Transgender Rights

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver -- HBO, 2016, 16:46 -- https://youtu.be/hmoAX9f6MOc

A humorous yet critical look at the dire state of trans rights in the United States. With the Trump Administration recently rescinding federal rules on bathroom access for transgender students, it is imperative that we enlighten our students to the injustices and oppression faced by this often-ignored segment of the LGBT community.

It was never about the bathrooms, just as it was never about the water fountains. -Anonymous 

Tea and Consent

Consent: It's Simple as Tea -- ConsentIsEverything.com, 2015, 2:49 -- https://youtu.be/pZwvrxVavnQ

A classic short video about consent your undergrads will love. More information here.

The Emoji Language

Professional Emoji Translator is Now A Real Career: Vice News Tonight (HBO) -- Vice News, 2017, 3:40 -- https://youtu.be/tEn8k-Ud-Tw

An excellent example of language formation and socially constructed meanings behind symbols such as emojis. We learn that the meaning of an emoji in one culture may not be the same as another. 

Sex Education in the United States

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver -- HBO, 2015, 21:04 -- https://youtu.be/L0jQz6jqQS0

A humorous look at dysfunctional sexual education programs in the United States with a call for a more comprehensive sexual education. In this video we learn how educators commonly shame and/or frighten teens into remaining abstinent, which isn't all that surprising given the enormous sex-negativity prevalent in our culture. However, abstinence-centered sex ed has little-to-no effect in preventing teen pregnancies or STDs, and ultimately does a disservice to youth and society. We need a sex-positive approach where we empower people to make healthy, informed sexual decisions. In order to do that we need to honestly discuss sex and sexuality in all of their unsettling complexity, conveying accurate information to individuals in a manner free from moral judgement.    

Porn Sex vs Real Sex

Porn Sex vs Real Sex: The Difference Explained with Food -- KornHaberBrown, 2013, 1:37 -- https://youtu.be/q64hTNEj6KQ

Great stats on how our idealized and unrealistic view of "normal" sex compares to reality. This video does a good job on provoking audience reaction using gastronomic images. While some may see this as perhaps inappropriate for the classroom, I believe this video dispels misconceptions about sex in an edgy educative manner in line with a sex-positive ideal.

Science in Film

The Hotline Hollywood Calls for Science Advice -- Vox, 2017, 5:42 -- https://youtu.be/rXMQuHmh-3w

How accurately is science represented in popular film and television? This short video explores an organization dedicated to providing accurate scientific information to movie makers. While it would be nice if they touched a bit more on social science, we see here issues related to scientific representation and valid facts. There's an excellent bit on implicit biases as well. 

Chinese Millennials and National Service

Too Many Students? China Has a Plan... -- China Uncensored, 2017, 5:56 -- https://youtu.be/ZtYog7dfWi0

An interesting perspective on China's required military service for young people and how they avoid such service. Keep in mind that many American men, some of whom are now in positions of great social power, did the same excusatory practices during Vietnam. While this video may start out sounding a bit too ethnocentric, I think it recovers well and ultimately shows us that "we" are not so different after all. This lesson is made more important when we consider the anomic state of our globalized economies right now. 

Heteronormativity-- The World of the Heterosexual is a Sick and Boring Life (Throwback)

Female Trouble -- John Waters, 1974, 1:42 -- https://youtu.be/gAa_e_L0rpc?t=15s

A fabulous scene from John Waters' 1974 classic Female Trouble starring Edith Massey as Aunt Ida. Here we get to see a still-relevant critique of heteronormative families as Aunt Ida attempts to turn her nephew. Happy Valentines Day!

The Black Women's Defense League

The Black Women's Defense League Taking Aim at Racism and Misogyny -- Vice, 2017, 12:39 -- https://youtu.be/zhx_fdOvnrI

A righteous response to violence against black women from within their own community and the larger society-- The Black Women's Defense League: "Black Women’s Defense League is a coalition of women of color from all walks of life on the path to total liberation. BWDL focus’ on self defense through martial arts and and other hand to hand combat techniques armed training with various types of artillery including knife fighting, marksmanship, and weapons of opportunity. BWDL also engages in emergency preparedness, urban survival training, and battered women’s rescue. In addition to training BWDL works towards raising awareness and solutions to the areas of concern that face black women at large".

This video is all about identity and empowerment in a racist society marred by violence. It's also a good example of color consciousness and pride. Unfortunately, we see that the BWDL still relies on the white power structure to secure the proper training (white-owned shooting ranges). #BlackLivesMatter

The Magic of the Second Shift

The Mystery of the Basket -- Troy Kinne, 2016, 1:47 -- https://youtu.be/SqQgDwA0BNU

A comical take on the unpaid, unappreciated domestic labor characteristic of the second shift. Where can I get one of these coffee tables? 

