Rationale
During the 1970s and into the 1980s the American women's movement, punctuated by the fight for an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, was driven under the slogan "the personal is political." Indeed, women of the period (and beyond) were justified in suggesting that their socio-economic condition was not plainly personal but a manifestation of political attitudes and behaviors. Women's salaries were not (and are not generally) comparable to men's in similar occupations. Divorce laws favored men and so on (Farragher, 450). For the purposes of explaining this unit I would like to borrow this adage.
It might be said that much of what we encounter in daily living is political. It could get a little annoying to think about life this way but bear with me as I flesh this out. Let's say that you and a friend decide that on a Saturday afternoon you are going to meet at the YMCA for a spin class then go to a late afternoon lunch and see a movie in the early evening. The political crossroads here are endless. First, there are speed limits that may hinder your progress (if you choose, as I do, to think of them as a buttress to progress). Second, if you are working out you are probably health conscious and will choose a restaurant or something on a given menu that contributes to your continued good health. Good health is strongly linked to things such as disability and life insurance that derive from various codes tied to legislation born largely from interplay between state and federal officials and insurance corporation lobbyists. Lastly, the film that you choose will undoubtedly have an ideological edge that is unavoidable. Films are stories with plots and themes that attempt to make a point. Often times that point is of a political nature. But in a practical sense this day represents the fact that nothing that we encounter, even the most innocent of situations, can be completely devoid of political implications.
What does all this mean? The personal is political. It is unavoidable. The truth of the matter is that laws guard our lives. Those laws, rules, or regulations are created through the American political process and it is our job, since we have sovereignty, to comment on them, ask that they be changed, follow them alertly, or condemn their creators. Voters might be said to have the ultimate democratic comment when they participate in elections. But it is naiveté to think that the process is not far more involved than that. So who is making all the noise? Voters must be informed and the information is largely the responsibility of America's mass media. There is an inarguable link between the function of our federal system and the media that charges itself with giving us the tools we need to be good citizens. Indeed most Americans depend on multiple forms of media to teach them about politicians, political issues, and political happenings. For this unit I've chosen to focus on film as a key part of the media whose effects are often recognized. Specifically I want to deal with political rhetoric in various films showing how the cinema might contribute to one's ideological or political perspectives.
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