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Essay / Crime and Movies: Analysis of Boyz N The Hood
Boyz N the Hood is a 1991 drama/crime film directed by John Singleton. This film depicts the social problems of Los Angeles faced by three friends, brothers Ricky and Doughboy, and their best friend Tre, who grew up in the neighborhood. Boyz N the Hood presents numerous theories, many of which include rational choice theory, constraints theory, and sociological positivism. Rational choice theory states that individuals make calculations to weigh the pros and cons of a crime that will end up in their favor. Constraints theory proposes that society places pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals. Sociological positivism describes how factors in a community such as poverty and education influence a person's behavior. Each of these theories creates a form of identification on individuals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Young black men have always been labeled as disobedient, thieves, criminals, etc. turn against him. The time period of the film does not differ much from today. Growing up in the neighborhood is still just about trying to get by by any means necessary. The violence causes gangs to form which eventually lead to black men killing other black men. As part of the war on drugs in the United States of America, it has been proven that "there were more than 1.5 million drug-related arrests in the United States in 2016. The great majority – more than 80% – concerned possession only. People of color face discrimination at every stage of the justice system and are more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, harshly sentenced, and saddled with lifelong criminal records. This is especially true for drug law violations. This illustrates the fact that whether or not a person is involved in drug use or distribution, due to the color of their skin, they are easily targeted and suffer the most. Under the pressure of having to be tough and defend himself, Doughboy was constantly in prison. He didn't have a goal, so he just sold drugs and drank alcohol. Doughboy's criminal behavior was put to the test when the Crenshaw Mafia Bloods street gang killed his brother Ricky, forcing him to act on impulse by pulling the trigger on Knucklehead #2 and the others. Compared to WEB DuBois's inauguration of what has become a tradition within constraints theory "attempting to explain why crime is more prevalent among the poor and excluded than among middle and upper class groups" , because society's social acceptance is so important, they were aware of the fact that the cycle of violence was an ongoing phenomenon. There is evidence that some individuals experience strain because they pursue the same goals as other Americans within their society. “These individuals might therefore be more likely to turn to unauthorized methods to achieve economic success, even though there is a lot of so-called 'white-collar crime' going on. The film is more sociological in its analysis. Once Tre is an adult and able to make decisions for himself, we see that he is a conformist. He has a goal of getting out of the hood and going to college and he knows the exact process needed to achieve that goal. Tre can also be classified as a rationalist. Even since he was young, Tre has always been rational in his decisions. Sometimes theywere unconscious, but it was only because his father had taught him values and morals that they were instilled in him. After witnessing Ricky's death, Tre goes out with Doughboy in search of those responsible for his murder. As they wandered around with hearts full of rage seeking revenge, Tre decided to abstain from the mission. In that moment, Tre made a rational choice by thinking about the positive and negative outcomes of his actions. Caesar philosopher Beccaria would classify Tre as an ideal citizen. Beccaria's ideal citizen would be "someone who makes a cost-benefit calculation before deciding whether to engage in or avoid criminal behavior, someone capable of reasoned judgment, deliberation, and a clear understanding of the law ". Rafter also emphasizes that an individual is considered responsible simply because when he makes a rational choice he weighs the pain of punishment against the profit. Some have argued that rational choice theory has certain problems. “The first problem of the theory is to explain collective action. That is, if individuals simply base their actions on calculations of personal gain, why would they choose to do something that will benefit others more than themselves? » This makes perfect sense, because no one would put themselves in a situation where they would risk their own freedom for someone else. Growing up in Las Angeles with a single parent, Ricky was able to see the truth about life in the neighborhood. His mother didn't always have everything and he didn't have a father figure to provide for the family and teach him the importance of education. Fathers constitute a positive male role model who helps reduce the likelihood of sociological positivism. Ricky was brilliant, he knew he was good at sports, so he used that as an advantage to lift him out of poverty. He was a retiree. Ricky was an aspiring football star who, due to the circumstances of his neighborhood, was given an opportunity and ran with it. He did not let the pressure placed on him by society trigger his way of thinking. It’s safe to say that all three boys were labeled. “Labeling theories of crime are often called social reaction theories because they focus primarily on the consequences of responses or reactions to crime. » Doughboy, for example, was labeled by his own mother. In addition to having to endure the pressure placed on his shoulders to achieve socially accepted goals, also known as strain theory, during his childhood she told him that he "wasn't shit ” and “would never be shit.” This creates mental health issues in a child's mind. His brother Ricky, on the other hand, received a positive form of labeling. USC's Lewis Crump told Ricky he could be anything he wanted. In contrast, Tre experiences the harshest form of labeling. While walking home from a party he is stopped by Officer Coffey who holds a gun to his neck and says "oh you're scared now, I like it, that's why I took this job, I hate little bastards like you, little niggers that ain't shit, you think you're tough, right I could blow your head off with this and you can't do anything, how? do you feel now? what made you leave? you look like one of those crenshaw mafia bastards the main problem with labeling is that after a while the individual. begins to adopt the characteristics with which it has been labeled Keep in mind: this is just a sample Get a personalized article now from our expert writers..