43^rd and Belmont. Either way, it will be easiest if you watch the movies you are writing papers on (especially for the 1960s assignmen) as a group to cut down on the number of copies you, as a class, need to rent of each film. Be careful however to not discuss the movies you see together as this often leads to papers that seem plagarized.

About Social Media

Although I am on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, I have a policy that I do not friend, follow, or connect with students until after the term is over.

About the First Day

3:15 Have students come to the front of the class and pick up all handouts
Explanation of first day card and cards due later

3:20 Reasons Not To Take This Class

3:30 Roll call

3:40 The American Family in Film & Television: Why?

3:50 The American Family in Film & Television: How?
- Syllabus

- Schedule

- Points

- Objectives

Reasons Not To Take This Class

2009-09-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

You don't come to class or You leave class early or You come to class late Your final grade in this course is based on 100 points. 46 of those 100 points are earned by being in the classroom for the entire hour and five minutes the class runs for. If you lose 46 points, you cannot pass the course. The lowest grade you can pass this course with is a D minus, which is 60 points. If you come late, you will lose half those 46 points. If you leave early, you will lose half those 46 points. If you don't come to class at all you will lose all those 46 points. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where attendance is not required. Choose your options based on who you are and how you are likely to behave.

You don't like television We are gonna watch a lot of television in this class. And when we aren't watching it, we are talking about it. If you don't like TV, you are gonna be miserable. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where watching TV is not required. Choose your options based on who you are and what you enjoy.

You don't like movies We are gonna watch some movies for this class. And the only assignments you are gonna do outside of class are on movies. If you don't like movies, you are gonna be miserable. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where watching movies is not required. Choose your options based on who you are and what you enjoy.

You don't like documentaries We are gonna watch a lot of documentaries in this class. In order for you to understand the main tasks of this course, you are going to have to pay attention during documentaries, take notes, and be able to discuss the documentaries in class. I am the first to admit documentaries are a little dry. But they are good way to slog through a decade of information quickly. But if you just completely hate documentaries, you are gonna be miserable. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where watching documentaries is not required. Choose your options based on who you are and what you can stand doing.

You don't like history This is a course in which we examine television from the 1950s through the 1970s And we watch movies and documentaries about those decades. Those were heady years—full of events and changes that have formed the bedrock of the lives we live now. If you find looking back on history in order to learn something about why we are the way we are to be boring or distasteful, you will be miserable in this class. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where delving into history is not required. Choose your options based on who you are and what you enjoy.

You don't like group discussion Pretty much every day in this class, you will talk in a small group. You will be assigned to a different group for each decade. You will sit with that group every day. This is a big class, so the only way to really dig into the issues we need to examine in an in-depth manner, we have to divide up. This mass of people. We will get a lot deeper in a small group discussion than we would in a big one. So if you are looking for straight lectures, you will hate it here. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State that are just straight lectures. Choose your options based on who you are and how you learn best.

You don't like making comments or asking questions in class Your final grade in this course is based on 100 points. 14 of those 100 points can only be earned by making comments or asking questions during our large class discussions. There is no pressure on your comments or questions: absolutely no way to say the wrong thing. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where being completely silent in class is the status quo. Choose your options based on who you are and what you feel comfortable doing.

You prefer tests There are no tests in this class. It is my opinion that tests do not demonstrate to me what you know, what you think, or what you have learned. So I don't give tests. If you love tests, you will be miserable here. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where taking tests is required. Choose your options based on who you are and what you enjoy.

You prefer reading text books There is no reading in this class. We will get our information by watching various texts. If prefer to read, you will be miserable here. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where reading is the primary way to access information. Choose your options based on who you are and how you learn best.

You hate giving your opinion in papers Your final grade in this course is based on 100 points. 28 of those 100 points can only be earned by writing four short papers on movies. In these papers, you will only be sharing your thoughts and opinions. These papers are not based on research but are based on your ideas about specific parts of the movies you will be renting and viewing. Know yourself. There are tons of classes at Portland State where leaving your opinion out of your papers is preferred. Choose your options based on who you are and what you enjoy.

Fall 2009 CFS 399 Assignment Objectives

2009-09-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Roll Call Attendance Objective

Description

At the beginning of each class, I will call roll. If you are not in the class, able to say "here" when I call your name, you will not receive the one point for that day. No exceptions.

