The concepts of stereotyping, prejudice, and stigma can be explained through a sociocultural perspective. The sociocultural theory tries to explain the reason why people in society behave the way they do. These human behaviors can be observed in our immediate environment, and different people can relate to each of the concepts. Films have been used to demonstrate how society behaves today. We are going to use apply a movie to show how stereotyping, prejudice, and/or stigma in the community and how it how these concepts affects the life of the people. The paper aims at applying the knowledge learned about stereotyping, prejudice, stigma, and prejudice to formulate a critique of a film.
Film Synopsis- Philadelphia (film)
The main character of the film is Andy Beckett, who is an employee of one of the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia. Beckett is HIV positive, and he is a homosexual. Beckett gets fired from his place of work because of his illness although he suspects a foul play by his colleges. Determined to fight back against unlawful dismissal, he vows to sue his employer Wyant. Beckett approaches Joe Miller to represent him as a council in his case against Wyant. However, a miller, who is homophobic and fears being judged by the community, is reluctant to represent Beckett. Beckett resolves to represent himself and starts researching on the cases on unlawful dismissal in a library. It is at the library that Miller sees how Beckett is stigmatized because of his condition that he related to discrimination of his race, and he vows to represent Beckett. Miller homophobia slowly disappears as he interacts with Beckett as both works on the case. The jury on the case rules on Beckett favor who they award back pay and damages for suffering and pain caused.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Analysis of Social Psychological Scene.
According to Link and Phelan (2000), stigma as the co-occurrence of its components and also notes that stigmatization occurs where power is exercised. Stigma components include status loss, discrimination, separation, and labeling. Multiple scenes in the movie depict prejudice and stigmatization of the characters. At work, a college of Beckett notices a lesion on Beckett's forehead. The college associates the lesion to AIDS although Beckett says that the lesion was an injury from racquetball. Beckett works on the paperwork of a case at home. Beckett drops the paperwork in the office to his assistant and requests the paperwork to be filled the following day. However, the paperwork for the case is not filled since the copies would not be found in the office. Late, filling of the paperwork leads to Beckett’s dismissal. Beckets links his dismissal to his diagnosis of HIV and his sexuality.
After his dismissal, Beckett is seen in different scenes trying to get a lawyer to represent him, but all the lawyer, including Joe Miller all, decline to take his case. Miller is homophobic, and later Miller approaches his doctor to find whether he would have contracted AIDS from Beckett. Crandall and Eshleman mention that variety of prejudices such as religious, ethnic, and so forth are influenced by cultural, social, cognitive, and development factors. Miller is homophobic because of his cultural, social, and developmental factors meaning Miller's prejudice is genuine.
In the Library, where Beckett goes to research on his case, Miller identifies Beckett at a nearby table. The librarian loudly approaches Beckett to announce that he found a resource on AIDS discrimination for Beckett. People in the library stares at Beckett uneasily, and the librarian suggests that Beckett should use a private room. Miller is touched by the Beckett’s situation and compare Beckett’s discrimination to his race discrimination and approaches Beckett who they work together on the case. The scene supports the stigmatization issue where the people in the library looks uneasily at Beckett. The scene does not support the idea of stigmatization when Miller accepts to help Beckett as a result of sympathy.
Sociocultural Analysis of the Film
The movie educates a person who is watching it on different SPD issues in the community such as sexual orientation, and the problems that are associated with prejudice and stigmatization of people in places such as workplace or public places such as a library. Someone watching the movie would walk away feeling depressed for all Beckett had to go through and the fact that Beckett passed away the same night that the jury ruled in his favor. Movies have such powers to move the emotion of the audience because they relate and reflect human lives.
The film looks at the broader narrative of SPD issues in the society such as discrimination. The film shows that the narrative can be reconciled when the society is educated more about SPD issues. The movie is working as a source of social injustice and oppression of liberation. The film points out how social injustices and oppression for people in workplaces can be addressed legally. In my estimation, there was nothing to change about the movie considering its time of production. HIV/AIDS and sexual orientations such as homosexuality were still new in society, and the film shows us how we can accept such people in society.
Conclusion
Philadelphia film is a beneficial cultural product. The film educated the audience on the changing culture in our society. The film also touches on important issues such as prejudice, stereotyping, and stigmatization. The movie represents SPD phenomena in a way that it is understandable, and it raises sociocultural issues that affect how people live in society. For example, the film shows us that we can eliminate prejudice and stigmatization of people with different sexual orientations and chronic conditions such as mental illnesses and HIV/AIDS.
References
Crandall, C. S., & Eshleman, A. (2003). The justification-suppression model of prejudice. Psychological Bulletin .
Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology , 27 (1), 363-385.
