The Cartoon Society: Using "The Simpsons" to Teach and Learn Sociology

Stephen J. Scanlan and Seth L. Feinberg
Teaching Sociology, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr., 2000), pp. 127-139
Published by: American Sociological Association

I chose this article because it is an interesting way of incorporating popular culture into sociology courses as a means of reinforcing concepts. The authors argue that, “The animated television series, The Simpsons, can be particularly effective for illustrating sociological themes and encouraging critical thinking among today's undergraduates. Borrowing from Mills (1959), The Simpsons complements teaching philosophies that stress applying the sociological imagination to the observation of everyday life” (pg.127).

The model suggested by the authors is to show clips or episodes of the Simpsons in class, which illustrate the social issues and/or concepts (such as sexism, current political issues, racism) that you are currently covering, and then engage students in critical dialogues. The authors argue that by utilizing this method students are able to effectively grasp course material and apply it beyond the classroom.

I like this idea because it can create an atmosphere where students will want to have a discussion and also removes sensitive/personal topics from the students. Through the show, such topics can be discussed without referencing personal situations. For example, students can attack what they saw in the show without attacking classmates while still recognizing how such topics relate to their daily-lived experiences.

This exercise can also be done with other TV series. During undergrad my professor utilized the popularity of Law and Order by having us watch episodes and analyze what occurred doing write-ups, which related to our criminology course. In fact, a whole course could be done around a particular TV series. However there are a couple of obstacles such as making sure all students have access to the programs, which may mean that they would have to be shown in class. Another obstacle mentioned by the authors is that the satirical humor and stereotypes in the Simpsons (or others shows) are addressed. One suggestion they have is giving students the task of identifying stereotypes in the show and writing a paragraph about each stereotype and how it can be damaging to particular groups.

-Naliyah