Points

1 point per day, 23 points total

Due

All class days

Objective

Almost everything you will learn from this course, you will learn inside our classroom. We will see TV episodes inside our classroom. We will see documentaries inside our classroom. I explain assignments inside our classroom. But class itself is only an hour and five minutes long. So, from my perspective, each one of those 65 minutes is precious. I have a lot to try and pack into such a short period of time. In order to pack everything into class that we need, I need everyone to be in the classroom. If we are doing an activity and someone comes in late, with time being so short, I cannot afford to stop and re-explain the activity. So earn your points: arrive on time. Better be safe than sorry: arrive early.

H1N1 Flu Clarification

In order to prevent the spread of the flu, Portland State has instituted a policy for this Fall 2009 that states:

"Students will not be penalized for illness-related absences and will be provided with opportunity to make up missed assignments." While you will not be given roll call points if you are absent for any reason, in order to encourage you to stay home if you feel at all ill, I have provided 21 points of extra credit (7 points for each decade section of the class) that you can easily earn. It is the policy of Portland State that, if you are at all ill, you must stay home. Use the extra credit to ensure you get all the points you need.

Card Attendance Objective

Description

At the end of each class, you will line up to exit the classroom and hand me your completed attendance card, telling me your name as you hand it to me. Cards are not accepted early. If you don't turn a certain day's card in when cards are being collected, you will not receive the point for that card. No exceptions. (The cards will often need to be completed outside of class.) The cards due in the future are available only in class.

Points

1 point per day, 23 points total

Due

All class days

Objective

Almost everything you will learn from this course, you will learn inside our classroom. We will see TV episodes inside our classroom. We will see documentaries inside our classroom. I explain assignments inside our classroom. But class itself is only an hour and five minutes long. So, from my perspective, each one of those 65 minutes is precious. I have a lot to try and pack into such a short period of time. In order to pack everything into class that we need, I need everyone to be in the classroom., THE WHOLE TIME. Leaving early means you miss out on important discussions and often on important assignment directions. So earn your points: stay for the entire class session.

H1N1 Flu Clarification:

IIn order to prevent the spread of the flu, Portland State has instituted a policy for this Fall 2009 that states:

Learn Your Name Assignment Objective

Description

It is 100% your responsibility to make sure I know your name by Friday October 30 2009 (or the end of week five.) The best way to do this is to come to class early each day. I generally try to arrive a few minutes early and I practice people's names while we are waiting for class to start. It also works well for you to personally tell me a unique fact about yourself ("I'm an identical twin." "I fly helicopters." "I write a poem every day.") Check in with me often until I assure you that I know your name.

Points

Due

Friday October 30 2009

Objective

Participation Assignment Objectives

Description

You receive these points when you speak in class. This is a class in which all our discussions are based on opinions. So there's no pressure to say the right thing. Lots of times during discussion, you will be commenting on what you saw, what you liked. In order to earn these points, you should make 5 comments in class over the course of the term. About one comment every other week. In doing so, you can be voicing your opinion or asking a question. Its a casual environment, so don't sweat it.

Points

Due

Friday December 4 2009

Objective

It is my strongly held belief that each student in my class has a unique perspective on the material we will be viewing. Our experience as we study this material is great enriched if we hear everyone's thoughts on the subject. Some students are naturally given to speaking in class. Some aren't. But in this course, we need to hear from ALL of you. You can easily earn 14 points just by asking questions or sharing your opinions. So don't be shy. Contribute to our large class discussions 5 times and wala: 14 points!

Fall 2009 CFS 399 Points

2009-09-27T17:58:00.001-07:00

Roll Call Attendance

1 point per day, 23 points total

At the beginning of each class, I will call roll. If you are not in the class, able to say "here" when I call your name, you will not receive the one point for that day. No exceptions.

Card Attendance

1 point per day, 23 points total

At the end of each class, you will line up and hand me your completed attendance card, telling me your name as you hand it to me. Cards are not accepted early. If you don't turn a certain day's card in when cards are being collected, you will not receive the point for that card. No exceptions.

Learn Your Name by the End of Week Five Assignment

14 points total

Due Friday October 30 2009

It is 100% your responsibility to make sure I know your name by Friday October 30 2009 (or the end of week five.) The best way to do this is to come to class early. I generally try to arrive a few minutes early and I practice people's names while we are waiting for class to start. It also works well for you to personally tell me a unique fact about yourself ("I'm an identical twin." "I fly helicopters." "I write poem every day.")

