Hollywood Movies: A Reflection Of Society

Since they have been created, movies have always been a reflection of society. When comparing Hollywood movies throughout eras, you can see the differences between the issues presented, the diversity of actors or what values are considered most important. They give an outlook on society and are often used to highlight certain issues and bring awareness to them. In a nutshell, sociology is the study of how humans behave in society and how societal structures influence them. This can be linked to movies, since movies study and express human behaviors, are a representation of society and show current habits and norms of society, through what is acceptable or inacceptable to show. The Sociological Imagination, by C. Wright Mills, is a term used

He identified two classes; the proletariat (working class) and bourgeoisie (employers). The conflicts of interests between the two classes create the society we live in. He also believed there is two type of consciousness; false consciousness, which is when people trust a system that oppresses them, and class consciousness, which is when people recognize oppression and act against it. The problem with this theory is that it doesn’t take in consideration agreement in society or relationships between people, regardless of class. The third theory is symbolic interactionism and it views society and its structures as the result of the interaction within individuals. George Herbert Mead developed the idea of the I and me. The I is the entity that isn’t influenced by society. It’s spontaneous and creative. The me is the entity part of society that controls the I based on society. Charles H. Cooley contributed with the concept of the looking-glass self, which is the idea that we see ourselves as what we think others think of us. The self-fulfilling prophecy is the idea that we become whom we believe others see us as. The issue with symbolic interactionism is it doesn’t give enough importance to the social structure and institutions. (Ravelli & Webber, 2015,