The Documentary
This is where this started, this is where the idea originally looked like... in case you cared.
There are classes that we all have to take, such as the CCC’s. So if you are a class that fulfills CCC’s it is usually in high demand and in competition with others. Well I am trying to find a way of introducing this class, American Identities, in a better way. The class covers a wide range of ideas about the American and their values. This effort to make a documentary, or at least make the first step for others to finish it, describing the course and an introduction to what the American Identity is.
Personally I feel that the description on the Fredonia catalog for this class is a little vague, and is lacking many enjoyable details about the class. This here is the description:
ENGL 296 American Identities
Frequency: Every year
An exploration of the historical construction of American gender, ethnicity/race, and class; their present status; and their literary and cultural representations. Focusing on intersections between these categories of identity, the course will utilize an interdisciplinary approach, integrating materials from fields such as literary studies, history, women's studies, ethnic studies, geography, sociology, music, and art. Cross- listed as AMST 296.
Credits: 3
A good place to begin would be with the start, “An exploration of the historical construction of American gender, ethnicity/race, and class; their present status; and their literary and cultural representations.” Yes, we do explore these issues of American gender, race, status and so on, but can we show this to them in a light that is more understandable. In a way that they can relate it to themselves and to show how that is dealt with in the class. Of course we discuss the literary and cultural representations of individuals in society, but we do it in a discussion based way allowing us to gather information and perspectives from many fields of experience. This film is my design to do just that, to capture the process of this search for the American Identity.
Another point that I would like to explain in a more descriptive way explaining how the class is able to cover these segments. By making this video I will be able to show how the course examines identity, its many crossings, and its multiple identities. In order to truly explain how the class utilizes this interdisciplinary approach one will have to view it, and this documentary is meant for that. In terms of focusing on, “integrating materials from fields such as literary studies, history, women's studies, ethnic studies, geography, sociology, music, and art.”, the class is able to discuss the literature covered, which includes many of these topics, and from our own fields of experience. In hopes of being able to show the process in which all of this happens is the mission for this project.
The class is about trying to find these multiple identities of the American, but that doesn’t mean that is where the documentary should end. In an effort to further promote this search, it is a goal of this assignment to delve further into this debate. It will be an opportunity to view new perspectives on these issues and questions that are being presented.
The plan is to gather footage to explain and demonstrate everything that has been discussed so far. In doing so, if this is completed, there will be an excellent new way of introducing the topics of a course and also a small experience with juggling the idea of juggling the meaning and definition of the American Identity. If it is not completed then this will be a great start and will, like stated previously, be the move that gets this rolling. The material that will be covered will range from various skill leveled individuals, to relevant organizations, to those with experience of stereotyping.
To introduce the video to the viewer, prospect of the class, a intro of the topics that are being discussed will be presented. This shall include for now, with either additions or subtractions, issues such as what the American Identity can mean, examples of the common stereotype for the American, immigration, globalization, and citizenship. This, I hope, will give a broad idea of what is to come and to prepare the viewer to join the discussion too, but to themselves as they watch.
In order to gather an greater understanding for what the class is actually like, there is hope that footage of the actually class itself can be used. The process in which this could happen begins with your help. Before I can use this in a documentary it is required to obtain approval from those being filmed. Persuading its participants to actually participate is not tactic of this project, but rather it is simply hoped that there will be individuals out there that are willing. It is important that potential participants know that this film is trying to act as a valid source of debate over the topic of American Identity.
In terms of those who might actually be included into the film, there is a list that includes individuals of different skill levels, valid experience to the topic, different generational views, and those that can be found at various “hot spots” for this discussion of the American Identity. A series of filmed classes would be a wonderful addition to this project. This would give the viewer an example of the class structure, explaining how it runs and essentially the “interdisciplinary approach” that the course follows. Sections that would be used are those that sparked the class into further and deeper discussion. Unfortunately there are only so many classes left of discussion of read literature, so this will not act as a perfect overview of the course, but can at least give us the best one available.
To add to the debate itself this film will show scenes from what is considered to be part of the American Identity, or a few of the stereotyped notions of this identity. Examples of this would be footage of places like our fast food industries, shopping centers, and educational facilities. For the sake of making this proposal brief I limit these examples for they are endless. Also, when looking for answers about the American Identity, who better to ask than the american public. An objective to be achieved during this process is to gather the opinions of the public in various skills set and fields of experiences. These differences may be gathered from multiple places within Fredonia, some including professors within the history department and those associated with the American Studies program, the Multi-Cultural Club, International Students Club, townsfolk of Fredonia, and SUNY Fredonia students and of course this list could also go as well. With these groups alone it is possible to see a glimpse at this discussion from fields of experience in areas varying from different generational views, income statuses, ethnic and geographical perspectives, and diverse levels of education. Essentially, the wide range of settings and perspectives aimed to capture will allowed this film to help and gather as much information as possible towards narrowing down the meaning of the American identity.
In every situation covered yet it has been crucial to try and grasp a very specific type range of information. The material captured must be relevant to the discussion, but also concise. They must come as a package, otherwise we gather footage that doesn’t pertain to the product or we have material that can’t be shown in a reasonable amount of time. To prevent these issues there is a small amount of preparation that must be made. Included in this planning is a series of questions, relevant to the topic and specific perspective, that is prepared prior to interviewing. Also, where these interviews conducted may generate varying responses from the same source. It is a mission to gather as many of those unique setting-dependent responses as possible. Consequently, this means that we may not be able to gather the information in a conditioned and and tantamount way for comparing the perspectives. Not always are consequences bad and for that reason the documentary will argue for itself that this now allows us to see the varying setting-dependent responses in many different lights as well, and essentially granting the viewer a more well-rounded source of information to concluded from.
When considering the size of this project it can be easy to assume its achievability to be quite reachable, but in reality when taking the time to investigate this process one con then easily come to the reverse assumption. The amount of footage that is being asset for the overall procedure becomes overwhelming. The task of being able to get material from all or even many of these sources will be a scavenger hunt in the nicest of terms. Looking past these difficulties, it must be cleared up that the project can become a plausible source towards narrowing the debate of the American identity. Another point to consider is that this footage is still small in its reach. Even with the completion of this documentary it is, realistically, the best capture of the Fredonian identity. Although this film will make it its effort to gather footage about the American identity, the material gathered will be biased to the Fredonia area and better described as the capturing of the Fredonian identity. Because of this point, the idea of furthering the development of this footage to broader regions is only the start to an even larger effort for the search of the American identity. The mission of this project will be to further explore the American identity from the Fredonia perspective, and essentially showing how the two identities are interchangeable