Participation Assignment

14 points total

Due Friday December 4 2009

You receive these points based on whether you speak in class. This is a class in which all our discussions are based on opinions. So there's no pressure to say the right thing. Lots of times during discussion, you will be commenting on what you saw, what you liked. In order to earn these points, you should make 5 comments in class over the course of the term. About one every other week. In doing so, you can be voicing your opinion or asking a question. Its a casual environment, so don't sweat it.

Revolutionary Road Paper

7 points total

Due Monday October 5 2009

You will receive a handout on this assignment separately.

1960s Movie Paper

7 points total

Due Monday October 19 2009

You will receive a handout on this assignment separately.

Media Motivation Paper

7 points total

Due Monday November 2 2009

You will receive a handout on this assignment separately.

Kramer vs Kramer Paper

7 points total

Due Monday November 11 2009

You will receive a handout on this assignment separately.

Fall 2009 Five Action Steps: For Students, Faculty and Staff to Prevent the Spread of Flu (Including 2009 H1N1 Flu)

2009-09-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 4 main ways you may keep from getting sick with the flu:

1. Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

2. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.

3. Stay home or at your place of residence if you are sick for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Staying away from others while sick can prevent others from getting sick too. Ask a roommate, friend, or family member to check up on you and to bring you food and supplies if needed.

4. Get vaccinated for seasonal flu and, if you are in a priority group (see www.flu.gov), for H1N1 when it becomes available.

5. Seek urgent medical attention for symptoms like: difficulty breathing; pain or pressure in chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness or confusion; severe vomiting; flu like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough.

Additional Information

General Information about 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination can be found at: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination
Information about seasonal flu vaccine can be found at: www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm
Resources available at PSU can be found at: http://www.shac.pdx.edu/

Fall 2009 Portland State University Classroom Policies for Flu Season 09-10

2009-09-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Portland State University is committed to maintaining the safest possible environment to promote the health and well-being of its students, faculty, and staff. H1N1 flu is being reported at many colleges and universities across the country and it is likely that there will be an epidemic of H1N1 in addition to the usual seasonal flu. The H1N1 virus will affect younger people to a much greater extent than seasonal flu, but everyone is at risk. We all have a responsibility to help prevent the spread of flu and faculty can play a particularly important role. Everyone should review Preparing for the Flu. This is an exceptional resource document by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.flu.gov/professional/school/higheredtoolkit.html

Here are some policies that, if followed, can help control the epidemic.

A. Students will not be penalized for illness-related absences and will be provided with opportunity to make up missed assignments.

B. Faculty will not require a physician’s note for student absences. If faculty are concerned that student absences might not be justified they should contact the Dean of Students.

C. Faculty are responsible for communicating basic information available from Student Health and Counseling Services (SHAC) regarding prevention and control of flu to their class on, at least, a weekly basis. Information and recommendations will be updated regularly on the SHAC site http://www.shac.pdx.edu/.

D. Faculty have the authority and responsibility to require a student who is exhibiting clear symptoms of the flu to leave the classroom and not return until they are without a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.* According to the Centers for Disease Control flu symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, tiredness (can be extreme), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches.

E. Faculty should provide alternative means of communication with flu-affected students so that the student may continue contact with the course. Examples include use of email or websites. OIT is developing additional tools that can be found on their website http://oit.pdx.edu/ that will be useful to faculty in helping ill students maintain contact with the class.

F. Faculty must stay home and use their sick leave if they have flu symptoms and not return to work until they are without a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.* Faculty should work with their chair, in advance, to identify other faculty or graduate students who
may be able to cover their classes.

G. Faculty should work to create a classroom environment, when possible, that minimizes flu transmission. Examples include not passing out paper that might be handed from one student to another, when possible asking students to leave empty chairs or desks between them.

H. In the event of a campus shut down PSU will issue specific guidelines, policies, and procedures regarding matters such as course completion, grading, and financial aid that might not be covered by existing policies.

* CDC guidance recommends that, based on current flu conditions, faculty, students, and staff with flu-like illness should stay in their home, dormitory, or residence hall until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

Fall 2009 Religious Holy Days Policy

2009-09-16T08:56:00.001-07:00

As announced in the Portland State University Registration Guide, University policy is as follows:

Religious Holy Days

"Any student who, because of religious beliefs, is unable to attend classes on a particular day shall be excused from attendance requirements and from any examination or other assignment on that day.

