Analyzing Class, Race, and/or Gender in TV Show or Commercial
The goal of this project is to analyze the way(s) race, social class, and/or gender is being portrayed in a
television sitcom or drama. You can analyze the show in general, but it would likely be most helpful for
you to choose a specific episode. To complete this assignment, proceed in this order.
• Begin your essay by describing the basic premise of the sitcom or drama you have chosen.
• Next, spend the rest of your essay analyzing how race, social class and/or gender is portrayed in the sitcom or drama you have chosen.
o Does the show you selected support stereotypes of members of a particular race/ethnic
group, social class or gender? Perhaps the show challenges or resists such stereotypes about
race, social class or gender. These are some questions you need to consider as you discuss
the show.
• Be sure to provide specific examples from the show to support your conclusions or points will be
deducted. Don’t forget to link your findings and so on to sociological concepts from the race, social
stratification/inequality and gender chapters or other relevant chapters
( Your ability to define, explain, and discuss at least two core sociological concepts. Write in such
a way that your audience has no knowledge of sociology – even if you think I’ll know what you
mean, you need to specifically define and explain concepts prior to using them in your
analysis/discussion. You must use appropriate in-text citations and include your reference(s) on
the last page!
• Your ability to apply these concepts to the real world issue assigned to you.
• Your organization of information – be sure to address all parts of the assignment.
• Your grammar, presentation style (depending on method – oral report, visual display, written
report, etc).)
