Social Work Videos: Selected Titles

Follows young adults who have been raised in the foster care system as they "age out" of the system and find themselves entirely on their own without family support or job skills.

A documentary that explores the lifelong impact of adoption for adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents in the same race and transracial adoptions against the historic backdrop of adoption in America.

Conceiving Family follows (Director/Producer) Amy Bohigian and her partner, Jane Byers, as they adopt biracial 15 month-old twins, Franny and Theo. Their journey to becoming a family, like the other four same-sex couples, is laden with challenges, including confronting the Christian Fundamentalist foster parents who express fear that the children they’ve cared for since birth will now, “grow up to be gay” with parents who are “going to hell for their sins.” Required to live together for two weeks during the kids’ transition they confront their differences in the most surprising ways. Combining personal interviews, intimate footage, and family photos, Conceiving Family tells the collective story of what it takes to become an intentional family.

Native Silence is a solemn account of the legacy of forced adoption on Native American children, torn from their tribal communities and placed in foster care and boarding schools. Joyce, is a recovered drug-addict and now mental health worker, and Paulette, a mother who ‘doesn’t associate’ with the Natives in her town. Their stories reflect the struggle that they and many others faced growing up as Native American within larger non-Indian culture.

Navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood is challenging for even the most mature and privileged youth. For three young people in New York and Los Angeles, making the transition to independent living is considerably more difficult as they "age out" of the foster care system. They suddenly discover that they're on their own for the first time.

Documentary study following four couples as they try to adopt a child. Records the process of adoption in intimate detail, chronicling the feelings and attitudes of everyone involved - prospective parents, children, foster parents, social workers and adoption panels. In this episode the couples discover if they've got what it takes to adopt someone else's child.

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Features a diverse group of participants, each given the opportunity to experience firsthand a world that is the complete opposite of their own comfortable existence. As the participants learn about the lives and beliefs of others, viewers learn more about themselves.

Explores the consequences of being different. It focuses on a group of people in which some are "the many," who are referred to as the X's, and some are "the few," the O's. A parable about what happens to any new or different kind of person in a group and how the situation can be managed.

"Imagine walking into a public library…sitting down with a person wearing a name tag with a potentially loaded label such as “disabled,” “gay,” “homeless,” “Muslim,” “police officer,” or even “teenager”…and then engaging him or her in a discussion of common prejudices in order to better understand a fellow human too often obscured by a stereotype! Peace activist Ronni Abergel did, and the international Living Library Project was born. This program reports on the launch of North America’s first Living Library event, held at the Santa Monica Public Library. Volunteers and participants share their reactions, and Abergel explains how he came to found the Project and why it matters—today more than ever. The message? Don’t judge a book by its cover"--Container.

"You're walking down the street and you see someone approaching. You glance at his or her face and see--what exactly? Filmed in London, this program brings together more than two dozen total strangers to reveal the hidden judgments people make about those they don't know. Cleverly composed of nothing more than juxtaposed faces and unvarnished commentary by the film's subjects. Conversation creates an edgy meta-dialogue on how we tend to project our fears and desires onto our fellow humans. Illuminating and unsettling--and a guaranteed discussion-starter for courses in the areas of psychology, sociology, communications, and race/ethnicity/gender studies as viewers become aware of their own preconceived notions about otherness."--Container.

Faces of Change highlights the story of five activists from five different continents who relay unique video dispatches from their respective corners of the world. From their communities in Brazil, India, Mauritania, Bulgaria and the United States, they go behind the camera to find a common voice denied them because of their social, racial, gender or ethnic background. They walk viewers through their lives, experiences and societies, as viewers see the world through their eyes. The intimate videos capture their hopes and dreams, echoing the nature of our common humanity. The result is a gripping tapestry of personal stories unlike anything audiences have seen.

This DVD shows Jane Elliott’s blue-eyed/brown-eyed experiment set in a college environment with students from diverse racial and ethnic environments.

Covering more than one hundred years of United States history, traces the evolution of Black American caricatures and stereotypes that have fueled anti-black prejudice.

Although overt race discrimination has greatly declined in America, recent research has revealed that various biases exist in "implicit" forms that operate outside of awareness. Many earnestly egalitarian Americans remain unaware that any dilemma still exists. It is therefore not surprising that many assume America is "post-racial." Yet, implicit biases have been found based on ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and age. In addition to describing the basic findings that underlie this new science of discrimination, Dr. Greenwald demonstrates the implicit association test (IAT).
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American culture has stereotyped black Americans for centuries. Equally devastating, the late Marlon Riggs argued, have been the definitions of "blackness" African Americans impose upon one another which contain and reduce the black experience. In this film, Riggs meets a cross-section of African Americans grappling with the paradox of numerous, often contradictory definitions of blackness. He shows many who have felt uncomfortable and even silenced within the race because their complexion, class, sexuality, gender or speech has rendered them "not black enough," or conversely, "too black."

We use mental shortcuts every day to help us make decisions, and often we don't even realize it. This program explores five mental shortcuts, or "blind spots": Expectation, Belief, Availability, Anchors, and Imitation. Learn why optical illusions and magic tricks surprise us, and how our need to confirm our beliefs often prevent a cold. Understand how availability affects purchasing habits, how a bias can make a normal price seem like a great sale, and what causes laughter to be so contagious.