The student shall make up the examination or other assignment missed because of the absence. Students should make arrangements with their instructors prior to the holy day."

Please keep this University policy in mind as you and your colleagues work with our students.

Thank you.

Roy W. Koch, Provost

Fall 2009 Schedule

2009-08-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

Week One

Monday Day One
Intro to class
Wednesday Day Two
Intro to watching movies, intro writing about them
Friday
No class, instructor out of town

Week Two

Monday Day Three
Establish 1950s groups
Discuss movies
Revolutionary Road Paper due
Wednesday Day Four
No class - instructor ill
Friday Day Five
Father Knows Best

Week Three

Monday Day Six
1950s Remarkable Century
Wednesday Day Seven
1950s Remarkable Century
Friday Day Eight
I Love Lucy

Week Four

Monday Day Nine (10/19)
View 1950s Color Adjustment
Discuss 1960s movies
1960s JFK paper due
Wednesday Day Ten
1960s Remarkable Century, part one
Friday Day Eleven
Andy Griffith

Week Five

Monday
No class, instructor out of town
Wednesday
No class, instructor out of town
Friday Day Twelve (10/30)
1960s Remarkable Century, part two
Media Motivation paper due
Learn Your Name Assignment due

Week Six

Monday Day Thirteen (11/2)
Dick Van Dyke
1950s Extra Credit (Pleasantville) paper due
Wednesday Day Fourteen
1960s Color Adjustment
Friday
No class, instructor out of town

Week Seven

Monday
No class, instructor out of town
Wednesday Day Fifteen
No class-Veteran's Day
Friday Day Sixteen (11/13)
Establish 1970s groups
Discuss 1970s movies
1970s Kramer vs Kramer paper due

Week Eight

Monday Day Seventeen
1970s Remarkable Century, part one
Wednesday Day Eighteen
All in the Family
Friday Day Nineteen
1970s Remarkable Century, part two

Week Nine

Monday Day Twenty (11/23)
Waltons, part one
1960s Extra Credit (Bewitched) paper due
Wednesday
No class-Thanksgiving
Friday
No class-Thanksgiving

Week Ten

Monday Day Twenty-one (11/30)
Waltons, part two
1970s Extra Credit due (Born on the Fourth of July) paper due
Wednesday Day Twenty-two
1970s Color Adjustment
Friday Day Twenty-three
Course conclusions

Finals Week

No meeting during finals week
Extra Credit due (October Sky) paper due
Extra Credit due (Shitty First Drafts) paper due

Media Motivation Assignment: "Why Do Watch TV?"

2009-06-05T17:29:00.001-07:00

Due Friday October 30 2009

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on 10/30/2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

Assignment

If you currently watch television, observe your television habits for a few days. Notice why you turn on the TV. Notice how you feel when you start watch TV and notice how you feel when you stop. Notice what kinds of shows you choose. Reflect on why you choose those shows.
If you don't currently watch television email me.
After spending a few days thinking about this and watching yourself, please answer the following question in great detail and depth, citing examples: Why do you watch TV?
After you write this reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the question, seriously question yourself, your behavior, and your motivations.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
3 points for explaining why you watch TV (or a substitution you and I have agreed upon) with depth and thoroughness.
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for a paper free of obvious errors--it seems clear from reading it that you wrote it, then edited it. This isn't about correct grammar. Its about glaring typos, etc. This is a point for taking care in what you submit. Putting effort in, respecting your own ability enough to go over what you turn in and make sure its the best it can be.

The Waltons Reflection Assignment

2009-05-29T21:03:00.001-07:00

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Do not summarize.

These are opinion pieces.

Reflection Questions

In what ways is what is actually going on in the 1970s show up in the plot of this episode. Cite specific events or realities of the 70s as well as specific scenes or plots of the episode. DO NOT summarize at length. When you cite specific scenes or plots from the episode, one sentence of description will be MORE than enough.

All in the Family Reflection Assignment

2009-05-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

Due in class on May 29th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XNLOGrnmIw

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it.

Fill both sides of the page!

Reflection Questions

In this series, Archie and racist and sexist. How are such issues dealt with in your family? Be specific and detailed. Provide stories. Fill both sides of the page.

Extra Credit Assignment: Revolutionary Road Reflection

2009-05-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Revolutionary Road Reflection

Due by email to wendemm@gmail.com no later than 11:59 pm on Sunday June 14 2009.
You can earn a total of 5 points for this assignment.

