ALIVE WITH ALZHEIMER'S

920:421 Topics in Sociology: Visual Sociology
Professor Greenblat

PROJECT 1: Due October 1

Find a person who is 75 years old or older who is willing to let you photograph him or her. It can be a relative ( a grandparent, an aunt or uncle), someone you know in the community, someone introduced to you by a friend, a relative of a friend, etc. In other words, it can be an intimate or a stranger, but as the assignment will indicate, you must have the person’s cooperation, and you will be asked to submit an "informed consent" written statement from the person with your photos. (Please note: if anyone else appears in the photos, you will need to have an informed consent form from them as well.)

Explain the assignment to your subject, and obtain his or her written consent. Then spend a little while just talking to the person about his or her past life and accomplishments, and about his or her daily and weekly routine NOW, asking about what are the most important elements of each. Take notes on this conversation.

Then you are to shoot a roll of 36 exposure slide film in the following way. (You may shoot more if you wish--- this is the minimum).

1. Half the roll (18 images) should entail your taking photographs of the person i in the same environment, varying each image by moving the person around (and changing the shutter speed and f-stop if you have the ability to do that with your camera). If you have a "point and shoot" camera, vary the images by moving the person to different settings (e.g. the kitchen, the garden, the living room) or showing them engaged in different activities. Each image must be different. (Remember to use motion as a variable).

 

2. Shoot the other half of the roll (18 images) of the same person. This time

Have the film developed. (This can not be done in 1 hour… I will advise you about this early6 in the semester.) Put your name on each slide.

You are to submit three sets of materials for this project, ON OCTOBER 1. No late submissions will be accepted.

1. A one to two page well-written summary statement about the person, summarizing what you consider most important about what you learned talking to him or her. If it is someone close to you, you may also include something about your relationship and/or about what the person means to you, but do not neglect to talk about them independent of you. Use a code name for him or her.
2. A disk with your more detailed notes from the interview. These notes do not have to be well written, in good prose, etc., but they must be typed in a word processing program. You should use a code name for the person instead of his or her real name.