GENED 0853/0060 Fall 07:
Extra Credit Option: Short Paper on Movie and Black's model
Purpose. The purpose of this
assignment is to explain how a film that you have viewed for this course
illustrates one of the themes described by Black (1976) in his book The Behavior of Law.
The Paper. Your paper will
have the following sections. Number each section in your paper.
1. Introduce a key Black idea or hypothesis. Reference it appropriately. You may
quote if you wish, but do so properly.
See the reference guide.
2. A short plot summary in your own words that summarizes what happens in
the move. No more than three or four lines. Focus on main developments.
3. Describe the specific situation in the movie on which you have decided to
focus. You may if you want describe a broader theme
that is
in the movie, but that is probably going to be much harder. You may if you want
have a short quote of dialogue from the film. In describing the situation, be
clear about what is happening in the scene. You want to use the characters' film names.
4. Then, translate what is happening in this scene -- how is crime or deviance
being perceived, and/or how is law or social control being applied
-- into Black's framework. In other words, be very clear about how the persons
involved and the actions seen illustrate Black's key point. This is the main
part of the paper. It needs to be carefully done and organized. It should
run about 3/4 of a page to a full page.
5. Offer a short paragraph in which you conclude with a personal reaction.
6. You will want to correctly reference both the movie (film name, year, studio
name), and Black, and any other sources you use.
DUE via TURNITIN Tuesday 12/4/07 NOON. Please note: since this is an extra credit option no late papers will be accepted. Period. If you miss it, you miss it..
GRADING RUBRIC
Since this is an extra credit option the grading is pretty simple. The
points you earn with this paper are added right on top of your semester average
when we get to the end of the semester.
* If you do all of the above well: 4 or 5 points (top end not finalized yet)
* If you do all of the above poorly: 1 point
* For each section you fail to include: -1 point, down to a minimum score of 1
point for the whole assignment.
* If your Black point is incorrect or not appropriate for the film issue: -1
point
* If your translation (section 4) is inadequate: -1 point.
* Poor grammar and mis-spellings, etc: -1 point.
ELIGIBLE MOVIES
Here is a list of the films you can discuss in the paper
Banlieue 13 (2004) (French with English subtitles) (English/Canadian version:
District 13 or District B13)
Brute Force (1947)
Dead End (1937)
Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)
Serpico (1974)
Thunder Road (1957)
The Wrong Man (1956)
You can check out these films from the reserve desk for 24 hours, except for
Banlieue 13, which you will need to locate on your own.
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