Sociology in Hollywood Films

Close examination of 32 Hollywood films released between 1915 and 2006 shows that sociology is often portrayed as a discipline that focuses on the useless, the trivial, and the obscure. Undergraduate students of sociology are sometimes presented as academically untalented and weakly motivated, but at other times as thoughtful and capable of good work. Graduate students are depicted as flawed researchers who are more interested in romance than the completion of their degrees. The movies acknowledge the expertise of sociologists but also suggest they sometimes reach incorrect conclusions, snoop into behavior that should remain private, and fail to maintain appropriate distance from their subjects. Sociologists occasionally appear in brief classroom scenes that contain little of substance; they are as likely to be depicted as advisers or administrators as they are to be depicted as teachers. The sources of cinematic portrayals of sociology and their influence on popular attitudes require further research.