Examines the "nature vs. nurture" debate in the shaping of the identity of children. This program weighs in on that question by capturing the emotional and psychological development of 25 boys and girls at age five. Children reveal clear signals about their self-worth and their expectations for the future that bear strong connection to nationality, gender, skin color, economic class, and the presence or absence of either parent.

Video discusses play therapy, including the rationale and principles. Contains video clips of play therapy sessions with culturally diverse children. The author uses puppets to help communicate the rationale, principles, and basic skills.

4-8 percent of American children experience bouts of major depression. This program will look at depression among children, with special attention to what the children themselves say about coping with this disease. It includes interviews with David G. Fassler, MD, a Child psychiatrist and Author of Help Me I'm Sad, and Steven Atkins, Psy.D., a psychologist at Dartmouth Medical School.

This panel discussion, with John Gottman, Donald Meichenbaum, Mary Pipher, and Alexander Simpkins, compares and contrasts clinical and philosophical perspectives of experts as they discuss children and adolescents.

In laboratories around the world, psychologists are grappling with the age-old question of morality: do we come into the world as amoral creatures without any sense of right and wrong, without any conscience and only learn to be good?

Video discusses play therapy, including the rationale and principles. Contains video clips of play therapy sessions with culturally diverse children. The author uses puppets to help communicate the rationale, principles, and basic skills.

This is a book that includes a DVD that has 5 video recorded interviews. "Social Work Live accesses multiple approaches to student learning: experiential, visual, and auditory. Carol Dorr emphasizes the important role of self-reflection and critical thinking in social work practice by paying special attention to process recordings and observing how the social worker reflects on her own reactions in the moment with the client. Students also can appreciate the important role of reflecting on their own interventions with clients after their sessions, acknowledging what went well and what could have been done better. Social Work Live encourages a constructivist perspective to practice that calls attention to the many possible interpretations and approaches to working with clients. The classroom provides an ideal opportunity for students to explore with each other different ways of making meaning out of clients' stories and intervening with them."

This DVD offers clear guidelines for multifaceted training and includes testimonials from four lesbian and gay individuals. Included are specific strategies for working with persons in the Identity Confusion or Coming Out phase of gay identity.

What is cultural competence? What is multicultural counseling and therapy? Is there any difference between counseling a White client as opposed to a Black one? What do we mean by multiculturalism? Does it include gender, sexual orientation, class, religion and other sociodemographic groups? This DVD answers these questions and more--students will learn key basics for practice and the deeper meanings of identity development.

This program traces the origins of our social stereotypes and exclusionary practices toward people with disabilities, drawing from scholarly records, institutional archives, original photography and popular media the program focuses on the moral, aesthetic and economic policies that shaped the lives of people with disabilities.

In Read Me Differently, first-time filmmaker Sarah Entine exposes unrecognized learning disabilities that bridge three generations in her family. Entine's discovery of her own dyslexia at the age of 29 - and her subsequent search for answers - ultimately leads to surprising revelations between those closest to her, especially her mother and grandmother. --from container

"Those who know him can only speculate about how 22-year-old Gannet experiences the world. Gannet ("G") lives with Mowat-Wilson syndrome: a rare genetic condition that challenges communication between the right and left sides of the brain. When G moves out of his mom's house into an apartment with friends who will be his round-the-clock caregivers, everyone anticipates a painful transition. But in this house of young artists and musicians, G gets to experience life with people who grasp the poignant dichotomy of his extraordinary strengths and his heartbreaking fragility."--Container insert.

Documents a young boy's struggle with Asperger's syndrome. Adam and his family share their everyday challenges and triumphs to provide unparalleled insights into this increasingly common disorder. Includes interviews with autistic children and their families, and features Dr. Temple Grandin, a noted authority on autism spectrum disorders.

The Americans with Disabilities Act - signed into law in 1990 - was referred to as the Emancipation Proclamation for Americans with disabilities. But because the government mostly lacks the power to ensure the law is followed, people with disabilities bear the primary burden of its enforcement through lawsuits. Defendants of these lawsuits say that the law is far too technical for business owners to keep up with, which leads to abuse. RAMPED UP addresses the pitfalls of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the politics and money that are stilled tied up with accessibility in America.

Making Noise in Silence explores the richness and complexities of Deaf culture from the perspective of two Korean high school students who attend the California School for the Deaf, Fremont.

Society often perceives people with disabilities as asexual and non-social. Is this really true? Sonia Perduta, Mike Kennedy and Joe Bellil will review various perceptions, mythologies, and stereotypes describing persons with disabilities and teach new ways of learning positive images of persons with disabilities.

An intimate portrait of five disabled people living in the Pacific Northwest. They discuss microaggressions and implicit bias against people with disabiltiies, developing disability pride and identity, and how bias affects them every day. The film suggests how teachers, coworkers, health care workers, and families can become better allies to members of the largest minority group in the US.

Kyle is a 29-year-old adoptee with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This documentary follows Kyle as he prepares to compete in the 2014 Washington State Special Olympics.

