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Library Research Guides

Sociology

Selected resources for research in sociology and allied fields.

Videos at the U-M Library

The U-M Library has a large collection of video materials both in physical and streaming formats.

  • The Askwith Media Library is your campus source for movies and TV shows.
  • All video content is searchable in the Library Catalog Search.
  • Streaming video databases include thematic or publisher/distributor based collections of videos and may be browsed or searched independently.

 

Streaming Video Databases

A complete list of streaming video databases is available from the Askwith Media Library.

Instructors: Consult the guide from the Askwith Media Library on Library Digital Films Service - Streaming video for instructors

Searching for Videos in the Library Catalog

Searching for videos in the Library Catalog Search by using the Filters on the left-hand column to limit the Format to Visual Material.

  1. Run your search
  2. On the results page, look at the Filters column on the left-hand side of the page
    1. Under the Format heading, look to see if there is a link for Visual Material and click it
      1. You may need to click "Show all ... Format Filters." if you do not see Visual Material listed
      2. If Visual Material is not listed, then no videos match your search
      3. Visual Materials include both hard copy and streaming video formats

Free Online Videos

The Sociological Cinema: Teaching and Learning Sociology Through Video

This website from sociology graduate students at the University of Maryland; Valerie Chepp, Paul Dean, and Lester Andrist; features a blog and collection of video clips with discussion points that can be used in the classroom.

Be sure to check out the Resources section for sample assignments and a bibliography of scholarly research on video use in the classroom.

Films for Action

"Films For Action uses the power of film to raise awareness of important social, environmental, and media-related issues not covered by the mainstream news. Our goal is to provide citizens with the information and perspectives essential to creating a more just, sustainable, and democratic society. Our website has cataloged over 1500 of the best films and videos that can be watched free online."

 

Although not moving pictures, the website Sociological Images provides a similar treatment to photographs.

Additional resources for free online videos:

Videos on how to use the libraries