Elysium Social Inequality
Social Inequality and it’s Representation in Elysium
Introduction
Movies are an important vehicle for the transmission of cultural norms and understandings as they allow producers to present their views on present day problems and increase our understanding of particular historical events or the lives of people in other places (Dowd 2010 in Sutherland & Feltey 2013). This is reflected through the film Elysium (2013) in which director Neill Blomkamp constructs and challenges the concept of social inequality, in terms of class and ethnicity. Social inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities for different social classes within a society, in such a way as to make one group superior or inferior to another group. This inequality …show more content…
Max De Costa is a blue collar worker who is exposed to high levels of radiation due to being forced to enter the machine after his boss says “go in there and fix it or I’ll find someone who will” (Elysium 2013). This reflects Australian society as people who work in blue collar jobs and have a low socioeconomic background are more likely to experience health hazards in their working environment, which increases illnesses and injuries and also highlights the fear of unemployment in the working class. Lareau, Annette and Conley, Dalton (2008) state that research to date strongly suggests that social class is a true health determinant and that the effects of social position are mostly attributable to material conditions. In the movie Elysium the wealthy have a life expectancy 3 times great than the people who live on earth which reflects on Australian society as society as the lower a person’s social class, the more likely that individual is going to die before the expected …show more content…
With the evidence presented in this essay, it is clear that Elysium constructs and challenges the problem of social inequality in terms of immigration, status in society and access to health care, and reflects heavily on the current Australian society.
References
Eschholz, S., Bufkin, J., and J.Long (2002) “Symbolic Reality Bites: Women and Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Modern Film” in Sociological Spectrum, Vol 22 (3): Pp 299-334.
Henslin, J., Possamai, A. and Possamai-Inesedy, A., 2013, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Lareau, Annette and Conley, Dalton. Social Class: How Does it Work? New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2008. http://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed April 9, 2014).
Riggs, W. D. and Baird, B., 2009, The Racial Politics of Bodies, Nations and Knowledges, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, [Online] Available from: <http://www.myilibrary.com?ID=241334> [9 April 2014].
Saul, B 2003,”From White Australia to Woomera: The story of Australian Immigration”, Journal Of Refugee Studies, 16, 4, pp. 449-450, SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 9 April 2014
Sutherland, J and Feltey, K., 2013, Cinematic Sociology: Social Life in Film, Sage Publications, 2nd
Introduction
Movies are an important vehicle for the transmission of cultural norms and understandings as they allow producers to present their views on present day problems and increase our understanding of particular historical events or the lives of people in other places (Dowd 2010 in Sutherland & Feltey 2013). This is reflected through the film Elysium (2013) in which director Neill Blomkamp constructs and challenges the concept of social inequality, in terms of class and ethnicity. Social inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities for different social classes within a society, in such a way as to make one group superior or inferior to another group. This inequality …show more content…
Max De Costa is a blue collar worker who is exposed to high levels of radiation due to being forced to enter the machine after his boss says “go in there and fix it or I’ll find someone who will” (Elysium 2013). This reflects Australian society as people who work in blue collar jobs and have a low socioeconomic background are more likely to experience health hazards in their working environment, which increases illnesses and injuries and also highlights the fear of unemployment in the working class. Lareau, Annette and Conley, Dalton (2008) state that research to date strongly suggests that social class is a true health determinant and that the effects of social position are mostly attributable to material conditions. In the movie Elysium the wealthy have a life expectancy 3 times great than the people who live on earth which reflects on Australian society as society as the lower a person’s social class, the more likely that individual is going to die before the expected …show more content…
With the evidence presented in this essay, it is clear that Elysium constructs and challenges the problem of social inequality in terms of immigration, status in society and access to health care, and reflects heavily on the current Australian society.
References
Eschholz, S., Bufkin, J., and J.Long (2002) “Symbolic Reality Bites: Women and Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Modern Film” in Sociological Spectrum, Vol 22 (3): Pp 299-334.
Henslin, J., Possamai, A. and Possamai-Inesedy, A., 2013, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Lareau, Annette and Conley, Dalton. Social Class: How Does it Work? New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2008. http://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed April 9, 2014).
Riggs, W. D. and Baird, B., 2009, The Racial Politics of Bodies, Nations and Knowledges, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, [Online] Available from: <http://www.myilibrary.com?ID=241334> [9 April 2014].
Saul, B 2003,”From White Australia to Woomera: The story of Australian Immigration”, Journal Of Refugee Studies, 16, 4, pp. 449-450, SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 9 April 2014
Sutherland, J and Feltey, K., 2013, Cinematic Sociology: Social Life in Film, Sage Publications, 2nd