The Sociological Cinema is a great website that successfully incorporates sociological issues and concepts with media. The website was created by three sociologists from the University of Maryland, who wanted to help other sociologists creatively use media in the classroom. I think it is vital to use media in sociology because it gives a real-world perspective of social issues rather than just reading statistics or a specific theory.
The website has an extensive archive and navigating the site is straightforward and easy to use. I like that there is a search engine at the main page, and you can type whatever topic you are interested in and will load video submissions that are related to the topic. For example, I typed 'inequality' in the search engine and found the submission titled, Single and Unequal. The Sociological Cinema gives a brief description of the video and pointers on how to start a class discussion from watching the video. The article was originally published by Jason DeParle of the New York Times, which discusses the class inequalities that single parents face in this economy.
Interestingly, the video compares the story Jessica Shairer, a single parent of three children and her boss Chris Faulkner. Schairer explains how difficult it is for her to raise her children and only makes about 25,000 a year which barely covers the bills. Then the video cuts to Faulkner’s, who's family environment is very different from Schairer's. She is able to have her kids in extra-curricular activities and can comfortably provide for her children. The fact of the matter is there are more and more single-parent households that are struggling to make ends meet. Unfortunately these inequalities can be passed down to their children, in that the children aren't able to participate in activities that can help cultivate and shape them as a student and citizen. Additionally these children miss out on a stable household with two parents guiding the children. Many families experience this every day, but it shouldn't be the norm.
Sources: The Sociological Cinema, New York Times.
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