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Essay / Social conflicts in the film Remember The Titans
Remember the Titans is one of my favorite films because it is an inspiring story about defeat and overcoming prejudice. I chose this film to show the conflict theory behind it. In this film, the battle between races with limited positions and scarce resources is clearly visible. Conflict theory is “a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups competing for scarce resources.” As the film begins, it is evident that there are two distinct groups (blacks and whites) vying for positions on the team. Another conflict in this movie concerns who will be the head coach of the football team, and there is conflict over who will be allowed to play certain positions on the team. The Caucasian coach, Bill Yoast, had been the head coach until the school's integration. Until now, all players on the team have also been white. When the school is integrated, conflict will arise over how roles will change now that African Americans are allowed on the team. Before integration, Caucasians and African Americans in Virginia went to school and played football separately. Caucasians were what Karl Marx would call the bourgeoisie, the haves of that era, while African Americans would be the proletariats, the have-nots. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayUnfortunately, part of American culture is that racism was so strong during this time. For hundreds of years, there have been cultural differences in America, which contained scholarly racism, strong hatred towards other cultures, and sheer ignorance. The days of slavery were over by 1970, but the effects persisted. This background of racism has only further accentuated the separation of the races. The Caucasians on the team felt entitled to their position and believed that African Americans did not deserve to play on a team with them. In fact, several times in the film, Caucasian players refuse to play because of their new teammates. However, they cannot afford the leisure of not playing, which would prevent them from playing college football. So they have no choice but to compete with African-American players. For African Americans, on the other hand, it was the opportunity they needed. They desperately wanted to fill these limited positions to show the Caucasians of the world that they are equal as actors and people. This led to more conflict during the film. Coach Herman Boone, an African-American, feels the pressure of not only getting the sole head coaching job, but he must also do better than would be expected of a Caucasian in that position. If he fails, or more precisely loses a game, the school board, made up of all Caucasians, will have him fired, and they will feel justified in their racism against African Americans, believing that they cannot perform as well than a Caucasian. As Coach Boone is hired as head coach, replacing Bill Yoast, Caucasian football players become even more afraid of losing their jobs while African Americans have become more confident in their ability to win theirs , which I think would be a stereotype for African Americans. players. Little did both groups know that Coach Boone would choose players based solely on skill and not race. This way of thinking was completely new to both groups at the time. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get now..