Seeing the Big Picture

by Summerfield, Ellen

• ISBN13: 9780472031672
• ISBN10: 0472031678
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-14
• Publisher: Univ of Michigan Pr

Summary

Seeing the Big Picture, Revised Edition,is designed to broaden students' awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the many cultures and subcultures in the United States. The authors have chosen popular films as tools for exposing students to aspects of cultures, including those of African Americans, Chinese Americans, Mexican Americans, and Muslim Americans. Writing and discussion activities will help students explore the cultural points of view portrayed in each of the films. Students are also advised to keep a film journal that will allow them to observe how their reactions and observations develop through the course of the class. In addition to increasing students' knowledge and understanding of cultural differences,Seeingthe Big Picturewill help students develop strong critical-thinking and analytic abilities as they learn to recognize and question messages inherent in the films' portrayals of different populations. A unique feature of the text are the Points of View segments from directors, insiders, and students that appear throughout the text, provoking perspectives students might not otherwise encounter. This text is the ideal coursebook for undergraduate diversity electives and other multicultural awareness courses.

Table of Contents

To the students : developing your film eyes
To the instructor : behind the scenes
Native American culture : Smoke signals	p. 1
African American culture : The long walk home	p. 27
Chinese American culture : The joy luck club	p. 47
Mexican American culture : Real women have curves	p. 70
Irish American culture : Far and away	p. 91
Muslim American culture : Aladdin, House of sand and fog, and others	p. 109
Gay culture : The wedding banquet	p. 135
Deaf culture : Children of a lesser God	p. 154
Creating community : What's cooking?	p. 176
Flashback/flashforward	p. 185
Respect agreement	p. 187
Guidelines for visits to religious services and places of worship	p. 188
Guidelines for intercultural interviews and chats	p. 189
Guidelines for planning your film	p. 190
Selected Internet resources on films	p. 191
Race and ethnicity in the United States	p. 193
Latino population in the United States by place of origin	p. 194
Asian American population in the United States by place of origin	p. 195
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