Seeing the Big Picture: A Cinematic Approach to Understanding Cultures in America

Seeing the Big Picture, Revised Edition, is designed to broaden students’ awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the many cultures and subcultures in the United States. The authors have chosen popular films as tools for exposing students to aspects of cultures, including those of African Americans, Chinese Americans, Mexican Americans, and Muslim Americans. Writing and discussion activities will help students explore the cultural points of view portrayed in each of the films. Students are also advised to keep a film journal that will allow them to observe how their reactions and observations develop through the course of the class. In addition to increasing students’ knowledge and understanding of cultural differences, Seeingthe Big Picture will help students develop strong critical-thinking and analytic abilities as they learn to recognize and question messages inherent in the films’ portrayals of different populations. A unique feature of the text are the Points of View segments from directors, insiders, and students that appear throughout the text, provoking perspectives students might not otherwise encounter.

This text is the ideal coursebook for undergraduate diversity electives and other multicultural awareness courses.