A Social Analysis Of Anti-Racism In John Lee Hancock’s The Blind Side

7 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Social Inequality

Structured inequality, and stratification, is a fundamental aspect of social world. Social inequalities may be rooted in ethnic differences or in the distribution of property or power (Persell,1987:181). Social inequalities refer to the enequal opportunities or rewards for people in different social position.

Social inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society. It contains structured and recurrent patterns of unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities, rewards, and punishments. Racism, for example, is understood to be a phenomenon whereby access to rights and resources is unfairly distributed across racial lines. Conversely, "white privilege" is a concept developed by social scientist Peggy McIntosh to refer to the myriad ways in which white people benefit from racial inequality, in particular.

There are two main ways to measure social inequality: inequality of conditions, and inequality of opportunities. Inequality of conditions refers to the unequal distribution of income, wealth and material goods. Housing, for example, is an inequality of conditions with the homeless and those living in housing projects sitting at the bottom of the hierarchy while those living in multi-million dollar mansions sitting at the top. Another example is at the level of whole communities,

8 where some are poor, unstable, and plagued by violence, while others are invested in by business and government such that they thrive and provide safe, secure, and happy conditions for their inhabitants.

Inequality of opportunities refers to the unequal distribution of "life chances" across individuals. This is reflected in measures such as level of education, health status, and treatment by the criminal justice system. For example, studies have shown that college and university professors are more likely to ignore emails from women and people of color than they are to ignore those from white men, which privileges the educational outcomes of white men by channeling a biased amount of mentoring resources to them.

Discrimination at individual, community, and institutional levels is a major part of the process of reproducing social inequalities of race, class, gender, and sexuality. For example, women are systematically paid less than men for doing the same work, and sociologists have conclusively demonstrated that racism is built into the very foundation of our society, and is present in all of our social institutions.

9 2.2 The Definition and The Effects of Racial Discrimination

Human being display a wide variety of colors, shapes, and cultures. The concept of race has been used to classify Homo Sapiens into several subdivision based on distinguishable physical characteristic. Recent genetic knowledge suggests that all people have the ability to reason, that they are born equal, and that there is no hierarchy of superior and inferior race (Dubinin, 1975:87). Hence, it is obvious that all people in the world should possess equal capability for attaining the highest level in intellectual, technical, social, economic, cultural and political development. However, in the real world there are differences among race in making progress of such development. In additional Persell (1987:235) states:

“The term geographic race refers to the large human groupings that correspond to major geographic regions such as continents. Geographic divisions such as oceans separated grouping to such an extent that they were not likely to mix. As a result, group tended to develop genetic differences. They may also have development genetic mutations, such as darker skin color or the capacity to store fat effectively, which were useful adaptive traits and thus tended to be preserved.”

Since the sixteenth century, however, there has been increasing migration and intermixing, of these geographic races. Different cultural and physical environments have led to variations in the physical characteristics of human population. Because there is such variation within racial groups and because there is considerable overlap among such group, the major significance of race is social rather than biological. Sometimes racial differences become very important in social situations; sometimes they are not relevant at all. Sometimes racial (physical) differences are also associated with cultural (ethnic) differences. When they are, that associated tends to reinforce a group’s identity.

10 Race are distinguished from one another by such characteristics as hair color, and texture, skin color, eye color, and shape, size of body parts, and facial organs. According to Persell (1987:235) states:

Traditionally, physical features such as hair type (straight, curry, or woolly), skin color, and the shape of nose, lips, eyelids, or body were widely used to classify human

In addition Schaefer (2012:270) states:

“The term racial group refers to those minorities (and the corresponding domination groups) set apart from others by “obvious” physical difference.”

From statements above, it is clear that race simply a theory that concern only with physical character. However, humans are outwardly different in appearances. In a positive manner, one may embrace the differences of people across the face of the earth and marvel at the uniqueness of individuals who live on different part of the globe or across the street. People occur if there are claims that these physical appearances are closely related with moral, intellectual, and other non physical attributes or abilities. Thus, race becomes a justification for prejudiced beliefs and discrimination attitude to other that have different physical characteristic.

Racial prejudice is a “prejudged” unfavorable attitude toward the members of a group who are assumed to possess negative traits. Prejudice is irrational because it is an attitude that is not based on specific experience with the person being judged. In fact, being prejudiced may seriously distort people’s observations and judgments. They may presume individuals have the negative trait they expect, and be unable to tell if they really have it or not. Prejudice often provides the emotional support for discrimination. Prejudice often leads to discrimination, the denial of opportunities

11 and equal right to individuals and groups based on some type of arbitrary bias. (Schaefer, 2012:275).

