Sociological Analysis of "Mean Girls" Essay

The film, 'Mean Girls' is a representation of the fact that human material needs determine human nature. With this in mind, it is evident that Marxist theory applies in the plot of the film. The movie scenes are based on class struggles where the people with more material assets are treated almost in a god-like manner and hence feared by the other members of the society. The case of 'Mean Girls' is set in a high school institution, and the lead characters are teenage girls from different backgrounds. The use of teenage girl issues brings out the fact that people are so mindful of their image in society that there is a big probability of changing cultural values just to fit in or to survive in the system. Regina and her group, consisting of Gretchen and Karen represent the superior class in the society. The proletariat, on the other hand, consists of a majority of the students in North Shore High School. The most notable ones are Janis, Damian and members of the Asian community including Kevin Gnapoor. Cady Heron's arrival into the school shakes up things as she associates with both sides until she is finally forced to pick where she belonged. It is possible to deduce that the unpopular group was finally able to revolt by breaking up Regina's group. They use jealousy and slander to spread hate. The revolution was initially planned by Janis, but Cady did the execution for personal reasons. This decision proves that in the end, people take action for their state in society after feeling the effects of being part of the less fortunate class. Initially, Cady was unwilling to execute Janis' plans until she developed an interest in Aaron. Regina was between her and Aaron; hence she helped in tarnishing Regina's reputation to gain. In the process, Cady becomes a new version of Regina, a mean girl. This proves that no matter the reasons for a person's actions, in the end, the social changes in society are motivated by class struggles.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The students at North Shore High School were used to doing things as a clique. The cliques composed of people with more or less similar interests and are an indication of the fact that every student was aware of their position in the school's social setting. The nature of social interaction sparks the phenomena of groupthink and provides the catalyst for the revolution against the mean girls. For instance, when Cady joins the school, she befriends her classmates Janis and Damian. Her new friends warn her not to associate with the "plastics" which was a nickname for Regina and her crew. Later on, Cady becomes the fourth member of the plastics and Janis views this as an opportunity to take revenge on Regina for their eighth-grade squabble which involved a boy. Initially, Cady upholds her principles until she realized that Regina did not want her to be with Aaron Samuels. At this point, Cady joins Janis, and the fight turns to "Us vs. them." Cady ignores ethical and moral lines, and she ends up crossing them with the intention of ensuring that the group's wish was the most important. In the real sense, this was an opportunity to act on self-interests. Groupthink is also evident as Regina and her clique come up with rules which appear nonsensical, but according to them, it provided a sense of identity. For instance, the dressing codes enforced would result in expulsion from the table if broken. Hoop earrings were also reserved for the group leader, forcing Gretchen to pretend that she did not like her parent's gift. The social interactions are the cause of the groupthink phenomena as well as the discriminative gestures.

The popular and unpopular groups define social reality differently. For instance, the unpopular group consisting of the Athletes was actually very good at their competitions, but less recognition went to them. Ideally, Cady is very good at math but intentionally fails to get a chance to hang out with Aaron who was poor at math. The unpopular group feels unwanted, and they believe that they are responsible for this. The popular group, on the other hand, has a sense of entitlement. For instance, Regina, Gretchen and Kate believed they were untouchable. They thought that they deserved the best. Their status was achieved due to their family economic value. For instance, Gretchen's family was very wealthy. Also, some gained social status through association. Cady has later labeled a plastic because, after months of being with Regina, she turned out to be another version of her. The social roles were defined in a manner that the famous students were supposed to engage in the cool stuff while unpopular students were supposed to be active in boring things such as math competitions. The issue of role conflict arises as Regina wants to ignore her own rules of not wearing sweatpants on Monday. Role strain, on the other hand, is evidenced by Cady being willing to fail her in math. She is also unable to find a balance between being a good girl and a mean girl. She begins excluding Janis and Damian from her plans. Due to this role strain, Cady is unable to please all parties as she wanted and ends up receiving her share of hate. Cady's decision to take the blame for the burn book defines her role exit as plastic, and she takes up a new role as a peacemaker.

There are always two sides to a story. Similarly, there are two sides to experiences of social inclusion. The film portrays the in-group being Regina's plastics. Their nature of believing to be better than everyone else is evident. Silently, the other girls wanted to be on Regina's right side, but in truth, they only qualified as bystanders. They form the out-groups. They are alienated, and it is ensured that they know their place in society. They were not allowed to have the best things in school and were indeed unqualified to party with the plastics. When Cady becomes an exact plastic, Janis and Damian becomes the out-group. The two are angered by the betrayal, and they confront Cady after a party late into the night. Kevin Gnapoor is a character who defines the lowest level in a social structure. He is hated by almost everyone, but his reaction is priceless as he does not let it get into his head. His ethics are unaltered, and in the end, he is rewarded by being liked by Janis, and they even start dating. As an out group, Kevin was disliked, but once there was peace, Janis was able to realize that he was actually, an interesting person. This change in heart indicates how it is unfair to alienate the unpopular. The out-groups envy them in groups for not being able to associate with them. This is showcased as Emmer Gerber ironically calls Regina fat after the Queen Bee started gaining weight. The dining hall went up in an uproar to support Emmer showcasing organic solidarity. Regina was at the time feeling the sting of no longer being part of the in-group, and for her, it was humiliating.

Conclusion

The Iron Law of Oligarchy applies to the setting of Mean Girls. In this case, no matter how the characters try to embrace the democratic views and to include all students in social activities, there is evidence that an elite group rises above the rest. Regina was the queen bee, and then Cady took over forcing Regina to retaliate by publicizing contents of her burn book. Following MS Norbury's efforts to ensure that peace was restored, the class started appreciating the roles of each student. Despite the disbanding of the plastics, a new regime of elitists arose in junior school. Regina had finally recovered from being hit by the bus and joined the lacrosse team while Gretchen joined the Cool Asians. This was after they had learned the hard way. The junior girls on the other hand, despite witnessing what had happened, seem to ignore the ramifications of having a notion of being superior to others and for this reason; a group of "junior plastics" was on the rise. This proves that rule by the elite is inevitable and that such cliques are technical necessities of an organization despite the sociocultural evolution. In this case, the plastics serve as the oligarch wielding the Iron Law, thus symbolizing the Iron Law of Oligarchy. Conclusively, the film Mean Girls serves as a context setting for sociological principles and defines certain aspects of the society.