Sociology

1
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
• Length: 6-8 pages, double spaced
• Watch all the material listed under the chosen social movement. Take notes! You will probably need to refer back to the videos as you write.
••
LGBTQ Movements Documentary: Marc De Guerre’s (2013) How We Got Gay Access: http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/how-we-got-gay Also see: Frameline Voice’s Gay USA Access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa2dI42CKH8
• You may need to do additional research to fill in the gaps left by your documentary. Your references should be academic resources or newspaper articles, NOT WIKIPEDIA or random websites. If your movement has a website, however, you may consult it for your research.
Everything in purple colour need to be included into the final paper. (need to be
rewritten)
Your paper should include the following: I. Introduction
• introduce your chosen social movement: who, what (specifics will come below),
where (country, region, city?), when?
LGBTQ social movements have been striving to achieve equal rights and social acceptance of
lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered through out the history. From the time when
homosexuality was illegal in every province in Canada and every state in America to the golden
ages of gay liberation, LGBTQ social movements played a significant part towards this victory.
• introduce the documentaries that you will be discussing as your source(s)
Introduce both!
• tell the reader that you will do a sociological analysis of your chosen social movement and what you want to argue/ your thesis statement II. Overview of key themes of your social movement
• go into some details about the core participants of the movement (discussing intersection of gender, race, class, education, nation, sexuality when possible) and
the core issues of the movement
• Your analysis should include applications of at least 6 key concepts that are significantly related to the core themes of the movement
• Including Prejudice, Discrimination, Deviant, gender, sexuality, education, Alienation, etc 2 III. Analysis of Social Movement
• What type of social movement is your movement? (textbook pg. 597-598). Explain
your reasoning for this choice.
• Radical Social Movement: Significant Change; Specific Group/few people [Sexual
Liberation Movements —> movement for legal recognition of same-sex couples]
• Which theory(ies) best explains your social movement? ( textbook pg. 598-603).
Explain your reasoning for this choice.
MASS SOCIETY THEORY
Asks: Why does it emerge & who joins it?
Answers: Modern societies are impersonal, people feel disconnected and alone.
Social movements attract marginalized people; provide sense of belonging &
community
Example: elements of the LGBTQ movement
Application: Look for evidence of socially marginalized people seeking support & community
CULTURE THEORY
Asks: Why is a movement more or less successful?
Answers: The most important aspect of a movement is its cultural symbols. Without these, people
will not be motivated to join.
Symbols provide a mechanism for collective identity & belonging, They help the
movement last!
• What process of claims making (textbook pg. 598) did the social movement engage in? In other words, how did the movement attempt to appeal to—and get support from—the public and others (politicians, decision-makers, media, economic leaders, etc.) Give some detail.
• What were some of the main challenges faced by those involved in the movement?
• Would you say the movement was successful? Explain why you think so. IV. Conclusion
• Tell the reader what you have successfully demonstrated in this paper. AVOID PREDICTIONS and “SHOULDS” V. References
• list all references used in this paper, including the textbook. Be sure to use proper in-text
citation throughout (Macionis & Gerber 2014: 43). VI. Additional Notes
• Please edit your paper carefully before submission.
• Please remember to include page numbers and staple your assignment!