When I took on the task of teaching a sociology in film class, I was motivated by the opportunity to use films to get students to practice using their sociological imagination, (as opposed to simply using film portrayals to depict social phenomena). As a family sociologist, I took a family and intimate relationships approach to the course, showing various “rom-coms” and family dramas. My hope was to build disciplinary knowledge and instill in students confidence that they could use sociology to engage with a very public medium outside the classroom. 

Students were tasked with identifying what the film’s stories about relationships and family told us about race, class, and gender, among other issues. I encouraged students to ask themselves how effective certain portrayals were in evoking emotion, and why. And, I challenged students to think about the processes behind the scenes touching on questions of casting and representation. 

I showed 12 films over the course of the semester to my class of 14 students at a large southeastern university. One of our richest discussions occurred after watching HBO’s 2020 film, Unpregnant, a comedy that portrayed the experience of a high school student trying to access abortion care. The film, composed of a primarily white cast, used abstract language and implicit signals to counter stereotypes about who accesses abortion care and how barriers to care can lead to dangerous experiences for women. Students discussed the racial implications of casting and gendered dynamics in the film, all while applying sociological concepts. 

During our discussion, we covered topics that felt incredibly personal to students (dating and mate selection, reproductive health care, etc.). Each student came to the film with different initial reactions. Class discussions were a major part of fostering students’ skills in identifying and articulating their thoughts across differences about popular culture. In an attempt to get students to recognize their own and others’ unique perspectives, create a comfortable learning environment, and make connections between course content and film, the students developed a list of discussion best practices on which they’d grade themselves, an idea from Hannah Espy in ASA TRAILS. This discussion assignment encouraged students to use their sociological imagination as it relates to film, as well as reflect on their own ways of talking about sociology and popular culture. 

Throughout the course, students engaged with the public in two ways, through popular culture (film) and their discussions with their peers. My hope was that students would be able to discuss popular media with a critical lens, whether it be with their friends, their own family, or their colleagues, becoming public sociologists themselves. Perhaps moving forward they’ll groan about not being able to watch rom-coms anymore without engaging in a sociological analysis (a win in my book!).