Category Archives: Families in Society

Families in Society

The Pacifier

Title: The Pacifier

Date: 2005

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Families in Society

Keywords: single parenting, work and family, response to crises, parent-child relationships

Rating: PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Audience(s): Children Under 12, High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary:David Plummer died under the watch of Navy Seal Shane Wolfe, and now Shane has to protect Plummer’s five children while their mother goes to take care of her husband’s matters. It turns out that David was a government scientist that had top-secret government information, GHOST, at the house. As Shane tries to keep the children safe, he is also on the search for GHOST within the house. Even though he had no prior experience with children, he manages to parent five children on his own.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: In what ways was Shane a parent to the children that lost their father. In what ways did Shane step in to be their father figure. How did their mother function without her spouse?

Places to view: Itunes, Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play

Contributor: Krista Hamann

Families in Society

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Title: My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Date: 2002

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Families in Society

Keywords: Marriage, conflict management, family demographics, parenting styles, social and cultural influences, types of parents

Rating: PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Audience(s): Children Under 12, High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Toula, a young Greek woman is turning her life around by going back to college. Along the way, she meets and falls in love with a man named Gus. The only problem is, he’s not Greek. The movie follows the couple as they get married and struggle through cultural differences.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: How does culture affect how people parent? How do differences in religion create conflicts in families. Do you think that Toula and Gus handled the situation in the best way that they could as a couple?

Places to view: Itunes, Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, HBO Go

Contributor: Krista Hamann

Families in Society, Human Growth and Development

Babies

Title: Babies

Date: 2010

Media type: Documentary

Category: Families in Society

Keywords: Parenting, Human Growth and Development, Families in Society, Cultural Influences, Infant Development

Rating: PG

Audience(s): College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples, Families

Language: Little verbal dialogue

Film/Episode Summary: This documentary/film follows four children, each from different countries (Namibia, Japan, Mongolia, and the USA), from birth through the first year of life. With the guidance of a facilitator and/or written prompts to consider while viewing, it helps to illustrate the following concepts that are commonly discussed in family science: cultural and other environmental influences; diversity within diversity (every child in these specific countries will not be raised in exactly the same way); universal aspects of development; context-specific aspects of development; the multiple systems of the bioecological model; personal biases related to human development, parenting, and other family dynamics; operant learning; and infant social, cognitive, and physical development. The entire film allows for a discussion of many topics, but many clips are also helpful for illustrating specific concepts during a lecture.

Places to view: focusfeatures.com/babies

Contributor: Erica Jordan