BIS 181 University of Washington Bothell Democracy Now Journal

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This assignment is based on the premise that the study of power, privilege, and oppression expand the way that we understand current events. It provides multiple opportunities to examine the workings of institutional power and its impacts on marginalized populations. Students will rely on the application of the sociological perspective to understand and provide a critical analysis of the issues raised by the exercise.

For this assignment, you are expected to view one episode of Democracy Now! (DN!) each week. This news broadcast includes stories from all over the world, with a focus on issues of inequality, oppression, and a multitude of social problems. The show is generally divided into several segments: (a) world news headlines and (b)1-3 stories with personal interviews.

The show airs M-F and can be found on your local PBS station, YouTube, or as a podcast on multiple platforms or at democracynow.org. For this assignment you must view an episode each week, beginning at Week 2. The episode you view must air during the week in which the assignment is completed. For example, Week 2 of the quarter corresponds to the following dates: 1/10-1/16. Because the show only airs M-F, you would need to view a new episode of DN! that aired between the dates of 1/10 – 1/14. Do not search the archives for older episodes in the application of this assignment.

If your paper does not correspond to the proper time frame, it will not receive credit. After you have selected and viewed your episode for the week, you are asked to address the following prompts in a short informal journal entry:

1. Summary Part1: First summarize the overall episode. Do this by including (briefly) at least two headlines included at the opening of the show. Then add a very brief discussion of each segment or story covered in the overall episode. This should be possible to accomplish in just a few sentences.

2. Summary Part 2: Select one section of the full episode (apart from the Headline section) and summarize the story/interview. Explain the social problem being addressed. Who was interviewed and why? What organization are they from and/or what is their profession? What is their perspective on the social problem being addressed Include in your summary the main events, developments, or ideas covered in the segment (be specific and include information regarding dates/names/other pertinent details).

3. Connect this story to the Eitzen text, films, or podcasts. You may do this by discussing concepts/theories/commonalities/etc. between the course text, films, or podcasts, and the section of DN! that you viewed. It may be a bit difficult in the beginning but will become easier as you progress through the material. You must identify and explain at least two connections between the course materials and the DN! episode. Be specific and provide examples.

 
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