Questions

After you write this reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the question.

In this film, April Wheeler asks her husband Frank Wheeler "who made these rules?". In your essay, please list the rules you think she was referring to. Please be as detailed and complete as possible.
Next, comment in depth about what rules are in place today. It may be that, in your opinion, some of the exact same rules are in place today. It may be that different ones are in place. There is no right answer.

The Dick Van Dyke Show Reflection Assignment

2009-05-11T10:52:00.002-07:00

Due May 27 in class

The episode "Never Name a Duck" can be found at youtube in three parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WnYR31JVU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15IrZ7TGhmU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bJB875eOQo&feature=related

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Reflection Questions
Remember you do not have to answer all of these questions. You don't have to write about any of them. You need to write about something closely related to the episode. If you have your own ideas about what to write about, feel free. FILL BOTH SIDES OF THE PAGE!

In this episode, the family has a pet duck. Did you have pets growing up? Explain that situation in detail including how each parent felt about pets and you having them. Did you like having pets? Any lessons learned? Do you have pets now? Be sure and focus on how you felt about what happened.
We see the dad (in this episode) at work. That happened in Andy Griffith as well, but didn't happen in the 1950s shows we watched. Discuss your parent's work. Did they like their jobs? What messages did they give you about working? Did you grow up understanding that work was great or drudgery? Did both parents work? Explain the situation in detail, being sure to focus on how you felt about what happened.

Extra Credit Assignment

2009-05-11T10:52:00.001-07:00

For Fall 2009 only

Watch Pleasantville

1950s Movie Reflection Assignment

2009-05-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Revolutionary Road
Far From Heaven

Bewitched Reflection Assignment

2009-05-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

Due May 22 in class

The episode "I Darin Take This Witch Samantha" can be found at youtube in three parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P24GtkPFK4k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P24GtkPFK4k&feature=PlayList&p=5C96AE5139F74392&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjx0MAK_VsI&feature=related

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Reflection Questions
Remember you do not have to answer all of these questions. You don't have to write about any of them. You need to write about something closely related to the episode. If you have your own ideas about what to write about, feel free. FILL BOTH SIDES OF THE PAGE!

This episode said a lot about women: what they are like, what role they should play. What is your opinion on gender roles, etc?
Do Darin and Samantha have a solid basis for a successful marriage? What *IS* the basis for a successful marriage?
How do you see the portrayal of this relationship as different from previous marriages we have seen in class?

Andy Griffith Reflection Assignment

2009-05-04T08:49:00.001-07:00

Due May 13 in class

I cannot find the episode "The New Housekeeper" online.

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Reflection Questions
Remember you do not have to answer all of these questions. You don't have to write about any of them. You need to write about something closely related to the episode. If you have your own ideas about what to write about, feel free. FILL BOTH SIDES OF THE PAGE!

Did you ever run away from home?
Where did you grow up? In the city? In the suburbs? In the country?
Opie's mother is dead. What experiences did you have with death as you were growing up?
Opie's dad plays the guitar and sings. What role did music play in your house growing up?
Opie will grow up with his Aunt living in his house. What role did your extended family play in your life as you were growing up?

Course Schedule for Weeks Already Completed

2009-05-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Week One

March 30 2009

No class due to instructor travel delay

April 1 2009

Overview of course concept, assignments and begin to watch and discuss Pleasantville

April 3 2009

watch and discuss Pleasantville

Week Two

April 6 2009

watch and discuss Pleasantville

April 8 2009

class cut short due to technical difficulties

April 10 2009

finish watching and discussing Pleasantville

Week Three

April 13 2009

View 1/2 1950s documentary, overview of writing approach for course reflections
http://tinyurl.com/creagk

April 15 2009

View Leave It To Beaver (reflection assigned)

April 17 2009

View 1/2 1950s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk

Week Four

April 20 2009

View Father Knows Best (reflection assigned)

April 22 2009

View 1950s Color Adjustment documentary

April 24 2009

View I Love Lucy (reflection assigned)
Leave It Beaver reflection due

Week Five

April 27 2009

Discuss 1950s

April 29 2009

Discuss 1960s movie, view 1/2 1960s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk
1960s movie reflection due

May 1 2009

View 1/2 1960s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk
Father Knows Best reflection due

Week Six

May 4 2009

View The Andy Griffith Show (reflection assigned)

May 6 2009

View 1/2 1960s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk
View 1960s Color Adjustment documentary