Racial discrimination or racism is most likely to occur when there are physical or cultural differences between groups, when there is competition over scarce resources, and when one group has considerably greater power than the other. Racism is invariably accompanied by an ideology attempting to justify the superior position of one race and the inferior position of the other race. As a result, mistreatment of a group people on the basic of race, color, and religion are often found in the name of race superiority. Because people with racist will hate certain groups that is different from his own.

The statement above also supported by Schaefer (2012:273) states:

“Racism, the belief that one race is supreme and all others are inferior. When racism prevails in a society, members of subordinate groups generally experience prejudice, discrimination, and exploitation.”

In addition to the characteristic of racial discrimination, E.U.Essien-Udom (1975:236) gives more explanation, he describe that:

“...therefore that racism exist only if three conditions are simultaneous presents, namely, (1) the physical criteria; (2) beliefs about the inevitable correspondence between the physical and curtural, moral, or intellectual difference among racial groups; and (3) social actions based on those beliefs.”

From Udom statement above, being physically different plays a great deal in experiencing racial discrimination. Another factor in racial discrimination is when there is a perception or a belief that certain physical characteristic automatically possess a certain attitude, morality and ability. Udom also adds that in the case of racial discrimination there must be an action in making it into reality based from the

12 certain perception or believe. Thus, this definition also gives us a clear picture that people with racist tend to use their own set of thinking for someone who possesses certain characteristic must own certain attitude that they need to be aware off.

2.3 Anti-Racism

Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined. By its nature, anti-racism tends to promote the view that racism in a particular society is both pernicious and socially pervasive, and that particular changes in political, economic, and/or social life are required to eliminate it.

Anti-racism is both a concept and a practice. Alistair Bonnet says that “Refers to those forms of thought and/or practice that seek to confront, eradicate and/or ameliorate racism. Anti-racism implies the ability to identify a phenomenon – racism – and to do something about it” (2000:4). Anti-racists are not merely the opposite of racists because racism in institutional and even the staunchest anti-racist can have internalized racism. As a practice, there are many differing positions and strategies that can conflict, even though the end goal is the same. Generally, anti-racism can take two forms; either a revolutionary politics or a strategy to accommodate racial difference. A further conflict arises because state resources that anti-racism often relies on are used for revolutionary purposes.

13 "Civil rights" are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment (and to be free from unfair treatment or "discrimination") in a number of settings -- including education, employment, housing, and more -- and based on certain legally-protected characteristics. Historically, the "Civil Rights Movement" referred to efforts toward achieving true equality for African-Americans in all facets of society, but today the term "civil rights" is also used to describe the advancement of equality for all people regardless of race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, or certain other characteristics.

Related to this thesis, in America, The civil rights movement began in the 1950s when, degrading despite the abolition of slavery, black people still lived in poverty, under a system of racial segregation, known as "Jim Crow". Many southern states denied blacks the right to vote, organise or meet together. Transport, public toilets and schools were segregated, with the worst conditions reserved for black people. Beganning in 1955, when Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to move to the Negro section of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a series of nonviolent civil rights demonstrations and protests galvanized public opinion, the mass media, and the world community. Diplomatic representative from independent African nations had already encountered segregated facilities in United States, creating considerable international embarrassment.

During this time the underlying economic, legal, and political contexts of race relations were changing, resulting in a different moral and ideological climate. The tension between equal rights and segregation grew intolerable. One of the ministers asked to lead the protest was Martin Luther King. He went on to become the most famous leader of the civil rights movement. In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, lead

14 the March on Washington, where he proclaimed to more than 200,000 blacks and white assembled at the Lincoln Memorial,”I have a dream….of an America where blacks and white can walk together as equals” (Persell,1987:239).

The civil rights movement spanned over 25 years, with many anti-racist groups and organisations growing out of it. Not only was the movement about fighting racism, it was also about fighting the poverty that many black families were forced to live in. Even in America today, such movements against racism and poverty are just as important as ever.

2.4 Literary Review

2.4.1 Sociology of Literature

We can find many phenomena of life in society. Those phenomena can be found in a literary work such as short story, plays, poem, novel, nursery rhymes and etc. It happens because literary works are reflection of life phenomena.

