Sociology: Videos

Documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Filmed over the course of one winter in one American city, the film presents an intimate snapshot of the state of the nation's economy as it is playing out in millions of American families, and highlights the human consequences of the decline of the middle class and the fracturing of the American Dream.

This film follows seven different children who live in poverty in seven different countries--India, Egypt, USA (New York), Romania, Cambodia, Rwanda and Brazil--who share their experiences of life in poverty so articulately while retaining their joyous spirit of childhood.

"Five years in the making, DREAM : an American story follows the trials and tribulations of Juan Gomez, who struggles to achieve the American Dream under constant threat of deportation. Set against the backdrop of a politically polarized nation, DREAM humanizes the divisive issue of immigration and documents the rise of a new civil rights movement."

One in eight Americans, approximately 37 million people, live below the poverty line although the United States is still the richest country in the world. This program looks at the various factors that contribute to this problem and what can be done to break the cycle of multigenerational poverty.

This program surveys the emergence and development of the megacity -- both as an intellectual concept and as a physical phenomenon that is altering the face of the planet. The film examines present-day issues associated with the mammoth metropolis, including poverty, unemployment, rampant crime, poor or nonexistent healthcare, and air and water pollution. While many problems are studied in the context of the developing world, the program clearly ties them to Western cities as well.

Why Sociology? examines and describes the development of sociology as a discipline, increasing awareness of self and society.