How do we, as individuals, learn about sociology?
From books?
Yes.
From journal articles?
Yup.
New research?
Sure.
From movies?
Absolutely.
The University of Maryland’s Department of Sociology hosts a resource called The Sociological Cinema that’s dedicated to teaching and learning about sociology using videos. Founded in 2010 by three sociologists, Valerie Chepp, Paul Dean, and Lester Andrist, who shared an interest in using videos for effective sociology instruction.
The site features documentaries, news clips, and bits of popular films but what makes the site stand out is its tags and categories that allow you to browse films by topic. For instance, if you click on the Marx/Marism tag you’ll find discussions of explaining Marx using Pink Floyd or Les Misérables, and the Commodification tag will provide you with video of Portlandia, Cornel West, and Macklemore.
By Ben Tucker, Social Sciences Librarian