Etymologically, sociology derived from the word 'socio' or 'society' which means people and 'logy'means logos or science. In simple explanation, sociology is a science of society or science of society life. In a broader explanation sociology is objective and scientific study of mankind in society, the study of institutions and social processes. Edward Tiryakian (quoted by Hodges, Jr, 1971:8) states that sociology is the science which seeks universal knowledge about man’s social condition in their specific and general manifestations; its raison d’etre (English:

15 reason or justification for the existence of a thing) is to investigate the implications of Aristotle’s proposition that man is a social animal.

Some conceptualizations of the relationship between literature and society are rather straightforward: literature is a reflection of society, a force in society, or simply a separate part of social life. Others argue that the enterprise of literature is more complex, potentially capturing diverse forms of interaction between various parts of and players in society. Thus, the roles of literature in society and of society in literature remain open to debate. That literature is best understood only as aesthetic creation silences the debate yet leaves many questions unanswered.

In creating a literary work, the work is not only influenced by the society, but also its writer. As stated by Wellek and Warren (1956: 102), a writer is not only influenced by society but also he or she influences it and art does not merely reproduce life but also shapes it. It means that both the writer and society influence the literary work. Thus, there are three points in sociological approach that should be noticed. They are social content of the work, the sociology of writer as a background of his creative process, and the influence of literature society (1956: 96).

According the quotations above, literature is reflection of life in society and both society and author influence each other. There are three points should be noticed: social content of the work, the sociology of writer as a background of his creative process, and the influence of literature on society. I use this approach because it is suitable with the literature I analyze. In doing this research, I emphasize on the aspect of social content of the work.

16 2.4.2 Film as a form of Literature

Klarer (2004:53) states that “film is made by literary techniques, conversely, literary practice, developed particular features under the impact of film”. Drama or film is a piece of work consisting of literary aspect and aspect of performed. Literary aspect of drama in the form of script and the literary aspect of film is a scenario. As the movie is developed based on the novel so the writer analyzes the movie based on the same way of analyzing the novel, it means that how to analyze the movie is the same as the way how to analyze the literary works because movie is derived from literary works.

Film’s idiosyncratic modes of presentation such as camera angle, editing, montage, slow and fast motion often parallel features of literary texts or can be explained within a textual framework. Although film has its own specific characteristic and terminology, it is possible to analyze film by drawing on methods of literary criticism, as film criticism is closely related to the traditional approaches of textual studies. There are for example, approaches similar text-oriented literary criticism which deal with material aspects of film, such as film stock, montage, editing, and sound. Methodologies which are informed by reception aesthetics focus on the effect on the spectator, and approaches such as psychoanalytical theory or feminist theory regard film within a larger contextual framework. The major developments of literary theory have therefore also been borrowed or adapted by film studies.

In spite of their differing forms and media, drama and film are often categorized under the healing performing arts because they use actors as their major means of expression. Typical elements of novel varied narrative techniques,

17 experimental structuring of the plot, foreshadowing and flashback, the change of setting and time structure are commonly used in film. Films, and particularly video tapes, are like novels, which in theory can be repeatedly read, or viewed.

In film, as in other genres, various levels contribute to the overall artistic impression. This medium, which strongly relies on technical aspects, has several important, uniquely cinematic features with their own terminology. The most essential elements of film can be subsumed under the dimensions of space, time, and sound.

a. Spatial dimension. The deliberate choice of film stock, including black and white or color, high-contrast or low-contrast, sensitive or less sensitive material, produces effects which directly influence the contents of a film. Lighting is indirectly connected to film stock for certain light conditions have to be fulfilled according to the sensitivity of the film. An important consideration is the camera angel from which a certain scane is to be filmed. It is possible to distinguish between high angle, straight-on angle, or low angle shots depending on the position of the camera. Camera movement is linked to camera angel and allows for perspective. In the early days of film, the camera was too heavy to be moved during a scene. When lighter and more mobile equipment was developed, however, camera could be moved more freely. The camera angle is closely related to issues of point of view in literature and proses similar questions. In the majority of films, the perspective is that of an omniscient “narrator” who at times borrows subjective points of view of characters in the film. Editing is one of the major cinematic techniques which have contributed to the flexibility of the medium.

