BOOK REVIEW ESSAY

Book or Movie Review Assignment

This book or film should focus on the sociological issues that are raised by the book or film. If one uses a sociological imagination, any narrative art form raises many issues regarding social relationships and social structure. Almost all of them, for example deal with interpersonal relationships, and most will have some message to convey about those relationships. The first book on the list, for example, focuses on romantic relationships- in that case, sudden, unbidden homosexual attraction in the workplace (on the baseball diamond). Again, almost all will deal with one or more structural issues of social location (race, class, gender), or occupational conditions (money, power, status, hierarchy, inequity, religion, politics). In the Dreyfus Affair, race is involved (one of the players is white, the other an African American), as are power (the owners), occupational conditions (what are one’s rights in the workplace?), and obviously money (if we let them continue to play will spectators come to the game?

You must read the book or view the movie and take notes while reading or viewing and you will need to perform research on the topics, issues, theories or principles mentioned in the book or movie. Greater research will lead to better understanding of the topic.

Common Themes in Most Sport Books and Movies

Aggression Anxiety Career Issues Coaching

Commitment Competition Confidence Cultural Differences

Gender Issues Going for Your Dream Illness in Sport Injury

Keeping Sport in Perspective Leadership Mental Skills Motivation

Parents & Families Peak Performance Rituals/Superstitions Sports Fans

Sportsmanship Teamwork Underdogs Winning

Examples of Books and Movies. If you would like to use a book or movie that is not on the list, you must speak to me before proceeding on this assignment.

Book List

The Dreyfus Affair, 1992. A major league shortstop falls in love with his second baseman.

A Season on the Brink- basketball-Bobby Knight

Ball Four: My Life and Hard Times Throwing the Knuckleball in the Big Leagues

Black Knight: Al Davis and his Raiders

Fever Pitch- soccer

Instant Replay- inside story of Lombardi’s Packers

Levels of the Game- tennis

Martina- women’s tennis

North Dallas Forty- football

Smokin’ Joe- boxing

The Boys of Summer- baseball

The Game- hockey

The Live I’ve Led: My Autobiography-Babe Didrikson Zaharias

The Natural- baseball

Eight Men Out Paper Lion Into Thin Air

MoneyBall Clemente Road Swing

Friday Night Lights The Big Field Immortal

My Losing Season The Wizard Muhammed Ali

The Boys of Summer A Rough Ride The Miracle

Movie List

A League of Their Own On the Ropes Woodlawn

Bend it Like Beckham The Babe Ruth Story Creed

Brian’s Song Prefontaine My All-American

Eight Men Out Remember the Titans Brothers

Friday Night Lights Rudy McFarland, USA

Glory Road The Blind Side When Game Stands Tall

Gracie The Express-Ernie Davis Story Fox Catcher

Hoop Dreams The Fighter Million Dollar Arm

Hoosiers The Wrestler Draft Day

Money Ball Murder Ball 23 Blast

We are Marshall When We Were Kings Warrior

42 Home Run Rocky

Rush Turbo Spare Parts

Drift The Armstrong Lie Undrafted

Chasing Mavericks Touchback Bleed for This

The Perfect Game Undefeated Coach Carter

Warrior Goon Creed

The Winning Season Secretariat Creed 2

Legendary Senna Uncle Drew

Soul Surfer Seven Days in Utopia A Prayer Before Dawn

The Catcher was a Spy Sweetwater The Big Fight

TRI The Miracle Season

Parameters of the Assignment

Students will select a book or movie to review. This review will focus on sociological issues that are raised by the book or movie. The assignment is to write a 3-5 page analysis of a book or movie using at least two terms/concepts/theories/or issues from class, texts, or research articles. Research should include information from both texts and at least four research articles. This means at least 6 references; minimum 6 references. Your paper will include the following:

Section I. Overview

Write a paragraph or paragraphs providing a brief overview of the film, laying out the content of the book or film. What is the major focus or plot? Who are the main characters? What is the arc of the action – beginning, middle, and end? Length of the section will be 1 to 1.5 page(s). Information from research articles may be used in this section. One reference in this section must include the author of the book or the producer of the film/movie.

Section II. Main Sociological Issues: Research Section (1-2 pages)

Not one part of this section will cover your thoughts or opinions. This section is entirely expert findings and evidence. It will cover analysis of issues, concepts, theories, principles, rationales, (reasons), facts, tables, and statistics. You may use both Eitzen and Woods. Use the author’s name in your word document. Do NOT put the titles of any articles or books---that goes on the reference page. You must use credible sources. No dictionaries or Wikipedias.

· After a thorough analysis of the movie or book, what significant sociological issues are presented in the book or movie?

· What information have the experts found the issues?

· One paragraph under each of the sociological issues needs to introduce the topic of discussion.

· Using your findings from the research: You will develop additional paragraphs to define, explain, interpret the sociological issues witnessed in the book or movie.

· You will paraphrase the findings of the research and cite appropriately.

· Only ONE direct quote can be used per page. It cannot be over 15 words and is usually only a sentence in length.

Section III. Specific Examples from the book or movie/film (1-2 pages)

Describe in detail examples from the book/movie that depict each of the two terms, concepts, theories, or issues you stated in Section II.

· These examples should not be a repeat of material placed in the overview. Must be NEW EXAMPLES.

· Paraphrase when possible but must use producer’s name or author’s name and year in citation

Bruckheimer, 2000 or McEntire, 2020

· You are able to use some direct quotes from the movie in this section, but you will need to cite correctly. Specific Example for Remember the Titans—citation-(Bruckheimer, 2000, time 62.03 minute); Book example: McEntire, 2020, p. 32

Section IV. Provide a recap of the most important topics or issues covered in your paper (.5-1 page)

Typing instructions: APA format. 12-point type. Include title page, following pages need header and page numbers, Reference page is a new page. Reference page and title page do not count toward page count. Please cite all of your sources according to APA.

Type the words: SECTION I: Overview; Section II: Main Sociological Issues; Section III: Examples and Section IV: Conclusion.

APA Format

Prompt for Paper Two

1. APA format: 12-point font, Times New Roman; the entire document is double-spaced;

Title page--Running head, page numbers, title of paper, course, your name

2. Page 2-Header, Page number, indent paragraphs, proper citations

3. Citations: “Quoted information” (Barlow, 2020, p.32); Paraphrased information (Barlow, 2020); Websites (NCAA, par. 3); citations are different for websites and other electronic sources—see Purdue Owl for citations