Soci 220- American Popular Culture

1016 Words5 Pages
American History X was directed by Tony Kaye and released in 1998. Thru flashbacks and the eyes of Danny Vinyard he tells of the story of his neo-Nazi brother who was second in command of the skin head gang named D.O.C. Derek, a natural leader and brilliant orator, began rounding up scared suburban white kids for his new gang and telling them that there was nothing to be afraid of anymore. This new craze became so popular among the kids of Venice Beach that Derek soon became an icon. After serving 3 years in jail and having a close friendship with an African American male he is release and he no longer wants to be associated with the D.O.C. Derek sees how much of an influence he was on his younger brother Danny that he tries to guide him away from the skin head mentality. American History X encompasses many sociological concepts. The concept that is present throughout the entire film and constantly in the forefront is racism and ethnocentric beliefs. Although these two are the most prominent, they are not the most important. The most important is the sociological concept primary socialization, but is not displayed until later. First Racism is introduced in the opening scenes through the use of derogatory terms. The main character, Derek Vineyard, begins to refer to African Americans and other minorities as parasites and problems in the United States. In this same scene he also shows views of white supremacy because he states that minorities come to America only to exploit it as opposed to establishing themselves as “model citizens”. As the movie progresses, it is established that Vineyard is part of an actual white supremacist organization known as the D.O.C. This is where the concept of ethnocentric beliefs is displayed. The group believes that whites are the supreme beings and that other minorities are at their feet. They believe that the government shows no
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