Features David Nugent, who was once a violent and abusive person himself, and today runs a community-based behavior change group in Australia called Heavy M.E.T.A.L.: Men's Education Toward Anger & Life. Follows three men, husbands and fathers with dangerous antisocial behavioral issues and problems with self-control, as they struggle to stop committing emotional and physical violence against their families. Explores the power trips and pathology of domestic violence and asks if voluntary programs and group therapy sessions can help these men change their violent behaviors.

"Once accepted as a cultural norm in Africa, domestic violence is increasingly recognized for what it is-an assault on the rights and well-being of women, as well as a major impediment to progress on the continent. This program examines the issue in Ethiopia and South Africa, focusing on efforts to reduce and hopefully eliminate violence against women. Viewers meet survivors of domestic abuse and sex crimes who are regaining control over their lives in safe houses and educational centers. Also featured are Nomfundo Mogapi of South Africa's Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation; Annalize Teichmann, a South African prosecutor; Senait Berhanu of Ethiopia's Addis Ababa Women's Association; and other activists"--Container.

"Taking place in 1986 and 1998 and based on a true story, three poor, Black kids in rural Mississipi reap the consequences of their family's cycle of abuse, adiction and violence. They independently struggle to escape their circumstances and must decide whether to confront what's plagued their family for generations or succumb to the same crippling fate"--Container.

The "Pink Gang" is a group of women who wear pink saris as a symbol of their revolt against their society. They are victims of domestic violence, rape and social exclusion. Their champion is Sampat Pal Devi, who takes up their cases of social injustice, often perpetrated by their husbands' extended families, with whom they're forced to live. Declaring 'women have nothing but their tears; what else do they have?', Sampat Pal has learned from experience. Once a child-bride and a victim of abuse herself, Sampat has no fear. She fought back and escaped the family, and now beleaguered women from throughout Uttar Pradesh seek her out, looking for the support and strength to do the same. Sampat Pal laudably takes up their causes, dramatically throwing herself into the middle of family dramas, yet for all her spirited righteousness, she can be forced to compromise in the face of the entrenched conventions and traditions she is railing against.

A dramatic and timely exploration of domestic abuse, which examines the persistence of violence against women in the US, through the story of Kim, a mother of three in Duluth, MN. Duluth was the birthplace of a revolution in the way society approaches battering, and the film tells the story of the leaders from Duluth who remain on the front lines today. The film also looks at the debate launched by researchers and academics who have challenged the Duluth approach. Recommended for courses in sociology, social work, women's studies, political science, law enforcement and laws.

This documentary visits Gatesville Penitentiary in Texas, where three female inmates convicted of murder and serving sentences ranging from 25 to 40 years describe the domestic violence that would eventually bring them to prison. Sonia, Brenda and Lee Ann relate in their own words stories of the isolation and fear that bound them to their threatening husbands. From their stories, a pattern of violence emerges, creating, in effect, a portrait of family violence in America today. Combined with analysis by experts on domestic violence and the law, this film shows the difficulties victims of abuse have escaping the cycle of violence. It challenges our attitudes towards the victim who acts in violent self-defense.

Intimate partner violence and abuse is rooted in a power imbalance between individuals, within families and in society. When one person is controlled and/or considered less worthy than another one - because they are a vulnerable person or part of a vulnerable population - there is the potential for abuse. That is why we all need to work to prevent violence and to build a society where abuse of power is not tolerated. By seeing intimate partner violence and abuse for what it is - a crime - we can all take responsibility and work together as a community to stop the violence. The Intimate Partner Violence series provides participants with an opportunity to increase awareness of this public health issue. During the first session, the framework is laid for an understanding of intimate partner violence and its cycle of hurts. The second session offers participants the opportunity to identify and practice techniques to be used to develop a safe, collaborative approach of the issue for the survivor.

Kim, a Duluth, MN mother of three, is at the center of this compelling and authoritative exploration of gender violence in America. As Kim and her fragile daughters take up residence in a domestic violence shelter, we follow the harrowing struggles in a single-parenting survivor's quest to find work, housing and peace of mind.

"At the Sacred Heart Palliative Care Centre in Sydney, Australia, a small group of health care professionals are devoting their careers to death. Sacred Heart’s patients have all been diagnosed with a terminal illness—but instead of pursuing elusive cures and treatments, they have embraced the finality of their lives with guidance that contradicts much of conventional medicine. In this film, four of those patients have made another courageous decision. They have allowed cameras to accompany them on their last journeys, which focus on spending time with loved ones and receiving palliative care that maximizes dignity and comfort. Conversations with patients, doctors, nurses, and scholars praise the Sacred Heart environment, which replaces stress and false hope with what might be called empowerment"--Container.

The older adult population in the United States is rapidly increasing as people live longer. The demand for social workers who are knowledgeable in working with older adults is also rising, and Rewarding Challenges is perfect for exposing students to gerontological social work and promoting basic competencies that general practitioners need. Portraying encounters between social work interns and older adults, this DVD illustrates fundamental social work knowledge, values, and skills in engagement, assessment, intervention, evaluation, and termination. Each encounter is followed by a supervisory session that underscores basic competencies in practice with older adults and provides a positive role model for students considering gerontological social work. Rewarding Challenges is ideal for 1st-year MSW students and early lesson plans of foundation practice courses. It is also great for normalizing social work practice with older adults, rather than marginalizing them as a “special” group reserved for a brief and isolated section of the curriculum. Content presented is grounded in data obtained from structured and qualitative research undertaken with students regarding factors that would increase knowledge and positive attitudes regarding work with older adults.

