2016 documentary, 13th.

Style: Formal essay, written from sociological perspective
Suggested Word Count: 800-1,200 words
Minimum of 5 in-text citations and a corresponding reference page is required for this assignment

Instructions:

Take notes while watching the 2016 documentary, 13th.
After watching the film, use the questions below to conduct a sociological analysis of the mass incarceration through the intersectional lens of economics, media, politics and race.
Yes # 3-5 below are asking your opinion, but you should write your entire essay from the third-person perspective.
Do not use I, Me, My, We, Us, Our.
Instead you use phrases like, “One can easily disagree with the the quote from Kevin Gannon because…” or “Statistical and anecdotal evidence supports the idea that prisons are the modern versions of slavery because…”

This essay is composed of five (5) sections. The five required sections are detailed below. Use complete sentences, do not write your essay in outline form. Your essay is should be written in a paragraph format using each of the subheadings below (Introduction; Race and Media; Historical Byproducts or Otherwise?; Modern Slavery or Not?; Media and Its Influences)

Introduction: provide an introduction explaining what sociology is and how sociologist study things.
Race and Media: sociologically define race and discuss why understanding it is important to society. Then sociologically define media and discuss the role media plays on shaping ideas.
Historical Byproducts or Otherwise?: What are your sociological thoughts on the quote below? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
“History is not just stuff that happens by accident. We are the products of history that our ancestors choose, if we’re white. If we are black, we are the products of the history that our ancestors most likely did not choose. Yet here we are all together, the products of that set of choices. And we have to understand that in order to escape from it”. — Kevin Gannon, 13t
Modern Slavery or Not?: The film argues that there is a direct link between American slavery and the modern American prison system. What is your sociological take on this argument?
Media and Its Influences: “Super predator”. “Criminal”. Think about the power of media and the power of words. Sociologically discuss media and how words impact the perception and criminalization of people of color, both in the past and the present (animalistic, violent, to be feared, threat to white people, criminals, etc.). Give modern-day examples.