alchol drugs
SSCI 181
Writing Assignment #1
Due: March 8th 11:59p
Film Analysis (15pts)
Submit your final writing assignment to Blackboard. 3-4 pages. Required format is 12 point, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, double spaced. Submit to blackboard in .doc or .pdf. Do not cut and paste it into blackboard!
Assignment:
Movies are an influential part of popular culture. For the most part, we view movies for entertainment. For this assignment, you will be viewing a movie/film from the perspective of an “expert” in drugs and alcohol. You are to analyze how the film can be understood from an educated perspective and how the film illustrates concepts we have covered in class. Relevant concepts can be drawn from material we’ve covered thus far in class (theories, addiction, abuse, withdrawal, the biological stress response, homeostasis, bias, subjectivity/objectivity, the Drug War, legalization, criminalization, etc). For example, you can analyze how particular characters are influenced, impacted, or explained by any of topics we’ve covered so far this semester. Before this assignment is due we will have covered chapters on stimulants and hallucinogens as well. You may choose topics from these chapters, but be careful not to push your writing until the last minute.
Define and describe the concept(s) you choose as you would to someone unfamiliar with it. You should write your paper so that someone who knows nothing about the concept(s) would understand them after having read your paper and your examples.
Apply your concept(s) with specific, detailed references. For example, “bias” or “theory” are not specific enough – they are too broad. Not only will this provide inadequate analysis, it will leave too many unknowns for the unfamiliar reader. Use and define specific terms from within theories, not just the theories themselves. Bias? Sure! But use specific biases, not the broad definition of the word bias.
Go deeper than surface level analysis. “The character injected heroin. We learned about this in class” is NOT an acceptable critique. Why the use? How does it relate to theories, principles, discussions we’ve had in class?
You can choose any film/documentary to review. Choose a film with a topic that you believe might be an interesting one to discuss regarding drugs and/or alcohol. By doing so, you will find the assignment a much easier and interesting task to accomplish. Watch the movie at least twice. Writing about specific examples will be easier if you take notes during your viewing of the film.
ORGANIZATION:
Write an analysis of the film from the perspective of a drugs and alcohol “expert,” following the guidelines below:
Use a 5 paragraph writing style.
Paragraph One: Introduction.
· Start with a short synopsis: What is the main plot of the movie? What is the time frame/setting of the film? Who are the relevant characters?
· This should be no more than half of one page. Keep in mind this is not intended to be a movie review.
· End this paragraph with a sentence briefly introducing the topics you will be discussing.
Paragraph Two, Three, and Four: Analysis
· Choose three examples from the film and use one paragraph for each. You can either choose the same concept to analyze each example, or use a separate concept for each.
· Apply your expertise to explain relevant plot/subplot points in the film.
· Give specific examples to describe the connection between the concepts and the film.
· Use specific terms or concepts from class and/or the book.
Paragraph Five: Conclusion
· Wrap your paper up, remind the reader what you covered, and explain what can be learned from analyzing this film using an informed perspective.
Example Films: you do not have to choose from this list.
Boyz in the Hood
Requiem for a Dream
Basketball Diaries
Dazed and Confused
Scarface
Trainspotting
Drugstore Cowboy
Maria Full of Grace
Reefer Madness
Traffic
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
City of God
Menace II Society
Carlito’s Way
Dallas Buyers Club
Barfly
Beautiful Boy
Additional Notes:
· No Title Page necessary.
· 3-4 pages. If you have a hard time keeping your paper within the page limits, it may be because your writing is not concise and succinct (it’s too long) or you aren’t talking about the issues with enough detail and analysis (it’s too short).
· Your assignment must be neatly typed, proofread, and spell-checked with double line spacing in a 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins.
· This is not a research paper, and I prefer you not cite any sources. Do not use any outside material (e.g., from websites, Wikipedia, movie reviews, etc.) related to your film for your essay, not even as a quote. If I identify that anyone has copied from a pre-existing outside source, you will get a zero for this grade. Any paper where plagiarism occurs will receive a zero and you could face university sanctions.
· Your assignments must be submitted to blackboard by 11:59 pm on March 8th. See the syllabus for details on late work.
· Do not email me your assignment.
· Email me with any question or concerns. With enough notice, I may be able to help.
· Good Luck!