In Danville, California, Lee Gorewitz wanders on a personal odyssey through her Alzheimer's & Dementia care unit. From the moment she wakes up, Lee is on a quest - for reminders of her past and of her identity. A total immersion into the fragmented day-to-day experience of mental illness, You're Looking At Me Like I Live Here And I Don't is an Alzheimer's documentary filled with charismatic vitality and penetrating ruminations that challenge our preconceptions of illness and aging. Here is one extraordinary woman who will not let us forget her, even as she struggles to remember herself.

This program addresses common issues that caregivers in a home health setting will face in treating a patient with Alzheimer's. Join us as we discuss the stages of Alzheimer's and the modifications that can be made in the home to help these patients.

Flying in the face of this culture's extreme ageism, STILL DOING IT explores the lives of older women. Partnered, single, straight, gay, black and white, nine extraordinary women, 67-87, express with startling honesty and humor how they feel about themselves, sex and love in later life and the poignant realities of aging.

What will it mean for all of us to grow up, live and age in a society where half the citizens are over the age of 50? That reality is closer than most of us are willing to imagine.

Never in human history have so many lived for so long - and not just in the United States. It is a global phenomenon, ushering a spectacular social transformation. COMING OF AGE IN AGING AMERICA tells the story of its dimensions, challenges and opportunities.

Old People Driving chronicles the adventures of Milton (age 96) and Herbert (age 99) as they confront the end of their driving years. Viewers join Herbert as he takes his last drive, hands over his keys, and comes to terms with the reality of life without a car. Milton, meanwhile, continues to drive every day and vows to do so until he feels he's no longer safe on the road. Through their stories, and a review of the latest traffic safety research, Old People Driving dispels some of the myths about elderly drivers without shying away from the fact that many people will outlive their ability to drive safely.

Features a diverse group of participants, each given the opportunity to experience firsthand a world that is the complete opposite of their own comfortable existence. As the participants learn about the lives and beliefs of others, viewers learn more about themselves.

"A documentary about the Los Angeles-based community organization Casa Libre/Freedom House and its efforts to assist unaccompanied and undocumented immigrant minors in Los Angeles"--Container

Using historical footage and dramatic reenactments, this film focuses on one of the seminal events in the march for human rights -- the grape strike and boycott led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta in the 1960s. Thousands of people from across the nation joined in a struggle for justice for the some of the most exploited people in the United States.

They clean other people's homes and raise other families' children -- often leaving their own families behind. Maid in America is an intimate look into the lives of three Latina immigrants working as nannies and housekeepers in Los Angeles, three of the nearly 100,000 domestic workers living in that city today. These women's stories vividly reveal how immigrants are redefining their roles, and underscores the vital role they play in many American households. The issue of worker's rights is introduced in the film through Dynamic Workers, a collective of women who have formed their own business to provide job security and benefits, and Domestic Workers Association, a support organization providing information and advocacy.

A poetic short featuring the voice of an undocumented young Latina woman who was brought to the U.S. as a child. The film introduces viewers to a personal voice on the immigration debate: DACA, the Dream Act, and other immigration reform, speaking about what it's like to grow up and face an uncertain future as a young undocumented person in America.

Immigrant Nation! is a feature documentary about the modern immigrant rights movement in 2006 and '07. In particular, it is the story of the struggle of Elvira Arellano, a single mother from Chicago, who fought her deportation. The film also interweaves the stories of individuals, organizations, activists and community leaders united by passion and a concern for justice for the undocumented immigrants.

To most Americans, the debate over immigration policy remains an abstraction in the headlines. But for new immigrants, such policy dictates the terms of their survival in a new society. This program examines the hard-core questions surrounding current U.S. immigration. How many should we allow in? Who, if anyone, should receive preferential treatment? How should illegal immigration be handled? All of the issues are examined through the eyes of those seeking entry, and the organizations assisting them. Those interviewed include an immigration judge, an immigrant from Kenya, and the owner of a New York City deli from Korea.

More than 100,000 American children are affected by parental deportations each year. These deportations can have devastating consequences for children; apart from the emotional and psychological effects of losing a parent, these children often end up in financially perilous situations or are even placed in foster care. Nora Santiago has taken on a personal quest to help over 800 of these kids. Her mission is illustrated against larger questions and controversies over immigration policy.

A poetic, social justice documentary that explores positive and compassionate models for transforming the experience of madness in our culture. Artist Ashley McNamara recounts her journey from the psych ward to innovative mental health activism.

A documentary film featuring thirteen transgender and genderqueer scholars, artists, and activists discussing the impact and implications of the Gender Identity Disorder diagnosis on their lives and communities

Mental illness is a devastating problem that affects one in five people. In California alone, an estimated 50,000 mentally ill people sleep on the street each night and thousands of others go to jail or a crisis hospital. Stigma, shame and discrimination keep an estimated 80% of the mentally ill from seeking treatment. This film sheds light on this difficult subject, showing how it impacts families, the personal battles it creates, and the resources available to those who suffer from it. Ken Lim, a mental health care professional featured in the film has focused for thirteen years on the mentally ill homeless population. His consistent relationship-building with his clients has helped him persuade several to seek treatment and get off the street. The film looks beneath the tattered clothes to show that recovery is possible with access to treatment, medication, and quality care.

