Threaded Discussion 3

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I have suggested that we should engage and be engaged by those persons who see and understand the world differently from those who sit comfortably within a dominant we society so that we might (re)imagine or discover a new place for democratic politics. And as film-goers who find ourselves more susceptible emotionally to the stimuli presented in a movie theatre, we can at times experience vicariously, yet deeply, the events, the stories, the lives of those who are different from ourselves. As individuals living in a multicultural and diverse society we should consider opening ourselves up to and welcoming such engagement and the possibilities for personal transformation in our individual sensibilities. Such a transformation might occur when one considers and compares the experiences of his or her life and the impact of those experiences on his or her identity next to those raw materials that make-up or construct the identity(ies) of those who are different from them, specifically those who have been marginalized, disregarded, and silenced by a dominant we society. I have suggested that when one truly sees Other, sees and hears the stories of difference crafted and told by the Other in film, one might come to respect the different voices and stories of those lives and thus allow him or herself to see and experience life from a new position, a transformed sensibility, where politics transcend convention. In other words, when we consider our lives next to those who are different from us, when we frame those different human stories next to our own personal human narrative we may come to understand how a particular human uncertainty and vulnerability informs all of our lives.

In 300-500 words share whether or not you believe film has the potential to transform one’s political sensibilities.  And if you believe that your personal sensibilities have been (re)shaped or transformed by a particular film, say so.   The objective here is to share your thoughts pertaining to the major thesis presented in Democracy and Difference.

Recommended Feature Length Film Texts:

Beach Rats, 2017; Directed by Eliza Hittman

Boys Don’t  Cry, 1998; Directed by Kimberly Pierce

Boyz ‘N the Hood , 1991; Directed by John Singleton

Call Me By Your Name, 2017; Directed by Luca Quadagnino

Cesar Chavez: An American Hero , 2014; Directed by Diego Luna

Do the Right Thing, 1989; Directed by Spike Lee

Get Out, 2017; Directed by Jordan Peele

Loving , 2016; Directed by Jeff Nichols

Milk, 2008; Directed by Gus Van Sant

Moonlight, 2016; Directed by Barry Jenkins

My Own Private Idaho, 1991; Directed by Gus Van Sant

Selma, 2014; Directed by Ava DuVernay

Smoke Signals, 1998; Directed by Chris Eyre

Stonewall: Where Pride Began, 2015; Directed by Roland Emmerich

Straight Outta Compton, 2015; Directed by F. Gary Gray

The Birth of a Nation, 2016; Directed by Nate Parker

Twelve Years a Slave, 2013; Directed by Steve McQueen

Required Documentary Film Texts (Democracy and Difference website):

*13th, 2016; Directed by Ava DuVernay

A Place of Rage, 1991; Directed by Pratibha Parmar

America in Black &White: A Question of Identity, 2003; Films for Humanities and Science

A Family Portrait, 2011; Directed by Melissa Leu and Jeff Haig (Student Film)

Cultural Criticism & Transformation, 1997; Featuring bell hooks and Directed by Sut Jhally

Ethnic Notions, 1986; Directed by Marlon Riggs

Exploring Society: Gender, 2005

Exploring Society: Race and Ethnicity, 2005

Exploring Society: Social Class, 2008

Further Off the Straight and Narrow: New Gay Visibility on Television, 2006; Katherine Sender Generation M:

Misogyny in Media and Culture, 2013; Directed by Thomas Keith

How Racism Harms White America, 2013; Directed by John Bracey

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I Am Not Your Negro, 2016; Directed by Raoul Peck

Latinos Beyond Reel: Challenging a Media Stereotype, 2012

Off the Straight andNarrow: Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals & Television, 1998

On White Privilege, 2008; Featuring Tim Wise

Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, 2006; Directed by Sut Jhally

Responding to Diversity; 2011; Directed by Rise Sanders Weir and Tracy Ullman

Soundtrack for a Revolution, 2009; Directed by Bill Guttentag

The Brandon Teena Story, 1998; Directed by Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir

The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men, 2011; Directed by Thomas Keith

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The Celluloid Closet, 1995; Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

The Empathy Gap: Masculinity & The Courage to Change, 2015; Directed by Thomas Keith

The Origins of Cultural Studies, 1989 ; Featuring Stuart Hall

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The Times of Harvey Milk, 1984; Directed by Rob Epstein

White Like Me, 2013; Featuring Tim Wise and Directed by S. Morris

Describe campaign finance laws in the United States

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Instructions: Choose ONE of the following prompts and write a 5 page paper on that subject. The prompts provided are broad and can be addressed in several ways. Therefore, I am not looking for a right or wrong answer to the question but rather for you to think critically about the American political party system. Each question is multi-faceted which means that students have the opportunity to write in both an expository and a persuasive manner. While I encourage you to incorporate current events and your own perspective into the paper, note that this should not be a pure opinion piece. Demonstrate that you’ve learned from this class by clearly referencing theories, concepts, and examples from the required readings. Remember to cite all sources, including those within the syllabus. Paper formatting should be in the standard 12 point Times New Roman font, doublespaced, with normal margins. You may use any citation format (e.g., MLA, APA style).

Prompt

Describe campaign finance laws in the United States (Module 11). What factors (historical, political, social) were most influential in shaping the current set of regulations? Explain your position and provide relevant examples. Recent legislation has opened the gates for private donations, rather than taxpayer money, to finance presidential nominating conventions (Module 10). Weigh the pros and cons of this change. Who benefits most from nominating conventions: the parties, mass media, or the people? Explain your reasoning. Do PACs and Super PACs (i.e., independent expenditure committees) from special interest groups (Module 13) undermine the ideals of a representative democracy or are they instead a shining example of it? Supply current examples to back up your claims. What reforms of campaign finance laws, if any, do you anticipate in the future?

Use sources that I provide only!!!!!!!1

Module 11 sources

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/does-more-campaign-money-actually-buy-more-votes-investigation/355154/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/10/26/want-to-reform-campaign-finance-and-reduce-corruption-heres-how/?utm_term=.83d216246bf2

Module 10

PDF – Panagopoloulos Presidential nominating conventions

https://newrepublic.com/article/130396/broken-presidential-nominating-system

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/primary-types.aspx

https://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/

https://frontloading.blogspot.com/p/2016-republican-delegate-allocation-by.html

Module 13

A History of Interest Groups and Political Parties in American Politics

PDF – The Tea Party as an Interest Movement

Explain the court’s process of deliberation and the importance of majority and minority opinions.

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Complete the following in 3-5 pages. Go to the website of the Supreme Court of the United States (http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/institution.aspx) and write your paper satisfying the following directives:

  • Identify the current members and the US Presidents who appointed them
  • Explain the court’s process of deliberation and the importance of majority and minority opinions.
  • Briefly consider Supreme Court decisions that have impacted national politics.
  • Look at the schedule for the court and determine which upcoming  case or recently decided case has the greatest bearing on either your  life directly or on your stated values
  • Please use at least two sources outside of the Supreme Court’s  website and textbook to successfully complete the assignment, including  mass media outlets on the internet or in print.

Research Paper: Liberty Vs. Oppression: Mill, Young

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What would Iris Marion Young say in response to John Stuart Mill’s account of the relationship between the individual and society? Provide a brief summary of each position and bring these two different approaches into a possible dialogue by relating each of Young’s five faces of oppression to Mill’s defense of individual liberty. In your opinion, are members of contemporary Western Democracies free or oppressed? clearly explain your view.

Readings for this topic: Mill (pp. 748-755), Young (pp.1058-1072); * “Use only the respective texts we read in class! Do not consult any additional sources. Your only source is our textbook!”* The textbook is Political Philosophy, The essential texts, Third edition Steven M. Cahn