Teenage Culture Has Always Been Challenging To Navigate
Teenage Culture Has Always Been Challenging To Navigate Fortunately
Teenage culture has always been challenging to navigate. Fortunately, the clique called the Plastics knows just what it takes to fit in with their group. In this discussion, you will use an anthropological lens to examine a brief scene in the movie Mean Girls. As you watch this scene, look for each of the following concepts from the Anthropological Core Concepts PDF: assimilation, cultural symbol, political systems, and ethnocentrism. After identifying each concept within the clip, select one concept to focus on in this discussion. In your initial post, do the following: Identify which of the four anthropological concepts you selected. Define the concept and include an appropriately formatted citation. Analyze how the concept is represented within the movie.
Paper For Above instruction
The anthropological concept selected for analysis is ethnocentrism, a crucial idea in understanding cultural dynamics within teenage social groups as depicted in the movie Mean Girls. Ethnocentrism is defined as the tendency to view one’s own culture or group as superior to others and to use one's cultural norms as a standard to judge other cultures (Barnard, 2019). This concept reveals itself in the way the Plastics perceive themselves and other social groups within the school environment, often viewing their own clique as the epitome of social status and conformity.
In the selected scene, the Plastics exemplify ethnocentrism through their behavior and interactions, exemplified by their attitudes towards other students and social groups. The Plastics see themselves as the "in-crowd," characterized by their fashion choices, social status, and exclusive behavior. Their tendency to look down on less fashionable or socially established groups demonstrates a clear ethnocentric perspective, where they normalize their values and standards as the most desirable. This is particularly evident in scenes where they mock or dismiss other students based on appearance, social skills, or outsider status.
The film portrays how ethnocentrism sustains the social hierarchy within the high school. The Plastics' belief in their superiority influences their actions, reinforcing social boundaries and excluding others from the in-group. This behavior reflects broader societal patterns of ethnocentrism, where groups often justify unequal treatment by insisting their standards are the norm or the ideal. The characterizations in the film mirror real-life adolescent social dynamics, providing insights into how ethnocentrism can affect interactions, perpetuate stereotypes, and sustain social stratification.
Furthermore, the movie demonstrates how ethnocentrism can be challenged or reinforced through peer interactions. As characters evolve and sometimes adopt more inclusive attitudes, the film suggests that ethnocentric views are learnable and modifiable. However, the initial portrayal emphasizes how deeply ingrained ethnocentric attitudes can be in the context of teenage social culture. This analysis demonstrates that ethnocentrism is not only a critical anthropological concept but also a reflection of human social behavior that persists across ages and cultures.
In conclusion, the depiction of the Plastics in Mean Girls powerfully exemplifies ethnocentrism by showcasing the perception of superiority based on cultural standards within a teen social context. Recognizing this concept within such media examples offers valuable insights into the persistence and impact of ethnocentric attitudes in shaping social interactions and hierarchies.
References
Barnard, M. (2019). Introduction to Anthropology. Sage Publications.