Film Discussion Guide: Behind the Shield

Abstract

This is a discussion guide for the film “Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL,” directed by Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp (2022). “Behind the Shield” examines American football, particularly the institution of the National Football League (NFL), as it pertains to race, American patriotism, and masculinity. The entry point of the film is...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Leisure/Sports/Recreation, Military Sociology, Sex and Gender

Resource Type(s):

Assignment, Class Activity

Class Level(s):

College 100, College 200, College 300, College 400, High School

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

This film could be used in Women and Gender classes and sociology courses on gender, race, sport, or military. American football is largely recognizable to domestic and international students, regardless of whether they are sports fans or not.

I have used this film to transition between a unit on intersectionality to transnational feminism...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will gain knowledge on how sociological ideas and inequalities are present in American football through a race and gendered analysis of the NFL.
2. Students will gain knowledge on American gender, masculinity, race, and patriotism through the case of the National Football League (NFL).
3. Students will gain the ability to write or talk about American gender, masculinity, race, and patriotism through in-class discussions of the film.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students will demonstrate their knowledge by sharing their responses to the film in the assessment that best suits the needs of the class. This could be in small or large group discussions, written responses or journal entries, or class polls.
2. Open-ended discussion questions such as “What ‘Vision of America’ does the NFL promote?”, “What does the film argue NFL teaches us about ‘American Manhood?’” and “What are the impacts of the NFL’s initial response to Kaepernick’s protests and of the use of Indigenous mascots?” will help the instructor assess student learning and understanding of themes...