Sociology and Film

Paper Summary:

This paper examines various different sociological theories such as conflict theory, classical Marxist theory and functionalism and attempts to apply them to some classic movies such as "Rambo", "Rocky", "Star Wars" and "Pretty Woman".

From the Paper:

"In all conflict theory, the dominant group, whether the monarch or as in Marx, the bourgeois, influences the discourse of popular culture so that a self-serving ideology is perpetuated and used to keep the masses in check. The most famous expression of this in Marx was that of religion, which Marx called the opiate of the masses. However, had Marx lived to see the spectacle of popular films such as "Rambo" and "Rocky" Marx would likely have called the modern cinema an even better vehicle of bourgeois ideology, and called movie popcorn an even better source of ideological opium than salvation. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Collins, Randal. Conflict Sociology. New York: Academic Press.1974 pp.56-61. 27 Mar 2006 <http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/courses/COLLINR1.HTML>

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• Film Review # 73398 : "Social and Cultural Issues in "Gone with the Wind"

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