In the last couple of weeks I've seen or heard two things that I would like to use as examples in my introductory sociology course. The first is the movie Frozen River. It is great examples of culture, immigration, poverty, and family. The story involves a mother, who desparate for money, transports illegal immigrants across the Canadian-Upstate NY border. Since the border runs through Mohawk territory, there is some question about the legality of the action. In the course of the action, she befriends a young Mohawk woman trying to regain custody of her son. The story of their relationship to each other, to their children and family, and to the "authorities" in their culture all highlight the interdependence of individuals.
Today, I heard an excellent segment on language on Morning Edition. Here is the link
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102518565&sc=emaf
The story, titled, Shakespeare Had Roses All Wrong, discusses the meanings attached to words. Krulwich, who is a great science reporter (check out Radio Lab), describes research on the meanings attached to a word like "bridge" by speakers of different languages. In some languages the word is considered "feminine," in others it is considered "masculine." Speakers of those languages used different adjectives to describe a generic bridge. In the "feminine" languages, they used words like "delicate" or "graceful." In the "masculine" languages, they used words like "sturdy" or "strong." It is an interesting description of the ways in which language influences us.
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