Content Analysis Guidelines

Select a television show or a movie depicting gender, race and class. Write a study on the media’s impact of how race, class and gender are viewed in American society.

Analyze the tv shows/movies based on gender, race and class. What family dynamic exists? How do the tv shows influence women? (self esteem, self image)

Take notes while you are watching television shows and note your observations.

How might these tv shows/movies impact the viewers/audience? How do these tv shows/films impact you as an individual?  How do these tv shows/movies influence society?

Helpful suggestions/tips:

* Write for the uniformed reader. Assume I have not seen the show and did not assign the question.

* Begin by describing each tv shows that you are analyzing. Write a brief summary of the shows and describe the episode (tv show only).

Describe the decade (1960’s, 1980’s, current) the show takes place in.

Describe the location of the show (big city, small town, etc).

* Describe relationships that exist in tv show in depth (single

person, married, children)

* Describe the racial/ethnic makeup of the tv show. Analyze its

impact. Does it add to or take away from the message/goal of the tv

show? Why or why not?

* Describe the gender makeup of the tv show. Is it predominately

male or female? Describe the impact that gender has on the tv show.

* Your concluding paragraph should sum up your argument clearly and

concisely. You may raise additional questions in the film or tv show

developed in your paper.

Requirements:

Length: Writing Assignment should be 1-2 pages, Font: Times New Roman

10-12,Format: 1 inch margins

Please take some time to select the television shows and/or movies that you plan to write about.

Also discuss how you plan to address the issues of gender, race and social class in your paper. Will your paper focus on all three topics? Will it focus only on one?

You are free to select what you want to write about, however, make sure you consider all three topics as well as how the television show or film impacts and effects our society.

Also, answer the questions listed above, describing the audience, the depiction of race, gender and class, the time period and the relationships that exist in the television show or movie.

Please use the Gender, Race and Class themes and theories found in the Online Course Resource to help you connect the concepts and ideas you have watched on television and in movies to one another.

Examples of possible television shows and movies you can view include (you do not have to watch any of these, these are just suggestions):

Films

Crash

The Help

The Butler

Mississippi Burning

American History X

Remember the Titans

Iron Jawed Angels

Television Shows

The Cosby Show

Sex and the City

Everybody Loves Raymond

Scandal

Being Mary Jane

Gray’s Anatomy