Sociology of education : Documentary Analysis

In order to complete the documentary analysis assignment, you must watch the following film: SelectED (2015; 95 minutes). This documentary explores the lives of 5 students at Whitney Young High School, a test-in public high school in Chicago where 10,000 students apply for admission each year, and only 350 are admitted. *It can be viewed on Kanopy, which you can access through the library website. Steps to access Kanopy: -go to library.albany.edu. -Select the databases tab -Search “kanopy” -Click on the database title link, it will direct you to sign in using your netID and password -Click ‘connect now’. -You should then have access to the Kanopy site. Enter the documentary title in the main search bar, and you should be able to view it. Let me know if you have any difficulties accessing it. Assignment Specifications: This assignment must contain a summary of the film, as well as a critical analysis of the content/argument. In total, the assignment should be between 2-3 pages double spaced and should reference a minimum of 2 course readings (from any module). This means that you must be concise in your summary and analysis! a. Summary: Some questions to consider– What are the main themes/claims presented in the documentary? Why do the filmmakers (and people interviewed) argue that this is an important topic to study sociologically? Describe & provide a few examples of the data used to support the claims made in the documentary. b. Critical Analysis & Connection to Course: Some questions to consider– Do you think that the data used is sufficient to support their claims? How do readings from this course help inform your understanding of the argument being made in the documentary? You can use the readings to either support, refute, or further the information being presented in the documentary. And finally, what questions did you still have at the end of the documentary that you felt should have been addressed?