San Antonio College Library

This program discusses sports as a social phenomenon. It explores what sports can teach about society and considers how social goals and objectives are reflected in sports. It examines the development of sports sociology; probes the relationship of sports to religion, social roles, citizenship and morality; and looks at the organization and institutionalization of sports. The program also explores how social class, race, and gender affect participation...

"Friendship is one of our most important social institutions. It is the not only the salve for personal loneliness and isolation ; it is the glue that binds society together. Yet for a host of reasons - longer hours at work, the internet, suburban sprawl - many have argued that friendship is on the decline in contemporary America. In social surveys, researchers have found that Americans on average have fewer friends today than in times past. In 'Friend...

"A new theory of how the brain constructs emotions that could revolutionize psychology, health care, the legal system, and our understanding of the human mind. Emotions feel automatic, like uncontrollable reactions to things we think and experience. Scientists have long supported this assumption by claiming that emotions are hardwired in the body or the brain. Today, however, the science of emotion is in the midst of a revolution on par with the discovery...

Discussing psychosocial aspects of disability, this program with psychologist Robbin Miller reviews various perceptions, mythologies, and stereotypes of individuals with a disability.

Were you taught that "wheelchair-bound" was an acceptable term to call a person in a wheelchair? In this program, three individuals with a disability (Joe Bellil, Mike Kennedy, and Sonya Perduta) and psychologist Robbin Miller re-educate viewers and teach them proper terminology to use when interacting with persons with disabilities. They also discuss the history behind derogatory terms relating to disability.

Society often perceives people with disabilities as asexual and non-social. Is this really true? In this program, psychologist Robbin Miller talks to Sonia Perduta, Mike Kennedy, and Joe Bellil about perceptions, mythologies, and stereotypes describing persons with disabilities. They discuss new ways of understanding and seeing positive images of persons with disabilities.

The most consistent finding in the study of crime is the relationship between crime and gender. In almost every country, over 80% of crime is committed by males. But in recent years, the gender gap has been closing: the male crime rate has been steadily falling while the female crime rate, especially for violent crime, has been increasing. In the US, for example, the number of women in prison has almost doubled in the last 25 years. This short film...

Researcher and disability rights activist Jessica Murray, along with a diverse group of activists, investigates accessibility in the New York City Transit System over a two year period, while under the shadow of her own progression into disability.

Born with a condition that left him legally blind and in a family that kept his disability hidden, it wasn't until poet and professor Stephen Kuusisto was in his late 30s that he decided to train with a guide dog. Jeffrey Brown talks with Kuusisto about his memoir Have Dog, Will Travel and how his life-altering connection with a four-legged companion helped him become his own advocate.

Finding the Way Home highlights the painful realities of the eight million children living in orphanages and other institutions around the world, focusing on the stories of eight children who have been reunited with family members or placed in loving foster homes after experiencing the trauma of institutionalization. The film shares insights from families, social workers and dedicated foster parents to illustrate what it truly means to be home. Heartbreaking,...