Compare and Contrast, Dr. Zimbardo and Brotherhood of Justice

Due: Friday, 3/14/08

Part 1:

In 1971, Dr. Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment was a highly controversial, yet highly educational experiment for the fields of sociology and psychology. Please research Zimbardo’s experiment and build a greater understanding of what happens when people take on social roles, such as “the Guard” and “the Prisoner.”

Part 2:

As a class we watched the Brotherhood of Justice. The young men in the film started a club with the intention of bringing justice to a community that had a recent increase of drug use and vandalism. Although the club began with the intention of being a way to stop crime and benefit the community, it quickly got out of hand. How does the corrupted vigilante behaviors of the boys relate to the Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971?

Part 3:

Please write a compare and contrast essay. Your paper should have a clear thesis that compares the experiment with the movie, and be specific. Direct quotes or textual evidence is imperative. Moreover, before you get started, ask yourself some questions, like: “Do the people acting as the Guards remind you of the boys in the club, how so? Furthermore, your paper must cite at least three similarities, or differences, between the experiment and the movie. Lastly, your paper must be a least 500 words, approximately 2½ pages double spaced.

** I highly suggest you send your finished product to my email. mpenna@aptoshs.net