"Do we own our things, or do they own us? [This film] probes our relationship with the material world through three Americans' relationships with their 'stuff.' Michele Gitlin has 700 sweaters. In touch with the pain as well as the pleasure of over-collecting, she calls Ron Alford, the 'Disaster Master,' for help. Ron, a de-cluttering expert who coined the term 'disposophobia' and believes that 'clutter begins in the head, and ends up on the floor,' determines that Michele is indeed a hoarder. We follow Ron as he visits a retired marine (who owns 7,800 Beanie Baby dolls), and a Home Shopping Network addict whose purchases have made his apartment unlivable. [This film] is a meditation on material culture, consumerism, mental illness and the social fabric of our lives"--Container.

People Say I'm Crazy is the only film about schizophrenia ever made by someone with schizophrenia. Mental illness is viewed from the inside out as the audience becomes witness to a first-hand account of the symptoms of schizophrenia and the disease's effect on one man and his family.

Moms & Meds: Navigating Pregnancy and Psychiatric Medication (formerly Women & Meds) is a documentary film that explores the options women face when they want to have children, but take psychotropic medication for mental illness. The film follows multiple women as they attempt to navigate the conflicting attitudes surrounding this issue. Other interviewees include doctors, advocates and family members who influence, and are affected by, these decisions. The film focuses on the personal stories of the women, and the many facets, both positive and negative, of making such decisions. It addresses the struggle and emotional turmoil, as well as the hope and perseverance of the featured women, and advocates for their ability to make the best individual and personal choices for themselves and their families.

The U.S. military faces a mental health crisis of historic proportions. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE takes aim at our superficial understanding of war trauma and the failed policies that result. Director Tom Donahue (Casting By) interweaves the stories of four struggling Iraq War veterans with candid interviews of top military and civilian leaders. Observing the systemic neglect, the film argues for significant internal change and offers a roadmap of hope.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often viewed as a minor annoyance, or worse, something useful. The fact is OCD is a serious mental health issue that traps millions of kids, teens and adults in a vicious cycle of worries and rituals. While families and loved ones are desperate to help them, fighting OCD takes time and specialized therapy. To uncover what OCD is -- and what it isn't -- filmmakers Kelly Anderson and Chris Baier focus on an unlikely group of experts: kids. UNSTUCK documents OCD through kids' eyes only. It avoids sensationalizing compulsions and obsessions, and instead reveals the complexity of a disorder that affects both the brain and behavior. As these six resilient kids and teens roadmap their process of recovery, the film inspires viewers to believe it is possible to fight their worst fears and beat OCD.

Features a diverse group of participants, each given the opportunity to experience firsthand a world that is the complete opposite of their own comfortable existence. As the participants learn about the lives and beliefs of others, viewers learn more about themselves

Explains how global poverty began with military conquest, slavery, and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals, and forced labor. Today's financial crisis is a direct consequence of these unchallenged policies that have lasted centuries. Features expert insights from Nobel Prize winners, acclaimed authors, university professors, government ministers, and the leaders of social movements. Includes interviews, photo galleries, and more.

In the 100 miles between Baton Rouge and New Orleans there are over 150 petrochemical plants which are responsible for producing 25% of the nation's petrochemicals (1.5 plants per mile). This area reports the highest concentration of toxic emissions to the air, land and water in the country. The residents of this area, who are mainly African American and poor, suffer from astronomical rates of cancer, asthma and other medical ailments

Looks at some of the harder questions surrounding homelessness in Santa Monica, California (where the homeless make up 2-5% of the total population) by focussing on the stories of four affected people. As they survive on the streets, Rick, Donna, Simon, and Faye struggle with addiction and mental illness, while receiving support from a city in crisis. Experiencing homelessness through their eyes, we will come to understand a political and social system that draws controversy from all sides of the political arena.

Follows three high school seniors through the 2004-2005 school year in the worst public school system in America. The film reveals the violence, poverty, racism, and political corruption that challenge students at every turn.

Jennifer Dworkin’s groundbreaking documentary LOVE & DIANE presents a searingly honest and moving examination of poverty, welfare and drug rehabilitation in the United States today. Filmed in New York City over a five-year period, Dworkin documents the struggles of three generations of the Hazzard family as they face a myriad of emotional, financial and personal challenges.

This award-winning program takes an unflinching look at the lives of Bernard and Bobby, two men who live in an abandoned railroad tunnel that extends beneath Manhattan’s Riverside Park. Bernard says that he came there for shelter and self-knowledge; for Bobby, having grown up in numerous foster homes, it was just a case of another type of homelessness. In the course of discussing the lives they’ve chosen and their connections with the world above, they touch upon the surprising lack of violence in their community, the way they find the food and earn the money they need to live, and the camaraderie they share.

A history of social classes in the west with special emphasis on Karl Marx.

*Also available online streaming via Filmakers Library database
Follows six welfare mothers over the course of a year as they struggle to comply with new work requirements, find reliable child care and transportation, battle drug addiction and depression, confront domestic violence, and try to make ends meet in the new era of welfare reform. Concludes that though many welfare recipients are motivated to go to work, many are not landing on their feet and there are no easy answers to the problems of welfare dependency.

Is there an American ruling class, and if so, how do you join? Two hapless Yale grads embark on a star-studded journey of meetings with America's establishment to unearth some uncomfortable answers and find out the truth about what the future really holds for them. A dramatic, musical, documentary satire on class in America that attempts to answer the question "Who rules America?".

In search of wisdom found in unlikely places, The Philosopher Kings takes us on a journey through the halls of the most prestigious colleges and universities in America to learn from the staff members who see it all and have been through it all: the custodians. This thought-provoking, feature-length documentary interweaves the untold stories of triumph and tragedy from the members of society who are often disregarded and ignored, and seeks out the kind of wisdom that gets you through the day and the lessons one learns from surviving hard times, lost loves, and shattered dreams.

Using interviews with people from across the country and from diverse socioeconomic groups, examines how social class in America has as much influence as race or ethnicity in determining what kind of opportunities a person has in life.

More than 30 million Americans, one in four workers, are stuck in jobs that pay less than the federal poverty level for a family of four. Waging a Living chronicles the day-to-day battles of four low-wage earners struggling to make work pay their bills. Shot over a three-year period in the northeast and California, this observational documentary captures the dreams, frustrations and accomplishments of a diverse group of people who strain to live from paycheck to paycheck. By presenting an unvarnished look at the barriers that these workers must overcome to lift their families out of poverty, Waging a Living offers a sobering view of the elusive "American Dream."

UNNATURAL CAUSES sounds the alarm about the extent of our glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health and searches for their root causes. But those causes are not what we might expect. While we pour more and more money into drugs, dietary supplements and new medical technologies, UNNATURAL CAUSES crisscrosses the country investigating the findings that are shaking up conventional understanding of what really makes us healthy or sick.

Every night, thousands of young people under the age of 18 are forced to sleep in shelters, at the homes of friends and relatives, or on the street. Many are young people from families affected by rising poverty rates and the declineing suppy of affordable housing; many have been kicked our of their homes because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans-gendered. This piece highlights three young people facing this crisis.

Using interviews with people from across the country and from diverse socioeconomic groups, examines how social class in America has as much influence as race or ethnicity in determining what kind of opportunities a person has in life.

Focusing on Herold's struggle with the Veterans Administration and city agencies to find the help he needs, When I Came Home reveals a failing system and exposes the "second war" that many veterans must fight after they return home from war. At his breaking point, Herold meets fellow vet Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the country's largest veteran advocacy organization. What follows is a media blitz that helps to transform Herold from homeless vet into the leader of a new movement.

Documentary on Jane Elliott's blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise in discrimination, involving college students forced to experience racist treatment minorities have received for years.

There is a growing economic divide in black America. Today, America's black middle class is the largest in its history, yet roughly one-third of black America continues to live in poverty. This film measures the economic and social success of the civil rights movement and the gap between middle class and poor African-Americans through interviews with noted Afro-Americans and historical film footage.

Woke up Black follows the lives of five Black youth for two years, highlighting their struggles, triumphs and dreams as they start their journey into adulthood. The film places at its center the voices of Black youth - their ideas, attitudes and opinions that are so often overlooked in today's society.

American Indians and government officials at Pine Ridge, South Dakota--located in the poorest county in the United States--discuss the poverty, racism, domestic violence, child abuse, inadequate health care, and drug and alcohol problems that besiege the community, exploring how the Native Americans there are choosing to embrace their Lakota culture and determine their own destiny in the face of these enormous challenges.

Covering more than one hundred years of United States history, traces the evolution of Black American caricatures and stereotypes that have fueled anti-black prejudice.

American culture has stereotyped black Americans for centuries. Equally devastating, the late Marlon Riggs argued, have been the definitions of "blackness" African Americans impose upon one another which contain and reduce the black experience. In this film, Riggs meets a cross-section of African Americans grappling with the paradox of numerous, often contradictory definitions of blackness. He shows many who have felt uncomfortable and even silenced within the race because their complexion, class, sexuality, gender or speech has rendered them "not black enough," or conversely, "too black."

The division of the world's peoples into distinct groups - "red," "black," "white" or "yellow" peoples - has became so deeply imbedded in our psyches, so widely accepted, many would promptly dismiss as crazy any suggestion of its falsity. Yet, that's exactly what this provocative, new three-hour series by California Newsreel claims. Race - The Power of an Illusion questions the very idea of race as biology, suggesting that a belief in race is no more sound than believing that the sun revolves around the earth.Yet race still matters. Just because race doesn't exist in biology doesn't mean it isn't very real, helping shape life chances and opportunities.
Episode 1: The Difference Between Us
Episode 2: The Story We Tell
Episode 3: The House We Live In

Hate Crimes in the Heartland is an award-winning documentary film and community outreach project that explores our national epidemic of hate crimes through the lens of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Emmy-winning producer Rachel Lyon explores two stories, over 90 years apart, that both dissect current issues of civil rights and the media's impact on justice. The film begins in Tulsa in 2012, where two white men drove through the African-American Greenwood neighborhood targeting blacks at random, killing three and leaving two others in critical condition. The film follows the murders, the ensuing social media uproar, the manhunt, and ultimate prosecution and death penalty sentencing of two suspects. The film ties this crime back to the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, an event that left 300 dead, 10,000 homeless, and 35 square blocks of the African-American community burnt to cinders. Sadly, the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot and the 2012 murders are not merely events of the past, but current events that we see echoed in society today, from Ferguson's Michael Brown to Florida's Trayvon Martin. This powerful documentary depicts how racial animosity has defined much of American culture for more than 90 years, and asks important questions about media, race, crime, and punishment.

An Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism.

In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House. The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends--Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only thirty completed pages of his manuscript.

Now, in his incendiary new documentary, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words and flood of rich archival material. I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.

"In this program, host Michael Mosley provides an illustrated history of some of the most notorious psychology experiments ever conducted in science’s attempt to explore behavior, brainwashing, and free will. The survey includes Ivan Pavlov, his famous dogs, and his less-famous test trials on children; the CIA’s MK-ULTRA project, in which LSD was given to unsuspecting test subjects; and Robert Heath’s experimental psychosurgery on African-American subjects. Mosley also talks with B. F. Skinner’s daughter; a man who participated in Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments; and a survivor of William Sargant’s electroshock therapy. Under the guidance of controversial psychiatrist David Nutt, Mosley even ingests psilocybin to explore its potential in treating mental illness"--Container.

This DVD on qualitative research methods in the social sciences is presented in 4 chapters. After stating that social science research is based on studying others so that we can better understand ourselves, the video shows how researchers can construct a symbolic world to explore individual and collective meanings to determine what motivates human behavior and how individuals relate to each other in their environment. Experts Charlton McIlwain, JoEllen Fisherkeller, Erich Dietrich, and Rodney Benson explain this, as well as how this research is used by the media, advertising corporations and governments in their efforts to influence people and their behavior.

Looks at the history of Hull House, opened by Jane Addams in 1889 as a place where she, Julia Lathrop, and other activists could provide outreach services to the poor and uneducated people of the surrounding Chicago neighborhood. Examines how the reformers applied statistical analysis to real-world problems, particularly infant and maternal mortality, thereby paving the way for far-reaching social reform. Looks at the relationship between social statistics and their objectivity and social policy.

24 lectures delivered by Michael Starbird, Professor, University of Texas at Austin.

Introducing social science research, this program teaches how to gather and interpret data. It examines types of experimental design, explains when different types of experiments are appropriate, and discusses experimental and control groups.

In this presentation, Dr. Selleck discusses how a practice becomes evidence-based, what some examples of evidence-based practices are in the mental health field, and the ongoing evolution of mental health care.

In this presentation on Multicultural Competence, Dr. Vetta Thompson discusses various concepts such as multicultural awareness and competence, diversity, acculturation and assimilation relative to the assessment and delivery of services to mental health clients.

A lively lecture about economic globalization and its impact on people in the U.S. and around the world. Chomsky ranges far and wide in this cogent and cutting edge talk.

Looks at the history of Hull House, opened by Jane Addams in 1889 as a place where she, Julia Lathrop, and other activists could provide outreach services to the poor and uneducated people of the surrounding Chicago neighborhood. Examines how the reformers applied statistical analysis to real-world problems, particularly infant and maternal mortality, thereby paving the way for far-reaching social reform. Looks at the relationship between social statistics and their objectivity and social policy.

Traces the history of Hull-House from Jane Addam's childhood to the contemporary work of both the Hull-House Association and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.

"Using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, the documentary feature film The People Speak gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice. Narrated by acclaimed historian Howard Zinn and based on his best-selling books, A People's History of the United States and, with Anthony Arnove, Voices of a People's History, The People Speak illustrates the relevance of these passionate historical moments to our society today and reminds us never to take liberty for granted."--From Howard Zinn's website.

Broadly tracing American labor history, this program incorporates interviews, personal accounts, and archival footage to provide a fresh perspective on the history of labor issues including health and safety conditions, the minimum wage, discrimation, job security and strikes. It presents the struggle of American labor against the backdrop of major events that shaped American society as a whole: world wars, the industrial revolution, immigration, unemployment, class conflict, child labor, women in the workplace, civil rights and the emergence of high technology.

Looks at the values of a caring collective community; provides specifics for social justice practice.

Training Social Justice Counselors — Walking the Talk Fred Bemak and Rita Chi-Ying Chung, George Mason University How do we prepare the next generation of mental health professionals to effectively work with culturally diverse populations and the social issues impacting them?

The newly unveiled Statue of Liberty is a symbol of all that is best in America, inspiring a time of reform and compassion. Mother Jones brings the child labor issue to the forefront of the nation's consciousness, and Jane Addams, America's first social worker, creates Hull House. Ida Tarbell exposes the abuses of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company.

Examines objectives of reform groups and reviews conditions that generated American reform movements. Discusses Jane Addams, Coxey's march on Washington, Bryant's 'cross of gold' speech and McKinley's pro-business policies.

This presentation, featuring Kevin L. Nadal, discusses how to best advocate for transgender people of color.

Sundance award-winner DREAMCATCHER takes us into a hidden world of prostitution and sexual trafficking through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute with a drug habit, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community, and works to help women and young girls break the cycle of sexual abuse and exploitation.