May 8 2009

View Bewitched (reflection assigned)
I Love Lucy reflection due

Week Seven

May 11 2009

View The Dick Van Dyke Show (reflection assigned)

May 13 2009

Discuss 1960s
View 1/3 1970s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk
The Andy Griffith Show reflection due

May 15 2009 CLASS IS CANCELLED

1970s Movie Assignment: Kramer vs Kramer

2009-04-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Due Monday November 13 2009
The point of watching a movie set in the decade we are about to study is to get you in the mood of the decade. In teaching this course a few times, I have noticed that each decade we study seems to be so different from the current decade that students have a hard time truly grasping it. We will watch a documentary about each decade, but all those facts and events don't seem to help students grasp the feeling of the decade, the prevailing mood of the decade, how people who lived then thought, what was normal to them, what was important to them.

So when you watch one of the movies set in the decade we are about to study, try to absorb the mood of the decade. Try to get a feeling for what it might be like to live in that decade.

Requirements

Your paper must be 500 words long. You may write more. In order to find out how many words you have written, you can go to http://www.wordcounttool.com/ and paste your text in.
Your paper MUST be emailed to Wende at wendemm@gmail.com by 3pm pacific time on 11/13/2009 (see Late Policy).
Your paper text must be in the body of the email you send.
Your email must have "CFS" in the subject line.

Assignment
After you write this paper/reflection, please set it aside for a day and then read it over, correcting mistakes and making sure that you came to some sort of conclusion at the end of your paper. This is a serious essay. In order to get full points, you need to have engaged deeply with the questions. (Must be emailed to instructor at wendemm@gmail.com by 3 pm on 11/13/09.)

For this essay, rent and watch the 1979 film, Kramer vs. Kramer. You can watch it on youtube at http://tinyurl.com/ykphe25.

Kramer vs. Kramer reflected a cultural shift which occurred during the 1970s and the period of second-wave feminism when ideas about motherhood and fatherhood were changing. The film was widely praised for the way in which it gave equal weight and importance to both Joanna and Ted's points of view. The film also addresses the predisposition to awarding child custody to the mother." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramer_vs._Kramer)

Please watch this clip: http://tinyurl.com/yfjaqfu
(from 5:55 to 8:00). Respond to Dustin Hoffman's questioning about what makes someone a better parent, with your opinion. Does gender have anything to do with parenting? Why or why not?
Please avoid using biology as the basis for your argument.
Please cite three examples from the film to support you point.

The rubric for grading this essay is as follows:
7 points total

1 point for a creative title
1 point for a robust and thorough introduction
3 point for answering the question (one point per example, only given for well-thought out opinions.)
1 point for a robust and thorough conclusion
1 point for treating the title of the film correctly according to a nationally accepted citation style of your choosing

I Love Lucy Reflection Assignment

2009-04-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

Due May 8 in class

I cannot find the episode you need to have seen "Ricky Minds The Baby" from Season Three online anywhere. I rented it from Movie Madness. You could also rent it from Netflix.

I am t0ld you can rent it on Amazon and watch it on their online player as well. I am told you can also rent it at tvguide.com.

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Reflection Questions
Remember you do not have to answer all of these questions. You don't have to write about any of them. You need to write about something closely related to the episode. If you have your own ideas about what to write about, feel free.

Gender Roles
In the 1950s, typical female gender roles consist of caring for children, cooking, cleaning, being devoted to your man, etc.
The typical male gender role DID not encompass the above acts.
In this episode, the gender roles are a bit reversed. Discuss how Desi's competency at these activities is portrayed.
Ethnicity
How is Desi's ethnicity portrayed? Is his culture treated with respect? Whether yes or not, cite specific examples.
Intimacy
There are several relationships portrayed in this episode: marriages and friendships. Where do you see the most intimacy? Defend your contention.
Whose fault was is that Little Ricky got lost?

Father Knows Best Reflection Assignment

2009-04-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Due May 1 in class

Watch episode online:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/father-knows-best-father-knows-best-bud-takes-up-the-dance/761441915

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Reflection Questions
Remember you do not have to answer all of these questions. You don't have to write about any of them. You need to write about something closely related to the episode. If you have your own ideas about what to write about, feel free.

