Topic > Social conflicts in the film Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans is one of my favorite films because it is an inspiring story about defeating and overcoming prejudice. I chose this film to show the conflict theory behind it. The battle between the races for limited positions and scarce resources is clearly seen in this film. Conflict theory is “a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups competing for scarce resources.” At the beginning of the film, it is evident that there are two separate groups (black and white) fighting for positions on the team. Another conflict in this movie is who will be the coach of the football team, and there is a conflict over who will be able to fill certain positions on the team. The Caucasian coach, Bill Yoast, had been the head coach until the school's integration. All players on the team were also Caucasian up to this point. When the school is integrated, a conflict will arise over how the roles will change now that African Americans are allowed on the team. Before integration, Caucasians and African Americans in Virginia went to school and played football separately. Caucasians were what Karl Marx would call the bourgeoisie, the haves of this time, while African Americans would be the proletarians, the have-nots. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Unfortunately, part of American culture is that racism was so strong at that time. For hundreds of years there have been cultural differences in America, containing learned racism, strong hatred of other cultures, and pure ignorance. The period of slavery ended in 1970, but the effects still lingered. This background of racism has only further accentuated the separation of the races. The Caucasians on the team felt entitled to their position and believed that African Americans did not deserve to play on a team with them. In fact, there are several times in the film where the Caucasian players basically refuse to play because of their new teammates. However, they cannot afford the free time not to play, which would result in not being able to play college football, so they have no choice but to compete with African American players. For African Americans, however, this was the opportunity they needed. They desperately wanted to fill these limited positions to show the Caucasians of the world that they are equal as players and as people. This resulted in more conflict throughout the film. Coach Herman Boone, an African American, feels the pressure of not only getting the only head coaching job, but also having to do better than what would be expected of a Caucasian in this position. If he fails, or more specifically loses a game, the school board, made up of all Caucasians, would have him fired and they would feel justified in their racism against African Americans believing they cannot perform as well as Caucasians could. When Coach Boone is hired as the head coach, replacing Bill Yoast, the Caucasian football players become even more fearful of losing their positions while the African Americans become more confident in their ability to earn them, which I believe would be a stereotype for the African American . players. Both groups were unaware that Coach Boone would select players based solely on ability and not race. This way of thinking was totally new to both groups at the time. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Remember that Titans is one of my favorite movies and realize.