Sociology

Unit II: Social Class

Video: Country Boys

Overview: Country Boysis a coming-of-age story about two boys from Eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian region. Viewers see three key years in the lives of two adolescents – Cody Perkins and Chris Johnson – as they grapple with emotional and physical obstacles related to their family lives and the economic circumstances of the region in which they live. The documentary is 6 hours long, so you will see excerpts in class. There will be some awkward gaps, but this is unavoidable. The entire documentary is available online if you are interested in watching more.

Context: The information below will help you understand both the economic and geographic context in which both boys, Chris and Cody live. The documentary begins in 2000 and covers the time period before the current economic downturn.

Both boys receive Supplemental Security Income, a government benefit. “The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources.”

Both boys live in Appalachia. “The Appalachian Region, as defined in ARC's authorizing legislation, is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Forty-two percent of the Region's population is rural, compared with 20 percent of the national population.

The Region's economy, once highly dependent on mining, forestry, agriculture, chemical industries, and heavy industry, has become more diversified in recent times, and now includes a variety of manufacturing and service industries. In 1965, one in three Appalachians lived in poverty. In 2000, the Region's poverty rate was 13.6 percent. The number of Appalachian counties considered economically distressed was 223 in 1965; in fiscal year 2010 that number is 82.

These gains have transformed the Region from one of widespread poverty to one of economic contrasts: some communities have successfully diversified their economies, while others still require basic infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer systems. The contrasts are not surprising in light of the Region's size and diversity. The Region includes 420 counties in 13 states. It extends more than 1,000 miles, from southern New York to northeastern Mississippi, and is home to 24.8 million people.”

Source:

Main Characters:

Chris / Cody
Shelia Johnson: mother
Randall Johnson: father
Amy Johnson: sister
Mitzi Crisp: school principal
Jay: friend
Kay Ross: cooking teacher
Ann Thomas: grandmother / Liz McGuire: former step grandmother
Mitzi Crisp: school principal
Jessica Riddle: girlfriend
Tammy Riddle: girlfriend’s mother
Ray Riddle: girlfriend’s father
Bill Stukenberg: pastor

To complete as you watch the documentary:

Please take two column notes as you watch the video to help you keep track of major moments in the boys’ lives. These will be collected.

Chris / Cody

Sociology

Unit II: Social Class

Video: Country Boys

Homework – Take home questions

25 points

Task: After you watch the documentary, please provide thoughtful and complete answers to the following questions. This will be collected after spring break. Answers must be in complete sentences with proper grammar

  • all answers are written in paragraph form
  • a paragraph begins with a topic sentence; think of the topic sentence as the one sentence answer to the question
  • a paragraph includes both general information and specific examples; often times your book includes specific information in the pictures, graphs, and pull-out information
  • a paragraph is a minimum of 5-7 sentences long.
  • answers are typed and double spaced
  • this sheet is stapled to the front of your answers and your name is place on this sheet
  • no use of I, me, you, we, etc.
  • turn in a hard copy of your work and submit it to turnitin.com[1]
  • Class ID: 3099346
  • Password:Santacroce

1.If you could ask anyone in Country Boys a question, who would you ask, what would you ask them, and why are you interested in the answer to that particular question?

2,Share a moment from Country Boys that gave you hope, made you angry and/or what you found particularly moving.

3.If you had the power to do one thing for either Chris or Cody, what would you do and why?

4.To answer this question, it is suggested you review the material on pp. 281-283 in your text. How did social class impact both the health and families of these boys?

5.To answer this question, it is suggested you review the material on pp. 289-291 in your text. There are two major explanations for poverty most often given in the United States. Which explanation is best supported by this documentary. Be sure to explain your answer,

1

[1] Work must be submitted to turnitin.com and a hard copy must be handed it. Work is late until both of these steps are complete.