Compare the role the Dad (Jim) played in Father Knows Best to the role the Dad (Ward) played in Leave It To Beaver.
There is a youngest sister in this television series names Kathy. She is a little poorly behaved. Do you have a little sister or brother? How did Kathy's behavior compare to your little sister or brother? Was it realistically portrayed?
The main event in this episode is that Bud (the son of the family) is going to his first dance. Compare this to your family. What was it like when you went to your first dance? Did your whole family become as involved as the Andersons did in this episode?
You have now seen two television shows made and watched in the 50s. What do the two series have in common? In what ways are they different from how families are portrayed on television today?

Leave It To Beaver Reflection Questions

2009-04-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Due Friday April 24 in class

One tool to assist you in making meaning of your class viewing experiences and your personal experience in this course is the reflections you will write. In these reflections, you will engage with the ideas presented in the media we watch and process the intersections of your personal experience with this course.

For each reflection, you will be given a set of framing questions to address. You may choose to address some or all of the questions, and you are also invited to add your own reflections beyond the scope of the questions. To prepare to write your reflection, I suggest that you sit with and think about the framing questions (or other questions of your choice) for a good while. Live with the questions, and let them live in you. Then sit and write your way into your response. If you are fully engaged with the questions, you may not know where your writing will take you, and that’s a good thing in a reflection. Each reflection should take you someplace you didn’t know you were headed, as you discover the meaning the class experience has for you as an individual. Write the reflection only you can write.

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Reflection Questions
Remember you do not have to answer all of these questions. You don't have to write about any of them. You need to write about something closely related to the episode. If you have your own ideas about what to write about, feel free.

Ward wants to be his kids' friend. What was your father's attitude toward you and your siblings?
Wally helps The Beav when the haircut goes bad. What was your sibling's relationship with you? Were they helpers?
On Leave It To Beaver, June does all the cooking, cleaning, food shopping, sewing. What about in your house? Who performed those functions?
On Leave It To Beaver, there is no yelling, no fast and furious debates at the dinner table, actually very little passionate emotions expressed. Compare this to your house growing up.
On Leave It To Beaver, June and Ward seem to have some affection for one another. They hang out together a lot and he seems protective of her. Compare that your parents' marriage or a parents' romantic relationships.
On Leave It To Beaver, June seemed to run the discipline of the children, while Ward implemented her suggestions. Compare this to your family. What was the discipline of children pattern or habit?
Wally seems to see a lot of his parents' behavior as sneaky or hard to understand/decode. What about you? How did you view your parents as you grew up?

Participation

2009-04-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

In this course, you can earn up to 30 points through participation.

Half of those points are awarded if I know your name by the fifth week of class. The is entirely your responsibility.

The other half of the points you can earn by participating in course discussions, which take place every day in class.

Spring 2009 Guidelines for ALL Reflection Assignments

2009-03-31T17:03:00.001-07:00

One tool to assist you in making meaning of your class viewing experiences and your personal experience in this course is the reflections you will write. In these reflections, you will engage with the ideas presented in the media we watch and process the intersections of your personal experience with this course.

For each reflection, you will be given a set of framing questions to address. You may choose to address some or all of the questions, and you are also invited to add your own reflections beyond the scope of the questions. To prepare to write your reflection, I suggest that you sit with and think about the framing questions (or other questions of your choice) for a good while. Live with the questions, and let them live in you. Then sit and write your way into your response. If you are fully engaged with the questions, you may not know where your writing will take you, and that’s a good thing in a reflection. Each reflection should take you someplace you didn’t know you were headed, as you discover the meaning the class experience has for you as an individual. Write the reflection only you can write.

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

Do not summarize.

These are opinion pieces.

Words matter.
Pay attention.
Write to learn what you know.

- Mary Anne Radmacher Hershey

Spring 2009 1960s Movie Reflection Prompts

2009-03-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

Due Wednesday April 29 2009

One tool to assist you in making meaning of your class viewing experiences and your personal experience in this course is the reflections you will write. In these reflections, you will engage with the ideas presented in the media we watch and process the intersections of your personal experience with this course.

For each reflection, you will be given a set of framing questions to address. You may choose to address some or all of the questions, and you are also invited to add your own reflections beyond the scope of the questions. To prepare to write your reflection, I suggest that you sit with and think about the framing questions (or other questions of your choice) for a good while. Live with the questions, and let them live in you. Then sit and write your way into your response. If you are fully engaged with the questions, you may not know where your writing will take you, and that’s a good thing in a reflection. Each reflection should take you someplace you didn’t know you were headed, as you discover the meaning the class experience has for you as an individual. Write the reflection only you can write.

Reflections must be turned in during class. If you are unable to do this, you must make special arrangements with me personally, each time, in order to be able to turn the reflection in at all.

Reflections must be printed on ONE single sheet of paper. No stapled papers will be accepted. Reflections must be no longer that two pages--or two sides of one page. Reflections must be in a standard font, with standard margins. Reflections must be double spaced.

Reflections are worth 5 points each. If you turn in your reflection on time (during class!) and have clearly engaged with the questions, you will receive full points for it. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any questions you may have about your reflections.

The point of watching a movie set in the decade we are about to study is to get you in the mood of the decade. In teaching this course a few times, I have noticed that each decade we study seems to be so different from the current decade that students have a hard time truly grasping it. We will watch a documentary about each decade, but all those facts and events don't seem to help students grasp the feeling of the decade, the prevailing mood of the decade, how people who lived then thought, what was normal to them, what was important to them.

So when you watch one of the movies set in the decade we are about to study, try to absorb the mood of the decade. Try to get a feeling for what it might be like to live in that decade.

Movie Options

Across the Universe

At the Thanksgiving table, one of the characters is getting a lot of pressure from his family to go to college. How does that compare to your family? What did they tell you about college? Did they want you to go? Or were they against you going?
When you think about the strict societal mores, norms, and roles of the 50s, what is your impression of where those mores, norms, and roles went in the 60s?
As you watch, what are some differences you see between the 60s and our current time?
Politics is a divisive force between the main couple in this movie. What about in your family? Does everyone hold the same political beliefs? If they don't, what happens?

Mermaids

Charlotte's mother only cooks hors d'oeuvres. What about your family and cooking? What is normal for your family regarding meal? Does anyone cook? If so, who?
Mrs. Flax was odd as a mother. What are your thoughts about what makes a good mother? Is Mrs. Flax a good mother?
Charlotte says to her mother "Sometimes I feel like you're the child and I'm the grown-up." What about in your family? Who played what role?
The Flaxes don't sit at the table when they eat. What about your family? Did you eat meals together at the table?
Charlotte and Rachel have different religions. What about in your family? Are you religious? Did everyone in your family have the same religious beliefs?
Charlotte is 15 and doesn't know how babies are conceived. Her mother, who is so sexual, hasn't had "the talk" with Charlotte. What about in your family? Did you get the told the facts of life by a family member? Through health class at school?
As you watch, what are some differences you see between the 60s and our current time?

Dirty Dancing

Baby and her sister Lisa play very different roles in their family. Though both girls, they are night and day. What about in your family? Do you have siblings? Are you more different than the same or vice versa?
In the scene on the golf course where Baby asks to borrow $250 from her father and tells him she can't tell him why she needs it, he trusts her completely and gives her the money without another question. Compare this to your own relationship with your parents. Also, do you think anyone should trust someone that much?
In the same scene, Baby says "Someone is in trouble and you always told me that if someone was in trouble I should help." Compare this message to the messages you got form your parents about other people, helping, etc.
As you watch, what are some differences you see between the 60s and our current time?

Catch Me If You Can
The Graduate

Spring 2009 Course points

2009-03-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Attendance
1 points per day, 25 days, a total of 25 points (there are no excused absences.)

Reflections
5 points per reflection, 10 reflections, a total of 50 points

Participation
30 points

There will one extra credit assignment, due the last day of class, that will be worth 5 points.

You need 93 points to get an A.

Spring 2009 Course Schedule

2009-03-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

This schedule is very tentative. It will definitely be changed to accommodate greater student learning.

Week Eight

May 18 2009

Discuss 1970s movie
View 1/3 1970s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk
1970s Movie Reflection due

May 20 2009

View All in the Family (reflection assigned)

May 22 2009

View 1/3 1970s documentary
http://tinyurl.com/creagk
View 1970s Color Adjustment documentary
Bewitched reflection due

Week Nine

May 25 2009 UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY - NO CLASS

May 27 2009

View The Waltons
The Dick Van Dyke Show reflection due

May 29 2009

View The Waltons (reflection assigned)
All in Family reflection due

Week Ten

June 1 2009

no class, Instructor at conference

June 3 2009

no class, Instructor at conference

June 5 2009

Discuss The Waltons, the 1970s, overall conclusions
The Waltons reflection due (with self-addressed, stamped envelope)

Finals Week

No meeting--have a good summer!