Freedom Writers Sociology

“The function of sociology, as of every science is to reveal that which is hidden.”(Pierre Bourdieu). The film Freedom Writers has hidden themes that can be explained by the three theories of sociology. The three theories of sociology: Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism explain the behavior and experiences of the students in room 203. The students’ lives are filled with gangs, crimes, racism, domestic abuse, income inequality, poverty, unfair treatment, and lack of education. With regards to Structural Functionalism, gangs, and education can be understood.
Structural Functionalism states that our lives are guided by social structures, which are correspondingly stable patterns in social behavior. In other
Its stresses how privileged groups hold more power and have more advantages. It expressed that the social conditions of each group causes a struggle for power. The students in room 203 all hate each other because their gangs are rivals. The gangs are constantly fighting for the most power, that is why many of them kill one another. In the class, constant fights would break out between the students and when Erin changed up the seating plan, the whole class was disgruntled about being integrated with one another. The racism displayed towards The Freedom Writers can also be explained with the conflict theory. The students of class 203 are subjected to discrimination as the white teachers and students are strongly against the integration program. Ava and the other students hate white people because they are privileged in the aspects of money, power, and opportunities. The class disliked Erin and Ben in the beginning because of their skin color. The students feel as if the white students and teachers have more power because white students get a better education, and the white teachers do not want to give the multiracial students books or resources, and are not allowed field trips. There is a constant struggle for power between the white teachers and the students of class 203, which is why they constantly act out. They want to be treated fairly. In addition, the conflict theory explains income inequality. The movie shows that people with more money are of a higher class and they have more power and opportunities. All of the students comes from poor backgrounds and are treated unfairly. They do not have the opportunity to attend university or start new, different lives. The students financial situations lead them to bad behavior and crime, such as selling drugs. They perform illegal activities to obtain money to be able to live and gain more power. Furthermore, domestic abuse is displayed in the