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Worksheet for   NEW JACK CITY

 

MOVIE LABS          comtrag.gif (3095 bytes)


Created at the Red Feather Institute for Advanced Studies in Sociology

20 PTS: PROFIT = 33% [27 FOR 20]: Note: I gave 7 points extra for this movie lab since it was the first time I gave it and, as well, many of the terms were new to the students who took the movie lab.

CAST OF CHARACTERS: NINO BROWN = HEAD OF CMB; KAREEM = ACCOUNTANT

SCOTT APPLETON & PARETTI = UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICERS;

POKIE = JUNKIE; YO-MONEY = BASKETBALL PLAYER/SECOND IN COMMAND

STONE = HEAD OF STING; DON ARMATEO = HEAD OF MAFIA FAMILY


1. NEW JACK CITY BEST DEPICTS WHICH OF THE FUTURES BELOW FOR THE USA:

1. GENTEEL POVERTY 3. CORPORATIVISM [JAPAN]
2. GARRISON STATE/Soylant GREEN 4. SOCIAL DEMOCRACY

2. INTO WHICH CLASS SECTOR WOULD MARX FIT NINO BROWN WHILE HE WAS RETAILING DRUGS:

1. PETITE BOURGEOISIE 3. LUMPENPROLETARIAT 
3. PROLETARIAT                  4. UNDERCLASS
(A case can be made for both 1 and 2, above)

3. YO MONEY IS A STREET HUSTLER [HUSTLING BASKETBALL BETS] AT THE FIRST OF THE MOVIE. HOW WOULD MARX DESIGNATE HIS CLASS POSITION:

1. PETITE BOURGEOISIE    3. LUMPENPROLETARIAT
3. PROLETARIAT                          4. UNDERCLASS

4. THE MOVIE EXPLAINED THE INVOLVEMENT OF YOUNG BLACK MEN CRIME AS A RESULT OF WHICH KIND(s) OF INEQUALITY:

1. RACIST INEQUALITY         3. RACISM AND CLASS
2. CLASS INEQUALITY        4. RACISM, CLASS AND GENDER

5. WHICH FORM(S) OF INEQUALITY DID THE MOVIE ITSELF TEND TO REPRODUCE:

1. GENDER INEQUALITY 3. RACE AND GENDER INEQUALITY
2. CLASS INEQUALITY        4. RACE, CLASS & GENDER

6. WHICH FORM OF CRIME WAS PREDOMINANT IN THE MOVIE:

1. STREET CRIME                 3. ORGANIZED CRIME
2. WHITE COLLAR CRIME 4. POLITICAL CRIME

7. IN ONE SCENE, SCOTTIE SAYS THAT 1/3 OF THE POLICE FORCE TAKE BRIDES FROM CMB, THE CRACK COMPANY. WHICH FORM OF CRIME WOULD THIS BE:

1. STREET CRIME                3. ORGANIZED CRIME
2. WHITE COLLAR CRIME 4. POLITICAL CRIME

8. THE RICHER AND MORE POWERFUL NINO BROWN BECAME, THE MORE HIS TREATMENT OF HIS ASSOCIATES CHANGED. WHICH FORM OF AUTHORITY IS MOST APPROPRIATE TO CATEGORIZE THIS TRANSFORMATION:

1. FROM TRADITIONAL TO LEGAL RATIONAL AUTHORITY
2.     FROM TRADITIONAL TO CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY
3. FROM CHARISMATIC TO TRADITIONAL

9. ORDINARILY DRUGS, SEX AND GAMBLING ARE USED FOR SOLIDARITY PURPOSES. CMB TURNED IT INTO A BUSINESS. WHICH TERM BELOW FROM THE LECTURES CONVEYS THIS:

1. RATIONALIZATION 3. INDUSTRIALIZATION
2. DIFFERENTIATION 4. COMMODIFICATION

10. WHAT WAS THE MAJOR MOBILITY CHANNEL AVAILABLE TO THE YOUNG BLACK MEN IN THE MOVIE:

1. EDUCATION         3. SPORTS
2. RELIGION        4. ORGANIZED CRIME

11. WHEN YO MONEY STOPPED EARNING HIS INCOME THROUGH HIS BASKETBALL ABILITY AND TOOK A POSITION AS ASSISTANT TO NINO BROWN, WHAT KIND OF MOBILITY DID HE ENJOY:

1. HORIZONTAL MOBILITY     3.  VERTICAL MOBILITY
2. STRUCTURAL MOBILITY    4.   INTERGENERATIONAL

12. MANY AMERICAN SOCIOLOGISTS BASE CLASS POSITION ON LIFE STYLE. USING LIFE STYLE AS A WAY TO DETERMINE THE CLASS POSITION OF NINO BROWN, FOR MOST OF THE MOVIE, HE WOULD BE IN WHICH CLASS:

1. UNDERCLASS         3. MIDDLE CLASS
2. WORKING CLASS 4. UPPER CLASS.

13. MOST FORMS OF ART, MUSIC AND THEATER TRY TO LEGITIMATE THE IDEAS OF THE MAJORITY GROUP BY DEFINING POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL CONTENT INTO THEM.   WHOSE IDEOLOGY WAS THE OBJECT OF SCORN AND CONTEMPT IN THE MOVIE--AS A WHOLE:

