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Essay / The AIDS crisis facing society and the band played on
Whenever a person gets sick, the first thing they do is go to the doctor. It's a normal thing that happens in society. A sick person goes to the hospital and waits for treatment. When we go to see a doctor, we hold that doctor in high esteem and expect him to perform his duties. When our body starts having problems, we expect the doctor to fix the problems or refer us to another doctor for help. However, in the mid-1980s, the scientific world was shocked by a deadly disease. Doctors were no longer able to do their jobs because they could not help victims of a rapidly spreading plague; they could no longer fulfill their role in our society, which caused great panic. Around the world, scientists have focused their efforts on trying to isolate the virus without the cooperation of their colleagues. Eventually, French scientists worked to name this virus, but their work was stolen by an American scientist named Bob Gallo. After years and years of research and thousands and thousands of victims, President Ronald Reagan used the word "AIDS" in public for the first time. It was a globally recognized epidemic and money was finally flowing in to find a cure. Through a sociological analysis of the process, it was discovered that the AIDS crisis had repercussions at all levels. In the film "And the Band Played On", the fundamental problems of our society are exposed and their effects are shown during the AIDS crisis. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Like in the movie “Karl Marx: The Politics of Revolting Bodies,” “And the Band Played On It” focuses on the questions of mind, body and power. The sociologist Michel Foucault, victim of AIDS, declared that our bodies do not belong to us and this film reflects this. AIDS victims are subjected to numerous tests, probes, examinations and samples – they are transformed from human beings into human guinea pigs. Institutions viewed victims not as humans, but as machines through which profits could be made. Because of their sexual orientation, gays are isolated and rejected by society. Throughout the film, lines of power intersect and push the individual in different directions. Problems arise when these lines begin to collide and conflict as overlapping areas of influence. One of the overlapping areas is the interaction of organizations. These organizations, both political and scientific, played a central role in the discovery of AIDS. The World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration, Congress, the National Cancer Institute, the Red Cross, and many others all interact during the course of this film. Some would say that these organizations are essential to our society and the way they interact. However, organizations oppose each other more than they help each other. By far the largest organization is the Centers for Disease Control; Ironically, and unfortunately, it is also the most unstable and underfunded organization of all. Although it is hierarchically structured, it certainly does not correspond to Max Weber's ideal type of hierarchy. Even though this society prides itself on its acceptance of minorities, we see that prejudice is alive and well in this film. Several times throughout the film, AIDS is referred to as the "gay scourge",.