Title: Thirtysomething
Date: 1989
Media type: Television
Format: Episode
TV Season-Episode: New Baby: S3-E4
Category: Human Sexuality and Health, Ethical Issues and Dilemmas, Interpersonal Relationships
Keywords: reproductive health, development stage, dilemmas
Rating: NR
Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults
Language: English
Film/Episode Summary: Susannah gives birth to a baby girl after struggling with many fears.
Places to view: Hulu
Contributor: Anonymous
Title: This American Life
Date: 2008
Media type: Podcast
Format: Complete
TV Season-Episode: Switched-at-Birth
Category: Internal Dynamics of Families, Family Law and Policies, Ethical Issues and Delimmas
Keywords: response to crises, legal conflict, dilemmas
Rating: NR
Audience(s): Children Under 12, High School Age, College Age, Adults
Language: English
Film/Episode Summary: 2 Babies are switched at birth in a hospital in Wisconsin in 1951 and are not made aware of it for 43 years. The mother of one of the switched babies knew the day she brought the baby home that she had the wrong baby but kept it secret for all those years. An interview and analysis of the incident follows, raising many ethical and emotional dilemmas.
Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What do you feel about the mother who kept it secret for 43 years? What conclusions do you draw about her actions? How does this make you perceive her? What are your feelings on the ethics of this situation? What role do you think genetics played in the lives of these girls and their development?
Places to view: Hulu
Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney
Title: This is Where I Leave You
Date: 2014
Media type: Movie
Category: Internal Dynamics of Families, Ethical Issues and Dilemmas
Keywords: stress and coping, family relationship, response to crises, dilemmas
Rating: R
Audience(s): College Age, Adults
Language: English
Film/Episode Summary: A family is brought back to their hometown by the death of their father. In his will their father wanted all 4 of his adult children to sit shiva in the Jewish mourning tradition where families sit in their home and host guests for 7 days. As the movie progresses the family faces a multitude of issues like infidelity, divorce, infertility, coming out of the closet, break ups and starts of new relationships, and unemployment all while mourning the loss of their father.
Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: In what ways do the characters in this movie cope with their individual issues while trying to regain equilibrium?
Places to view: Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Itunes, HBO NOW
Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney
