ASA logo
Using Fiction in the Classroom
Using Fiction in the Classroom
July 12, 2024

Using fiction is a great way to engage students. The Using Fiction in the Classroom Resource Collection includes syllabi and activities that use novels, television shows, and movies.

A typewriter with the words "gender roles" typed on the page
Deeb Kitchen
Examining Gendered Sexuality in “The Contest” episode of Seinfeld
August 9, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Sex and Gender
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Advanced Graduate, Any Level, College 100, College 200, College 300, College 400, Graduate, High School
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

It is common to approach gender, sex, and sexuality together in sociology classes. Oftentimes, we initiate our examination of these by articulating how they are different. Still, we when we look at textbooks, course titles, and even sections of the American...

Cover Page Requires Subscription PDF Requires Subscription PDF
A teddy bear and stuffed monkey sick in bed with a thermometer and tissue
Robert Frase
Sick Role and the Media Essay
May 8, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Medical Sociology
Resource Type(s):
Essay
Class Level(s):
College 300
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

Students are often curious about the applicability of sociological theory to the “real world”. In this essay, students consider the applicability of Talcott Parsons’ sick role and Edward Suchman’s five stages of illness experience in regard to a piece of media...

Cover Page Requires Subscription DOCX
Gold circle around a golden bird in flight, holding a goldeb arrow in its mouth. A mockingjay symbol from the Hunger Games.
Jamie Oslawski-Lopez
Analyzing Social Stratification and Inequality in The Hunger Games (2012) Film: Presentation and Reflection Assignment
April 22, 2022
Subject Area(s):
Stratification/Mobility
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

I utilize the film The Hunger Games (2012) in my upper-level, Social Stratification course to engage students, help students understand course material, provide an opportunity for students to practice using their sociological imaginations, and develop...

Cover Page Requires Subscription DOC Requires Subscription DOC
Deeb Paul Kitchen
Analyzing Seinfeld using Symbolic Interactionism
July 1, 2021
Subject Area(s):
Theory
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
The theoretical paradigm of symbolic interaction has the potential to resonate with students because they can apply it to their everyday lives and to specific social exchanges. However, due to the abstract nature of theory, students may struggle to understand the...
Cover Page Requires Subscription PDF Requires Subscription PDF Requires Subscription PDF
Mari Kate Mycek
Developing a Sociological Imagination through Americanah: by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
July 23, 2018
Subject Area(s):
Race, Class and Gender
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
In this semester long project students read, discuss, and analyze Americanah from a sociological perspective. Through a close reading, in class discussions, a group presentation, and an individual final paper, students develop their sociological imaginations and...
Cover Page Requires Subscription DOCX
Karam Hwang
Using The Office to Teach Goffman
April 18, 2018
Subject Area(s):
Theory
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity, Video
Class Level(s):
College 100
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
Erving Goffman’s theories of symbolic interaction have the potential to appeal to students due to their immediate applicability to dissect everyday social interaction. However, contemporary students may find his writing to be less than straightforward and his...
Cover Page Requires Subscription DOCX Requires Subscription DOCX Requires Subscription DOCX
Jacob Marshall Hardy
Star Wars and Durkheim’s Elementary Forms of Religious Life
August 29, 2017
Subject Area(s):
Teaching and Learning in Sociology
Resource Type(s):
Lecture
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim studied Aboriginal Australian religion in an effort to better understand humanity as a whole. In doing so, he introduced a variety of concepts and terms that in today's classroom could be considered rather confusing...
Cover Page Requires Subscription PPTX
Judith Rachel Halasz
Sociology of Film Syllabus
October 3, 2016
Subject Area(s):
Art/Music
Resource Type(s):
Assignment, Film List, Syllabus
Class Level(s):
College 400
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
Designed as an upper division undergraduate elective, the sociology of film fosters the capacity to analyze film sociologically by pairing carefully selected films that address central sociological issues such as class, gender, sex, sexuality, race, ethnicity,...
Cover Page Requires Subscription PDF Requires Subscription PDF
Brandon Bosch
Gender in the Slasher Film Genre
October 3, 2016
Subject Area(s):
Sex and Gender
Resource Type(s):
Lecture
Class Level(s):
College 300
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
Slasher films typically involve a lone killer/monster stalking a group of people, often picking them off a few at a time. Formulaic and full of long-lived franchises, it is relatively easy for students to pick up on themes and patterns in the slasher films. Moreover,...
Cover Page Requires Subscription DOCX Requires Subscription PPTX
Brandon Bosch
Sociology of Mass Media
February 3, 2016
Subject Area(s):
Mass Communication/Public Opinion
Resource Type(s):
Syllabus
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
This class will focus on mass media representations of gender, race, class, and politics, as well as the cultural, legal, economic, and institutional factors influencing the production of media texts. We will also discuss the ways in which media audiences (not just...
Cover Page Requires Subscription DOCX

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience, to increase the speed and security for the site, to provide analytics about our site and visitors, and for marketing. By proceeding to the site, you are expressing your consent to the use of cookies. To find out more about how we use cookies, see our Privacy Policy .