Scholar of Change- film analysis

As narrated by Jackie KT, the movie provides an overview of the increasing number of drug overdose instances. Jackie states that she is a mother and a nurse in Wisconsin and has seen instances of drug use in the Green County over the past few years. She says she became interested in the topic after learning that her son had almost started using heroin and had overdosed on drugs. After looking at the heroin numbers in Green County from the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Drug Misuse, Jackie realized how concerning the drug abuse problem was. She later started an organization, F.A.I.T.H., to help address the menace. She also acknowledges the role of Jacksonville State University in motivating her; she gained confidence to face the community through the institution, and since then has managed to make a great change.

After coding a transcript of the video, the information concentrated on codes and themes that relate to the research question of; How does the Jacksonville State University empower graduate students towards social change? Through the review, Jackie explains how the University has impacted her life by inspiring her to consider a social change. As such, different codes are identified to analyze the text.

One of the codes I considered relevant in the analysis of the video is “having personal connection with the problem.” In the film, Jacky makes various statement to reflect on her connection with drug abuse issue in the Green County. First, she explains that she is a mother and nurse which hints that she has either experienced cases of drug abuse in the hospital setting and at home. She also narrates how the cases of heroin use are alarming in Wisconsin in which she expresses her personal concerns. She even acknowledges that due to the rising drug overdose cases, she had been spurred to act. Some of her references to personal connection with the problem include:

“I’m a mother and nurse.”

“This issue touches me greatly because I have son caught up in the cycle.”

“The heroin rates in Wisconsin, but particularly for me, in Green County.”

“When I saw those rates, it spurred something in me that made me...”

(KT, n.d).

Another significant code use to analyze the film is “the role of institutional empowerment” which Jackie obtained from the Jacksonville State University. From her narration, one can identify the significance of the University in empowering graduate students to act in the society. Apart from the fact that Jackie had been spurred by her own experience to act on the rising cases of drug overdose, she gained courage, and was inspired by the University. She utilizes words of empowerment such as “inspiration” and “empowerment” which proves that JSU gave her the strength to face the social challenges that the Green County encounters. Jackie also expresses the inspiration she obtained to offer education to the members of the society. Some of the expressions used include:

“Jacksonville State University has given me confidence to put my thoughts for battering this community into action.”

“It has given me a base to gather data”

“empowered me to begin the process of...”

“inspired.”

“process of getting valuable information.”

“all our small changes can make one huge change.”

(KT, n.d).

The third code utilized in analyzing the film is the “value of improving community wellbeing.” The idea of making the society a better place is a key concept of creating a positive social change. By having the inspiration to improve the status of others in the society, one is able to come up with programs that assist in achieving such objective. In the case of Jackie, she made attempts to focus on solving a problem that affect youths. She narrates that most people who suffer from drug overdose end up using heroin which is detrimental to the social, economic, and health of the person. As such, in her attempt to bring change to Green County, she makes various phrases to improve the community’s wellbeing. These include:

“I had to somehow try and make a positive impact on this community.”

“but also their family as well as a community.”

put my thoughts for bettering this community into action”

“together all of our small changes would make one huge change”

(KT, n.d).

To further understand how much the problem of drug use affects the community, a significant coding considered was the “intensity of the problem.” By understanding how severe a situation is, many people could be influenced to act towards eradicating the problem. Jackie explains how the problem of drug use impacts the community. She explains how drug overdose can easily influence someone to start using other hard drugs such as cocaine. With the expression of the seriousness of drug overdose, Jackie manages to influence the perception of viewers regarding the need for social change towards addressing drug abuse. Some of the expressions she uses include:

“During the past five to seven years the issues of drug overdose have become popular throughout the nation”

“that showed the heroin rates in Wisconsin, but particularly, for me, in Green county”

“He started out with dope, but then he went to cocaine. So, then the next step for most people is heroin.”

“I could tell that he was dead, you know, that he was brain dead”

(KT, n.d).

These four codes helped in the analysis and interpretation of the transcript of the film presentation on social change. The codes of having personal connection with the problem, the role of institutional empowerment, value of improving community wellbeing, and the intensity of the problem are key concepts that are reflected in the text. Jackie expresses her personal connection with the effect of drug overdose in Wisconsin. She further discusses the role of the Jacksonville State University in empowering her to act towards a social change. She also expresses her desire to improve the wellbeing of the community as well as the extent at which the problem. The four concepts, therefore, form the foundational pieces to social change.

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