Teaching race and ethnic relations: Do the right thing

Abstract

This article demonstrates how the film Do The Right Thing can be used to bring alive for students the concepts of the race and ethnic relations field. Situations and characters in the film illustrate concepts such as: power and authority; stratification; DuBois’ notion of ‘double consciousness'; ‘internal colony'; and the construction of racial and ethnic identities and stereotypes. Scenes and scripts by the characters of the film are used as benchmark qualitative data to demonstrate a wide range of beliefs and feelings in response to prejudice, discrimination and racism in an urban environment. The historical vicissitudes and cultural values of groups, as well as the experiences of individual characters, are given some interpretation to provide analytical insights into the events which lead to the riot. Discussion topics are presented at the conclusion of each scene and/or script to stimulate student discussion and critical thinking on intellectual and emotional barriers to understanding racial and ethnic group relations. The film can be used in race and ethnic courses to approximate real situated actions in an urban environment, encouraging students to confront choices that they face in their own everyday world of culturally, racially and gender diverse college campuses.