This two-part video takes viewers through the birth and growth of social work in the United States. Many of social work's early and recent leaders are featured. Together the stories tell of the values and forces that gave rise to the profession in public and private sectors. Individually, these stories recount the struggles and achievements of each leader to carry out social work's mission. Featured are: Jane Addams, Mary Richmond, Edward Franklin Frazier, Harry Hopkins, Frances Perkins, Jane Hoey, Whitney Young Jr., Ana DuMois, and Del Anderson.

Presents interviews with a number of social work practitioners, educators, and administrators as they discuss the subject of social work practiceand the role of the NASW Code of Ethics. Presents case scenarios that highlight the "fine line" between sound ethical practice and professional misconduct.

7 vignettes to stimulate class discussion on Foundation practice issues:Why did you choose to become a social worker?

Knowledgeable veteran social workers share their insights and experiences in candid discussions about their life’s work. They offer their thoughts on the responsibilities, challenges and rewards of being a social worker today.

This documentary, filmed over a period of five years, interweaves the stories of people, including Tr'Vel Lyons a teenage helping with the rebuilding effort, struggling to rebuild post-Katrina New Orleans.

On the 40th anniversary of the landmark Kerner Commission Report on civil unrest, this edition of the Journal spotlights former Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris, one of the last living members of the original Commission, who discusses the root causes of the 1960s riots that rocked Newark, Detroit, and other U.S. cities. Harris reflects on his ongoing commitment to the cause of reducing racism and deep poverty in inner cities. Bill Moyers then interviews Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker, a dynamic voice for urban reform who shares the lessons he has learned and his vision for a brighter future for his city.

Uses Detroit as a window into many sociocultural aspects of American life. Major topics include industrialization, the birth of suburbs and consumerism, black migration and white flight, race relations, unionization, economic decline, and community renewal. Set to a sound track by famous Detroit musicians. Includes archival footage. With commentary by Grace Lee Boggs, Martha Reeves, and John Sinclair.

"Takes a hard look at the challenges of growing up in America's inner cities. In 1992, filmmaker Sam Lee moved from England to teach second grade at a unique school in Harlem (The Children's Storefront) aimed at helping disadvantaged youth. Ten years later, she decided to revisit her former students, now seniors in high school, and find out what had become of their dreams, their families, and their lives. With candor and eloquence, each student discusses their personal challenges from living with no parental support, emotional issues, grinding poverty and lack of opportunities" -- Container.

This film follows the urban farming phenomenon in Detroit. Urban roots is a timely, moving and inspiring film that speaks to a nation grappling with collapsed industrial towns and the need to forge a sustainable and prosperous future.

This film goes beyond the news headlines to spotlight the impact of the devastating water contamination crisis on the people of Flint, Michigan. The film highlights the stories of residents who were personally injured, along with the work of local organizations and individuals that rallied to support them.

Residents, elected officials and activists clash over gentrification of a Latino New York neighborhood.

Dr. Jackson believes it is every citizen's right to live in a clean, healthy environment. This isn't the case for many low-income neighborhoods, built near big transportation hubs and struggling industrial cities like Oakland, CA and Detroit, MI. We meet a morbidly obese grandmother struggling to raise seven grandchildren, all of whom have asthma as a result of living near the Port of Oakland. The city of Detroit resembles an abandoned war zone. Yet, hope blossoms in both. Health officials, community activists and a new breed of young Urban Pioneers are working to fix their cities by transforming urban wilderness and food deserts into inspirational new models for other troubled communities.

Los Angeles made smog and pollution into household words. The effects of humans on natural ecosystems are extensive in this metropolis: native habitat is scarce, wildlife movement is obstructed, surface and groundwater quality are impaired, and ocean water quality is affected. But no longer. To everyone's surprise, Los Angeles is discovering mass transit. The Expo Line represents the first east-west light rail-line in Los Angeles in 50 years. But, more importantly, its citizens have said enough, and are putting not just their words, but their backs into the effort to recover the Edens they have lost.

Faced with severe budget limitations, Philadelphia created a network of volunteer organizations who have brought about rebirth through volunteerism and community outreach. Mayor John F. Street created the Neighborhood Transition Initiative program to come up with practicable and affordable solutions to remove blight, promote quality restoration, stimulate investment in new housing, and improve how the city delivers services to its businesses and residents.

Hate Crimes in the Heartland is an award-winning documentary film and community outreach project that explores our national epidemic of hate crimes through the lens of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Emmy-winning producer Rachel Lyon explores two stories, over 90 years apart, that both dissect current issues of civil rights and the media's impact on justice. The film begins in Tulsa in 2012, where two white men drove through the African-American Greenwood neighborhood targeting blacks at random, killing three and leaving two others in critical condition. The film follows the murders, the ensuing social media uproar, the manhunt, and ultimate prosecution and death penalty sentencing of two suspects. The film ties this crime back to the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, an event that left 300 dead, 10,000 homeless, and 35 square blocks of the African-American community burnt to cinders. Sadly, the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot and the 2012 murders are not merely events of the past, but current events that we see echoed in society today, from Ferguson's Michael Brown to Florida's Trayvon Martin. This powerful documentary depicts how racial animosity has defined much of American culture for more than 90 years, and asks important questions about media, race, crime, and punishment.