Film and Real world in sociality issues

Hello, and welcome to today's episode where we delve into the fascinating world of sociology through the lens of film. We'll be exploring the movie Contagion, a gripping thriller that portrays the global spread of a deadly virus and the society chaos that ensues. I chose this film because it provides a rich narrative that touches on several significant social issues, making it an ideal candidate for sociological analysts. With its focus on public health, social behavior, and institutional responses during a crisis, my fave, Contagion offers a unique opportunity to examine how society's structures and norms are challenged in the face of disaster. Contagion was directed by Steven Strongberg in a set of a world where a rapidly spreading virus threatens humanity. The film follows multiple characters across different countries, including healthcare workers, government officials, and ordinary citizens as they navigate the pandemic. There's a CDC epidemiologist working to contain the virus, a man who's immune to the virus after losing his wife, and a conspiracy theorist spreading misinformation. The plot centers on the global effort to control the outbreak, the race to develop a vaccine, and the societal breakdown that follows the virus threat. Now, let's dive into the sociological approach to analyzing Contagion. Sociological analysts involve looking beyond the surface to understand the underlying social issues and the structures that influences them. This approach is essential for challenging personal and societal assumptions about the film, and it's portrayed on social issues. One of the central social issues in Contagion is unequal access to healthcare. With the Affordable Care Act, I remember that there was a lot of feedback regarding to this because a lot of people were like, well, who's it going to imply and why do people need this? But not understanding that, not knowing that the pandemic was about to come, and also how much it magnified that the poor do not have access and the rich have all the access in the world. But with this movie, even through the scene where they were distributing the vaccine, they had social class and power shown so strong as that they were able to get the vaccine first. Another issue is the spread of the misinformation, which is portrayed through the actor of Alan Kulwandi, whose actions lead to public panic and distrust in institutions. This could also be portrayed through real life if we want to compare it to Donald Trump, as well as other news outlets who were saying, fake news, quote, unquote. Many people may assume that in a global crisis, government and institutions will act solely in the public's best interest. However, the film challenges the notion by depicting how power dynamics and social inequalities influence who receives help and who does not. There's also a common belief that people in positions of authority will always provide accurate information. But the film reveals how misinformation can spread rapidly and have devastating effects. A lot of people did not want to take the vaccine when it came down during the pandemic. A lot of people were like, ah, I don't want to do it. And I remember seeing crazy things where people would come with hazmat suits, they would wear gloves, and they would not touch anything with their hands because of the misinformation that was spread. Sociological theories that we can use to challenge this, such as a conflict theory, help to challenge these assumptions by providing a framework for understanding how power and inequality shapes societal incomes. For example, conflict theory poised that society is in a constant state of conflict due to competition for limited resources. This theory can be applied to the film to understand how access to health care during the pandemic is influenced by social class and power, thereby challenging the assumption that health care is equally accessible to all. Let's take a closer look at one of the major social issues in the film, the unequal access to health care. This issue is influenced by several social phenomenons, including socioeconomic status, power dynamics, and institutional trust. During conflict theory, we can examine the relationship between phenomenon and the issue of health care access. And conflict theory is particularly appropriate here because it focuses on how power and inequality affect the distribution of resources. The film demonstrates this through scenes where wealthy individuals have better access. And less are waiting. We've already discussed this, but let's move on. Max Webster's theory of bureaucracy can also be applied to this issue. Webster's theory, Weber, excuse me, instead of Webster's theory, suggests that bureaucracy institutions are designed to be efficient, but they can also perpetrate inequality by prioritizing rules and procedures over individual needs. And contagion, the bureaucracy process surrounding the vaccine distribution, creates barriers for those without power, highlighting the limitation of these institutions in addressing public health crises. When it came to masks during the pandemic, they were not available. But however, the rich were able to have those accesses, and they were very slow to distributing it to the rest of the people, let's be honest. But to deepen our understanding, I've reviewed two social articles that offer opposing perspectives on the issue of health care access. So the first article argues that health care inequality is a result of systematic basis with the institution supported by conflict theory. The second article, however, suggests that these discrepancies can be mitigated through a better policy design supported by functionalist theory, which views society as a system where all parts work together to maintain stability. Let's now talk more about how conflict theory supports the opinions. They support the opinions by the first article by highlighting how power dynamics create and perpetuate inequalities. The second article uses the functionalist theory, suggests that health care inequalities are not inherent, but can correct it through effective policy interventions. By comparing these perspectives to contagion, we can infer that the film leans towards the conflict theory perspective, showing how existing power structures exaberate inequality during crisis. The film portrayal of these social patterns aligns with the idea that systematic issues need to be addressed to achieve true equality. Let's compare the film's representation of health care inequality to the real world counterpart. The film accurately reflects the reality of health care disparities, particularly in how the power of often receive better care. For example, during the COVID, we saw this where inequality was observed, whether wealthier individuals have better access to testing and treatment. The classical and contemporary theories applied to the film are also relevant in the real world. Conflict theory, for instance, is used for understanding how power dynamics shape health care access in real crises, where biopolitics provide insight into how government manage public health. We can say that to analyze real world social issues helps challenge assumptions by revealing the underlining power structures and inequalities that shape societal outcomes. And then how we can do this by recognizing the power of health care access can lead to more equitable policy solutions. As we wrap this up, let's reflect on how society theories can inform research interests and career goals. These theories, such as conflict and symbolic interactualism, have the potential to greatly inform research in the social sciences. They provide frameworks for analyzing how societal structures and individual behaviors intersect, which is crucial for understanding complex social issues. In terms of career goals, application of sociological theories can help address complex questions in fields like public health, policymaking, and social work, my faith. These theories often offer valuable tools for analyzing and addressing societal changes. They show, they reinforce that the values of using these frameworks to critically analyze and address real world problems is essential for any career in social sciences. In conclusion, after analyzing this film and reviewing the research, I find that the conflict theory perspective aligns most closely with the film's perspective, the fiction in health care inequality. The film challenges social stereotypes by highlighting the system nature of inequality rather than portraying it as an individual failure. Finally, from a sociological standpoint, Contention has a positive impact on society by raising awareness of the social issues that arise during public health crises. It prompts viewers to question the fairness of existing systems and consider the need for more equitable solutions. The film's critical examination of power dynamics and social inequalities make it a valuable tool to sparking dialogue and encouraging change, real social change. Thank you for tuning into today's episode. I hope this discussion has given you a deeper understanding of how sociological theories can be applied to film and real world issues as we connected the two. Stay tuned as we continue to explore the intersection of sociological and cinema. Have a great one.