18 The early Russian film developed montage as a filmic technique which creates effects similar to the use of the rhetorical figures of metaphora and simile in literature.

b. Temporal dimension. Film, like literature, can employ the dimension of time in a variety of ways. Aspects of plot which have already been mentioned, such as foreshadowing and flashback, or interwoven levels of action and time, can be translated into film. The specific qualities of the medium enable the treatment of time in ways that do not exist in other genres. Simple examples of these techniques are fast motion and slow motion, which defamiliarize the action. The use of clocks, calendars, newspapers, signs of aging, or fashion are only some of the many ways to indicate the passage of time in film.

c. Acoustic dimension. It was not until the 1920s that the acoustic aspect was added to film, bringing about a radical change of the medium. Information was no longer conveyed merely by means of visual effects such as facial expressions, gestures, or subtitles, but also through language (dialogue or monologue), recorded music, and sound effects. Beside dialogue and sound effects, film music assumes a special position and usually supports the plot. Volume, sound, rhythm, and pace of the music change according to the situation and underscore levels of meaning with acoustic effects. Film music can also contrast with the plot and create ironic or parodistic effects. Plot may be supported by the conventional and inconspicuous use of music and sound effects, or the action may be defamiliarized by contrasting the level of meaning and content with the acoustic level. In both cases, the acoustic

19 dimension acts as an integral element of film, intricately interwoven with features of the spatial and temporal dimensions.

As with the individual elements treated in connection with the genres of fiction, poetry, and drama, the different dimensions of film can hardly be seen as self-contained entities. The isolation of elements is only a helpful tool for approaching a complex work of art and can never fully account for approaching a complex work of art and can never fully account for all of its interdependent subtleties. One must also be aware that the very act of differentiating levels and elements of a genre is inevitably arbitrary and always remains subject to current trends, methodological approaches, and the subjective preferences of the person who complies them. The above dichotomies and classifications are, therefore, meant to facilitate first encounters with texts, but should by no means be taken as general patterns according to which texts must be interpreted. On the contrary, they should ideally yield to combinations with other suitable systems or eventually be selectively incorporated into one’s personal methods of analysis.

14 the March on Washington, where he proclaimed to more than 200,000 blacks and white assembled at the Lincoln Memorial,”I have a dream….of an America where blacks and white can walk together as equals” (Persell,1987:239).

The civil rights movement spanned over 25 years, with many anti-racist groups and organisations growing out of it. Not only was the movement about fighting racism, it was also about fighting the poverty that many black families were forced to live in. Even in America today, such movements against racism and poverty are just as important as ever.

2.4 Literary Review

2.4.1 Sociology of Literature

We can find many phenomena of life in society. Those phenomena can be found in a literary work such as short story, plays, poem, novel, nursery rhymes and etc. It happens because literary works are reflection of life phenomena.

Etymologically, sociology derived from the word 'socio' or 'society' which means people and 'logy'means logos or science. In simple explanation, sociology is a science of society or science of society life. In a broader explanation sociology is objective and scientific study of mankind in society, the study of institutions and social processes. Edward Tiryakian (quoted by Hodges, Jr, 1971:8) states that sociology is the science which seeks universal knowledge about man’s social condition in their specific and general manifestations; its raison d’etre (English:

15 reason or justification for the existence of a thing) is to investigate the implications of Aristotle’s proposition that man is a social animal.

Some conceptualizations of the relationship between literature and society are rather straightforward: literature is a reflection of society, a force in society, or simply a separate part of social life. Others argue that the enterprise of literature is more complex, potentially capturing diverse forms of interaction between various parts of and players in society. Thus, the roles of literature in society and of society in literature remain open to debate. That literature is best understood only as aesthetic creation silences the debate yet leaves many questions unanswered.

In creating a literary work, the work is not only influenced by the society, but also its writer. As stated by Wellek and Warren (1956: 102), a writer is not only influenced by society but also he or she influences it and art does not merely reproduce life but also shapes it. It means that both the writer and society influence the literary work. Thus, there are three points in sociological approach that should be noticed. They are social content of the work, the sociology of writer as a background of his creative process, and the influence of literature society (1956: 96).

According the quotations above, literature is reflection of life in society and both society and author influence each other. There are three points should be noticed: social content of the work, the sociology of writer as a background of his creative process, and the influence of literature on society. I use this approach because it is suitable with the literature I analyze. In doing this research, I emphasize on the aspect of social content of the work.

16 2.4.2 Film as a form of Literature

Klarer (2004:53) states that “film is made by literary techniques, conversely, literary practice, developed particular features under the impact of film”. Drama or film is a piece of work consisting of literary aspect and aspect of performed. Literary aspect of drama in the form of script and the literary aspect of film is a scenario. As the movie is developed based on the novel so the writer analyzes the movie based on the same way of analyzing the novel, it means that how to analyze the movie is the same as the way how to analyze the literary works because movie is derived from literary works.

