How Is American History X Related To Sociology

Summary
The movie American History X is about a guy named Derek. When he was a teenager he lost his father because a black man killed him. He grew up remembering that his father did not like colored people at all. He got involved in neo-Nazi movement. The neo-Nazi group did not like that refugees were coming over the border and taking their jobs. They also did not like that the black race was taking over Venice Beach.
Derek was incarcerated for three years because one day they were at the basketball courts and the black gang was starting fights. Derek decided to play white verse black basketball game and whoever one got the courts. Derek’s group won so that night the black gang came to his house and broke his car window and in return Derek killed them. While he was in jail he was put through numerous situations that changed him as a person. One major situation that changed his outlook on the black culture was another inmate that he had to work with and showed him how they are not much different.
While Derek was incarcerated his younger brother, Danny, had no father figure at all. Danny began hanging out with the neo-Nazi, and was not doing well in school at all. He was following in his brothers footsteps all over again. Mr. Sweeney, Derek’s favorite teacher, gave Danny an
assignment to write about what happened to his brother. Mr. Sweeney visited Derek in jail and made a deal with him. If he got out early he had to leave the neo-Nazis and straighten out for his family. The same day Derek got out Danny was in the bathroom and saw a white boy getting bullied by a black guy and he stepped in and intimidated the black guy. Derek left the neo-Nazi group and told Danny he had to do so as well. The next day Derek was getting ready to meet with his parole officer after he took Danny to school. They stopped at a coffee shop and a cop and Mr. Sweeney came in and told Derek they needed his help from within the group. Derek agreed and took Danny to school and went on his way. After Derek left Danny at school, Danny went into the bathroom and he got shot by the black guy that he intimated. When Derek found out he was completely distraught just like he was when and black man killed his father.
In this movie there were so many different social issues that stood out to me.
But the biggest one I found within the movie is male dominance. At the beginning of the movie right off the bat you can tell that Derek had the dominance one over everyone in the neo-Nazi group, but also over a woman. For instance, in the one scene which was a flash back the mother’s want to be boyfriend was over for dinner and Derek’s younger sister interrupted his girlfriend. When she did not stop talking over the girlfriend he grabbed her by the hair and shoved food down her throat. He needed to have control of everything before he went to jail. He wanted to be in control of himself, other people, and his
town.
Another time when dominance stuck out to me was the one scene when the trashed the supermarket because the new owners fired so many people. The needed to show that they were in control of it, and they could get revenge however they wanted. The gang took the cashier girl laid her on the conveyer belt and started shoving different types of food down her throat. It was almost like they were saying I could make you suffocate at any second I’m in control of this situation. You can also see dominance with how the group is all men the only women in it was his ex-girlfriend, but technically she did not do anything in the group she was there because of him.
Derek and Mr. Sweeney had a relationship that was almost indescribable. In my eyes, Mr. Sweeney was more of a father figure for Derek. He taught him things that no one else ever could, and made his school experience somewhat enjoyable. In the one scene at the dinner table before his father died he was telling his dad how his teacher makes it interesting and he’s the best teacher he’s ever had. Throughout the movie Mr. Sweeney is the only black man that Derek got along with until he was incarcerated. Derek also tells Danny that he is a good teacher and to respect him because Derek knows without him he might have still been in jail. Mr. Sweeney is one of a kind mostly because he genuinely cares for Derek and his brother, and definitely wants nothing bad to happen to them. In the end Derek and Mr. Sweeney’s relationship is as close as a father son relationship as Derek has ever had.
The issues of gender identity, race and ethnicity, and social class have a lot of things in common, but are different in some huge ways as well. Their main common factor is that people look at anyone who is placed into either category different as if you are not human. In gender identity some people are disgusted when they hear the word transgender, but me I am appalled to see their reaction. That person is still human there is no need to treat them as if they are not. Within race and ethnicity some people just see the color of your skin which is how it was back in the 50’s maybe, but we are in the twenty-first century. There is no slavery anymore because whether your skin color is white, black, tan or purple we are all human. Social class is still a huge problem in society. People just see how much money you are making yearly, which in my opinion is absurd. Money is nothing what it all comes down to is who will be there for you at the end of the day; whether you are homeless or you live in a mansion.
The difference between gender identity, race and ethnicity, and social class is how people stereotype them. In gender identity a lot people stereotype them as girls are not aggressive while men are aggressive, but when a guy or girl says they transgender people look at them as if they are aliens. The problem is people are so used to stereotyping each other that when they can not stereotype they are dumbfounded. Within race and ethnicity people stereotype depending on the different cultures. So if you are Spanish they assume that all you eat is rice, beans, and chicken or that you are here illegally. Where in reality the Spanish language is number two in America, and most of the Spanish population within the United States were born here. Finally, in social class people stereotype on the things that you may have. Many people I know has stereotyped me because I have a nice house, and a nice car. When in reality I am not “rich”, as people would say, I am part of a middle class hard working family that works for everything we have. People do not understand that everyone has different priorities all throughout the world. Just because someone has nice things does not mean they are high class they can be low class and have no plumbing, but used that money to get the new IPhone 6.