Sociology
(Needs to be specified by the writer)
When referring to the mechanisms of life and society, one can assume that the most trustful key for understanding the given world with all its issues and particularities is the scientific Sociology, based on research which further leads to elaborated theories. With no intention of underestimating its importance, the current paper work focuses on an alternative method of providing a complete view over social facts: movies.
Along with literature, movies represent a projection of the real world in the fictional area. By presenting an issue from an artistic point-of-view, a good movie not only provides a good understanding of an issue for the large masses of citizens, but it is also a very efficient method for drawing attention to a particular problem that the society faces. A well done movie uses symbolism in order to highlight relevant points, together with an intense feeling of emotion and manages to "catch" the viewer by raising contemporary problems.
Therefore, the current essay relies on two movies that deal with issues of belonging to a group or a community organized around differences of nationality, ethnicity and race.
The two movies are "American History X" and "Boyz N. The Hood." The order of presenting them has no relevance to the topic, therefore they are analyzed in the order in which they have been watched.
"American History X" tells the very interesting, yet dramatic story of young Derek Vinyard and his younger brother Daniel "Danny" Vinyard, from Venice Beach, Los Angeles. One must say interesting because, through the life of these two characters, the movie reflects an entire community organized on the principle of the white man being superior to his peers of different color. This conception may appear as surprising for the greatest part of the public, as the action is set in America which is, at least in theory, a model of democracy for the rest of the world, and also the equivalent of progress and modernism. It is true, on one hand, that the movie was set in 1998, but still, the image that it outlines is the one of a society that although benefits from modern laws that support liberty and equality for all its citizens, still remains closed and conservatory at the level of the individual's consciousness.
The action is presented from the perspective of the white group, of its ideas, principles and beliefs. The community is divided using the criteria of color: the white people are organized in gangs having the unique goal of destroying the minorities which are considered to be exploitative for the country. Black people, Hispanics and Asians are seen as responsible for all the problems that SUA confronts itself with. Generally, the movie remits a strong feeling of hate and racialism against these categories of citizens.
Derek Vinyard is, white, intelligent and charismatic and also, a convinced racist and anti-Semitic. His strong hate may seem, to a point, understandable: his father had been shot by a black man in one of the countless armed attacks. Though, certain sequences of the film show a powerful racist feeling that was blasted in the family by his father himself. This relates to the idea that, in most cases, racism is not based on facts, but on stereotypes and is constantly constructed, taught and maintained from early childhood.
Due to its leader qualities, Derek becomes the tool of Cameron, the true leader of all actions orientated against black people. This emphasizes how these types of extremist groups are constituted. Not all Americans with racist principles transform themselves into constant pursuers and aggressors. This requires a person with sufficient charisma and power of persuasion that can influence his followers and usually, these followers are vulnerable and innocent people, which can be easily controlled.
The tensions that characterize the relation between victims and aggressors are extremely intense. Streets are battlefields, people are untaught of cruel, victims are treated...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now