1. RELIGION OF BLACK FOLK     3. CAPITALIST ECONOMICS OF THE USA
3. LIFE STYLE OF THE RICH    4. CULTURE OF POVERTY

14. NINO BROWN USED ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO CONTROL ENTRY INTO THE CARTER BUILDING AND TO RECORD PRODUCTIVITY OF WORKERS. WHICH TERM CONVEYS THIS KIND OF CONTROL:

1. TECHNOFASCISM                                 3. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
2. INSTRUMENTAL RATIONALITY        4. FASCISM

15. THE WORKING CONDITIONS INSIDE THE CMB TENDED TO LOCATE THE 'DRUGSTORE' INSIDE OF WHICH SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY:

1. STATE SECTOR 2. COMPETITIVE SECTOR    3. MONOPOLY SECTOR

16. WEBER WOULD SAY THAT THE SUCCESS OF NINO BROWN CAME MOSTLY FROM THE FACT THAT HE:

1. USED VIOLENCE TO ELIMINATE COMPETITION
2. RATIONALIZED THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF DRUGS
3. BRIBED THE POLICE TO ESCAPE LEGAL RATIONAL AUTHORITY
4. INCREASED ORGANIC SOLIDARITY THROUGH THE DIVISION OF LABOR IN CMB

17. BOTH NINO BROWN AND SCOTTIE USED PEOPLE TO GAIN THEIR OWN ENDS. WHICH TERM BELOW FITS:

1. MECHANICAL SOLIDARITY 3. INSTRUMENTAL RATIONALITY
2. ORGANIC SOLIDARITY        4. SUBSTANTIVE RATIONALITY

18. MARX SAID THAT CAPITALISM TENDED TO DESTROY ALL SACRED RELATIONSHIPS. WHICH RELATIONSHIP WAS DESTROYED BY THE QUEST FOR PROFIT INSIDE CMB:

1. YO MONEY AND NINO         3. YO MONEY AND HIS GIRL FRIEND
2. PARETTI AND SCOTTIE        4. SCOTTIE AND POKIE

19. NINO BROWN RECEIVED A SENTENCE FROM WHICH HE COULD GET PROBATION IN 12 MONTHS DUE TO PLEA BARGAINING.  WHAT KIND OF AUTHORITY DID THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY HAVE TO MAKE SUCH A DECISION:

1. LEGAL RATIONAL        3. CHARISMATIC
2. TRADITIONAL                 4. FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL

20. IN THE TRIAL, NINO HIMSELF GAVE AN ANALYSIS WHICH TENDED TO DEPICT HIS ASSASSINATION AS:

1. THEORETICALLY INFORMED REBELLION AND RESISTANCE
2. PRETHEORETICAL REBELLION AND RESISTANCE

21. WHICH EXPLANATION/THEORY OF POVERTY DID THE MOVIE TEND TO SUPPORT:

1. CULTURE OF POVERTY REPEATS ITSELF DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS
2. DIFFERENCES IN INDIVIDUAL TALENT EFFORT EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RICH AND POOR
3. STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY TENDS TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM TRYING TO MAKE IT
4. STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY PRODUCES POVERTY: SOME REBEL; SOME WITHDRAW INTO DRUGS

23. THE 'OLD MAN' MADE THE CASE TO NINO AND TO THE POLICE THAT DRUGS WERE 'KILLING' 'OUR' PEOPLE. HE WAS TRYING TO USE:

1. MORAL POWER 3. LEGAL-RATIONAL POWER
2. SOCIAL POWER 4. CHARISMATIC POWER

24. LOOKING AT THE MOVIE ONLY, ONE WOULD SAY THAT CRIME AND RACE WERE CAUSALLY LINKED. WHICH THEORY OF ORGANIZED CRIME TENDS TO REJECT THAT VIEW:

1. SUCCESSION THEORY    3. DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION
2. CONTROL THEORY    4. LABELING THEORY

25. ACCORDING TO THE THEME OF THE MOVIE, THE POOR TAKE DRUGS BECAUSE:

1. IT MAKES THE PAIN OF POVERTY AND RACISM BEARABLE
2. IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF SOLIDARITY AMONG COMPETITIVE MALES
3. THEY ARE FIXATED AT THE ORAL INCORPORATIVE STAGE OF PSYCHO-SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

26. KEESHA, THE FEMALE BODYGUARD BEST REPRESENTS WHICH KIND OF FEMINISM AS DISCUSSED IN CLASS:

1. SOCIALIST FEMINISM 3. TRADITIONAL FEMININITY
2. RADICAL FEMINISM 4. LIBERAL FEMINISM

27. CMB PROVIDED JOBS FOR 300 OR MORE PEOPLE. DUAL LABOR THEORY WOULD PLACE THESE JOBS IN:

1. CORE INDUSTRIES             2. PERIPHERAL INDUSTRIES 3. SEMI-PERIPHERY

 


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