Deaf Culture

Death Culture -- Vice News, 2017, 5:18 -- https://youtu.be/wLDM2pPYoOs

"Today, more than 40 percent of American children born deaf receive cochlear implants. The technology effectively restores hearing by bypassing the ear and delivering audio information directly to the brain. The vast majority of deaf children who are implanted develop hearing and speaking skills comparable to their hearing peers, thus allowing them the option to “mainstream” into normal schools.
Deaf education in the U.S. has gone through many phases. American Sign Language (ASL) is currently the dominant mode of instruction in deaf schools, but there have been periods where ASL was banned and students were forced to speak and lip-read, an ineffective approach known as oralism. ASL has now gained legitimacy and been shown to include the deep grammar and syntax found in spoken languages. It is also the wellspring of deaf culture, a proud community wary of historical attempts to assimilate them into a hearing world.
As more parents opt for cochlear implants, VICE News explores their impact on the medical condition that gave rise to a cultural identity".

The Social Construction of Money

Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe: Moments of Wonder (Money) -- BBC, 2014, 3:46 -- https://youtu.be/Z-YKw8w-e50

My students enjoy this video as an example of social constructionism even though some of the cultural nuances are lost to them. They call Philomena Cunk (aka Diane Morgan) the "lady with the funny voice" and sometimes I show them the segment about time as well.

Sexy Coffee and Deviance

Bikini Baristas: Coffee and Controversy in Washington State -- Zagat, 2016, 9:16 -- https://youtu.be/OlyFh97zy7M

How does a society respond when deviants push the moral boundary of what is considered socially acceptable? Residents in this town want the population to unite against coffee baristas who show off their bodies to attract customers. We see the beginnings of a moral campaign (it's all about the children, right?) in this interesting example which speaks to the functional view of deviant behavior. This is also a good example of Merton's innovators (accepting societal goals but rejecting the standard means).

The Military Industrial Complex

This Jet Fighter Is A Disater, But Congress Keeps Buying It -- Vox, 2017, 7:12 -- https://youtu.be/ba63OVl1MHw

An exploration of the modern American military industrial complex in relation to the F-35 Lightning II jet. With the project employing hundreds of thousands of Americans throughout the country, canceling the overly-funded project would be an impractical move with grave political repercussions.

Informed Consent in Controversial Research

One Shot to Live -- Vice, 2016, 6:06 -- https://youtu.be/9-NNDxA2-qo

A superb video on a controversial study involving gun shot victims in Philadelphia. Is too much medical intervention actually hurting victims' chances of survival and recovery? Researchers want to test this hypothesis by limiting the care given to victims by emergency responders and the issue of informed consent is front and center. As we ask ourselves "is this ethical?", it is important that we not forget the numerous abuses minority populations have suffered in the name of scientific research.

China's Rich Girls

China's Rich Girls (101 East) -- Al Jazeera, 2017, 25:40 -- https://youtu.be/MFJBgsr939c

A video detailing the extravagant lives of wealthy young Chinese women living in Canada. The main theme here is the conspicuous consumption of status symbols made possible by being born into a family of high socioeconomic status. This can also be seen through a dramaturgical perspective as staging behavior is rather prominent here, especially surrounding their image online and on television. 

The Crisis of Reproducibility in Science

NOVA: What Makes Science True? -- PBS, 2017, 14:49 -- https://youtu.be/NGFO0kdbZmk 

Largely based in the biomedical sciences with some psychology, this is a good video on the reproducibility crisis in modern science. The discussion on the scientific process and the social construction of knowledge is rather insightful and made easy to understand. 

Original Video: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365934840/

Islam and School Holidays

Before Organizing the Women’s March on Washington, Linda Sarsour Fought for Muslim Holidays in NYC -- Vox, 2017, 4:37 -- https://youtu.be/mIYj_CmeRYk

This is a good example of religious privilege in American society—Christian students do not have to choose between honoring a religious holiday with their family or going to school to learn and advance one’s education. While students may commonly view missing a day or so of school as no big deal (or even desirable), missing classes may seriously disadvantage those who are highly invested in their education (especially if education is the key to social mobility). This is also a good example of competing social institutions.

Internet Surveillance in Britain

Invasive Intelligence -- Vice News, 2017, 3:07 -- https://youtu.be/qyT-h4MsedI

“A new law going into effect in the U.K. gives the British government sweeping new surveillance capabilities. The Investigatory Powers Act grants intelligence agencies and local authorities the right to access the internet history of any British citizen they target. It may be the most extreme surveillance act in the Western world. Later this year, the British government will be able to require internet service providers to record the websites and messaging applications their customers visit and keep that information for one year. The data will then be available for use by 48 different national and local authorities without the need for a warrant”. 

Private Public Partnerships

Privatizing America – Vice News, 2017, 4:35 -- https://youtu.be/lwKWsQlk3JQ

How do public works projects get done in a capitalistic system? Privatization is a common answer in contemporary American society. This video highlights some of the problems with this approach through looking at privatized roads, tolls, and city parking.