Week #10 – Feb. 7-12, 2022: Concept Application Paper – GUIDELINES – There is no option to skip this assignment. If not submitted, student will earn an “F” for the class, no matter the points earned up until the final paper.
Each student will be expected to observe four hours of TV for the final assignment in place of an exam. Choose an appropriate show but emphasis should be placed on human behavior. Do not watch sporting events, news, or documentaries. Take detailed notes as you go about the characters. How are they dressed? What are their bodies like? Their faces? What do they do for a living? Are they rich, poor, or middle class? What race or ethnicity are they? How do they refer to themselves? What is their age? Etc. Do this for two hours.
Then take two hours to do real-life observation, pick two spots in quite different settings (neighborhoods) and pick an ideal location for observing human behavior. Laundromats are ideal as well as public parks, malls, bus terminals, airports, etc. Pick out several people to watch and make the same observations as you did for the media characters.
Now go back and watch two more hours of TV. You may add new categories for observation if they occur. Look over your notes and draw comparisons between the media characters and the real people that you observed.
You may select a group of people (teens, elderly, 20 somethings) for observation but only if it corresponds with your TV viewing observation. A good option would be to watch a show about a family (comedy or not) and then observe your own extended family at Thanksgiving.
Outline for the Paper: 100 pts. total
Cover Page:
TV and Media Reality
Sociology 1010 – WCU
Final Paper Winter Session 2021 – For Dr. M. Andereck
YOUR NAME and date submitted
Your paper should have the headings that are listed below in bold print. By doing this, you know you have covered all the requirements.
I. Introduction – What is the purpose of this paper and how it relates to what you have
learned in sociology this session. (5 pts)
II. Characters – Explain what shows you watched on TV and who and where you observed
people. How did you
choose? (15 pts)
III. Observations – (don’t give opinions – just the facts)
A. As an “outsider” and a “sociologist” explain what you observed about the characters
on TV on your first round of viewing. (10 pts)
B. As an “outsider” and a “sociologist” explain what you observed in real life. (10 pts)
C. As an “outsider” and a “sociologist” explain what you observed about the characters
on TV on your second round of viewing. (10 pts)
IV. Limitations of the Observations due to your own bias or cultural upbringing?
Give your opinion about your own limitations. (15 pts)
A. For example: Your choice of TV shows may have been influenced by your own interests,
cultural bias, racial preference, types of comedy….
B. Were the TV characters similar or not to the people you observed in the real world? (10 pts)
C. For example: Were there stereotypes portrayed on TV at the expense of comedy?
D. Were the characters in real life anything like the TV characters?
V. Improving Observations – How would you improve your observations to limit your
cultural bias? (15 pts)
A. Can you separate your feelings about people you interact with regularly as an
outside observer?
B. Do you view people in a negative light because you hold stereotypes yourself
about these groups of people?
C. Can you accept people’s behaviors that differ from yours without negative feelings?
D. Have you ever watched a TV show about people who are not part of your world and
assume those people really behave that way and you only change your opinion when
you meet someone in real life with those racial, ethnic, religious, etc. qualities?
E. Name one group that you have stereotyped due to your lack of knowledge
and personal interaction with that group’s members.
I. Applying Sociology – Through this exercise, how can you see that Sociology can be applied to everyday life? (10 pts)