The Breakfast Club Labeling Theory

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The 1985 film The Breakfast Club examines the cases of five individuals during their experiences in a Saturday morning high school detention session; each is bound by unique characteristics and circumstances, yet their shared experience allows them to form a group— an assortment of people who interact with one another and who feel as if they have reason to belong together— and socialize, or gain knowledge of group traits as well as the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, norms, and actions thought appropriate for each member. Notwithstanding the fact that each of these young scholars possesses wildly different attributes, they are all able to overlook such factors in favor of attainment of personal progress as well as propagation and fortification …show more content…

Within the film’s exposition, one of the pupils in attendance of the detention by the name of Brian recites the labels assigned to him and his peers, including ‘brain,’ ‘athlete,’ ‘basket case,’ ‘princess,’ and ‘criminal.’ All of these people abandon their incongruous labels during the time they spend constructing sturdy bonds between one another. Ironically, the sole student to comply with the principal’s essay direction is Brian, the ‘brain,’ who would frequently be expected to complete such a task on the basis of his designated label. Andrew, the ‘athlete,’ must attend the session as a consequence for bullying— a typical action of one who values their power and ability over that of their peers, which is often an attribute of those who bear such a title. Likewise, willing expenditure of large sums of money and a sense of entitlement accompany Claire, the ‘princess,’ while Allison, the ‘basket case,’ composes sugary cereal sandwiches and dandruff landscape illustrations. Of course, Bender the ‘criminal’ consumes illegal substances on campus and shares them with his new

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