Apply One Of The 3 Major Sociological Perspectives

Applyone Of The 3 Major Sociological Perspectivessymbolic Interaction

Apply one of the three major sociological perspectives — Symbolic Interaction, Conflict (including Feminism), and Functionalism — to a movie of your choice. Analyze how the movie’s characters, storyline, and setting illustrate the main ideas of the selected perspective. Focus on scenes that demonstrate conflicts over scarce resources, social roles, or power dynamics, avoiding summaries of the plot. Develop a two-page paper that includes the following:

Section 1: State the movie you will analyze and identify and define the theoretical perspective you will use, explaining its main ideas. You may incorporate more than one perspective if desired.

Section 2: Provide at least three examples from the movie that illustrate how the chosen perspective can be observed. For each example, explain what happens in the scene and how it reflects the theory. Use at least five sociological terms from your textbook, highlighting or bolding them.

The analysis should demonstrate a clear understanding of the sociological perspective applied to the film, with accurate use of sociological concepts and terminology. Do not include a movie summary or theory descriptions in your paper; focus solely on applying the theory to specific scenes and demonstrating its relevance.

Paper For Above instruction

For this analysis, I have chosen Disney’s film Cinderella to explore the sociological perspective of Conflict Theory. Conflict Theory, rooted in the works of Karl Marx, emphasizes the struggles between different social groups over power and resources. It posits that society is characterized by inequalities, which lead to conflicts that perpetuate social stratification. The main ideas include the existence of social classes, the competition for limited resources, and the systemic inequalities that uphold power differentials among groups. Applying Conflict Theory to Cinderella reveals how class distinctions and resource control shape characters' behaviors and social interactions, especially between the protagonist and the upper class.

The first scene illustrating Conflict Theory occurs at the ball, where the princess’s family and the royal court symbolize different social strata. The social class boundary is represented through the elegant setting and the exclusive nature of the event. The symbolic boundaries maintained by the upper class exemplify how luxury and status serve as scarce resources sustaining social stratification. The prince’s interest in the ball reflects the competition for marriage as a resource that can confer social mobility, but only for those who belong to the elite.

The second scene involves the transformation of Cinderella by her Fairy Godmother, which highlights societal expectations and gender roles. Cinderella’s subordinate position is reinforced by her role as a servant in her own home—another manifestation of social inequality. The Fairy Godmother’s intervention temporarily disrupts these boundaries, but ultimately Cinderella remains constrained by her lower status. The scene demonstrates how resources like beauty, grace, and social acceptance are distributed unequally, giving the upper class an advantage over lower classes.

The third scene occurs at the royal ball, where Cinderella’s appearance and behavior threaten the existing social hierarchy. Her success in capturing the prince’s attention temporarily challenges the boundaries of the elite class. However, her departure before midnight restores the social order, emphasizing that power and resources such as wealth, social status, and even love are controlled by the upper class. Cinderella’s eventual rise to the royal status underscores the idea that social mobility is possible but mediated by access to resources and acceptance within existing power structures.

In conclusion, Cinderella vividly illustrates Conflict Theory through scenes that depict the struggle over power, resources, and status within a rigid social hierarchy. Characters’ interactions and the storyline reflect societal inequalities and the way social groups compete for limited resources that validate their power and position. Understanding the film through this perspective reveals how societal inequalities are maintained and challenged through individual pursuits and social interactions.

References

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