In-Class Film (Crash, 2004)
Written Response Instructions

Identify a performance team in the story.
Discuss differences in their front stage and back stage behavior.
Discuss how the behavior of team members enhances and/or ruins the performance.

Identify a character who was embarrassed.
What did you notice about the power dynamics between those involved (Who was embarrassed, and by whom)?
What aligning actions were used to protect, repair, or enhance the spoiled image (account, disclaimer, cooling out)?

Discuss how certain characters were stigmatized and why:
Was the stigma tied to a defect of the body, defect of character, or membership in a devalued social group?
How did stigmatized characters attempt to minimize the social damage?

Notice how Social Institutions impart legitimate authority to individuals. Identify a character who, as a direct result of a social institution, had the ability to exert power over others.
Did this individual abuse that power?
Under what other circumstances did this same character become powerless (due also to one or more Social Institutions)?

We often construct the reality we need. Think about the “blanks” in the handgun – No one involved knew there were blanks in the gun.
Were blanks important in the reality of the locksmith, his daughter, or the shop owner?
What other explanations were offered for the daughter’s not being harmed?
How are these explanations tied to social institutions?

In the text, Newman asks, “If people freely change their image to suit the expectations of a given audience, is there something more stable that characterizes them across all situations?”. He suggests that who we are may “transcend the demands of particular situations”. He also indicates that our beliefs about the nature of individuals and the role of society in our everyday lives drive our feelings about impression management. Given this information, we are challenged to ask ourselves, “Who is the real you?” Who is the “real” anybody?
Thinking about the characters in the film, identify at least one action which contradicted your expectation of the character. For example, one of the carjackers spoke constantly of oppressive behavior, including the humiliation associated with riding the bus. However, in the end we see him taking the bus home.