Film’s idiosyncratic modes of presentation such as camera angle, editing, montage, slow and fast motion often parallel features of literary texts or can be explained within a textual framework. Although film has its own specific characteristic and terminology, it is possible to analyze film by drawing on methods of literary criticism, as film criticism is closely related to the traditional approaches of textual studies. There are for example, approaches similar text-oriented literary criticism which deal with material aspects of film, such as film stock, montage, editing, and sound. Methodologies which are informed by reception aesthetics focus on the effect on the spectator, and approaches such as psychoanalytical theory or feminist theory regard film within a larger contextual framework. The major developments of literary theory have therefore also been borrowed or adapted by film studies.

In spite of their differing forms and media, drama and film are often categorized under the healing performing arts because they use actors as their major means of expression. Typical elements of novel varied narrative techniques,

17 experimental structuring of the plot, foreshadowing and flashback, the change of setting and time structure are commonly used in film. Films, and particularly video tapes, are like novels, which in theory can be repeatedly read, or viewed.

In film, as in other genres, various levels contribute to the overall artistic impression. This medium, which strongly relies on technical aspects, has several important, uniquely cinematic features with their own terminology. The most essential elements of film can be subsumed under the dimensions of space, time, and sound.

a. Spatial dimension. The deliberate choice of film stock, including black and white or color, high-contrast or low-contrast, sensitive or less sensitive material, produces effects which directly influence the contents of a film. Lighting is indirectly connected to film stock for certain light conditions have to be fulfilled according to the sensitivity of the film. An important consideration is the camera angel from which a certain scane is to be filmed. It is possible to distinguish between high angle, straight-on angle, or low angle shots depending on the position of the camera. Camera movement is linked to camera angel and allows for perspective. In the early days of film, the camera was too heavy to be moved during a scene. When lighter and more mobile equipment was developed, however, camera could be moved more freely. The camera angle is closely related to issues of point of view in literature and proses similar questions. In the majority of films, the perspective is that of an omniscient “narrator” who at times borrows subjective points of view of characters in the film. Editing is one of the major cinematic techniques which have contributed to the flexibility of the medium.

18 The early Russian film developed montage as a filmic technique which creates effects similar to the use of the rhetorical figures of metaphora and simile in literature.

b. Temporal dimension. Film, like literature, can employ the dimension of time in a variety of ways. Aspects of plot which have already been mentioned, such as foreshadowing and flashback, or interwoven levels of action and time, can be translated into film. The specific qualities of the medium enable the treatment of time in ways that do not exist in other genres. Simple examples of these techniques are fast motion and slow motion, which defamiliarize the action. The use of clocks, calendars, newspapers, signs of aging, or fashion are only some of the many ways to indicate the passage of time in film.

c. Acoustic dimension. It was not until the 1920s that the acoustic aspect was added to film, bringing about a radical change of the medium. Information was no longer conveyed merely by means of visual effects such as facial expressions, gestures, or subtitles, but also through language (dialogue or monologue), recorded music, and sound effects. Beside dialogue and sound effects, film music assumes a special position and usually supports the plot. Volume, sound, rhythm, and pace of the music change according to the situation and underscore levels of meaning with acoustic effects. Film music can also contrast with the plot and create ironic or parodistic effects. Plot may be supported by the conventional and inconspicuous use of music and sound effects, or the action may be defamiliarized by contrasting the level of meaning and content with the acoustic level. In both cases, the acoustic

19 dimension acts as an integral element of film, intricately interwoven with features of the spatial and temporal dimensions.

As with the individual elements treated in connection with the genres of fiction, poetry, and drama, the different dimensions of film can hardly be seen as self-contained entities. The isolation of elements is only a helpful tool for approaching a complex work of art and can never fully account for approaching a complex work of art and can never fully account for all of its interdependent subtleties. One must also be aware that the very act of differentiating levels and elements of a genre is inevitably arbitrary and always remains subject to current trends, methodological approaches, and the subjective preferences of the person who complies them. The above dichotomies and classifications are, therefore, meant to facilitate first encounters with texts, but should by no means be taken as general patterns according to which texts must be interpreted. On the contrary, they should ideally yield to combinations with other suitable systems or eventually be selectively incorporated into one’s personal methods of analysis.