Draw upon three sources from the first six weeks of the course to explain what is happening in your selected documentary. One of those sources may be a lecture video, but at least two must be readings listed on the syllabus.

Part I: Documentary Analysis (15%)
Choose one of the following two documentaries to watch & write about:
1.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/shift_change/
2. Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed. 1979. Directed by Donald Brittain.
Montreal: National Film Board of Canada. Length: 58:00. Available at:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/paperland/ or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g6yhxe2gb0 (with closed captioning)
Draw upon three sources from the first six weeks of the course to explain what is
happening in your selected documentary. One of those sources may be a lecture video,
but at least two must be readings listed on the syllabus.

Shift Change. 1986. Directed by Jefferson Lewis. Montreal: National Film Board

of Canada. Length: 56:00. Available at:

You should aim for at least 750 words (which is about 3 pages double-spaced) and no
more than 1000 words. You may focus in on particular sections of the documentary
rather than addressing it in its entirety.
You can think of this as an essay structure, with a thesis organizing your ideas in a
cohesive fashion, and with short intro and conclusion sections that help frame your
interpretation. Because of the word limits, it is not advisable to write long intro and
conclusion sections that simply summarize the body of the paper, nor is it advisable to
take up space summarizing the documentary. Rather, you should focus on making key
connections with the course materials and explaining your terms/concepts.
Your sources should lend some sociological insight into the events/themes depicted in
your selected film. You will want to draw upon course concepts to help explain the larger
underlying patterns (what we might call the social ‘dynamics’, ‘structures’ or ‘processes’)
on display. Be sure to make clear how the perspectives in the different course materials
you’ve selected fit together (or don’t fit together) in your analysis – this can be achieved
in part by a well-crafted thesis statement.
Use of sources from outside the course is not recommended for Part I of the assignment,
and such sources should only be used in exceptional circumstances. See the last section
of this document for further advise on writing.

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