Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie Report (Assessment)

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Smoke Signals is a film telling the story of two Native Americans making their way across the country and across their identities. This movie is remarkable in terms of sociology due to its focus on people’s values and norms. Although the protagonists of the story are Native Americans who cherish their heritage, the focus is on universal values related to the family. The two young men have quite similar attitudes towards the existing norms and morals that are similar in their culture as well as the dominant one, which is, in this case, the American culture. The way these representatives of indigenous people interact with the dominant group is also worth consideration.

The scene in the bus is thought-provoking as it displays the way American society addresses some situations. The cultural group with limited resources has quite a limited set of options. Hence, such people as Victor and Thomas choose to avoid direct conflicts with the dominant group but question this dominance by celebrating their uniqueness (by signing aloud and making others listen).

At the same time, the film in question is also interesting in terms of the evaluation of such a sociological framework as functionalism. According to this approach, societies seek stability that is achieved through the collaboration of their members, in contrast to the conflict theory which maintains that progress is a result of the struggle for resources. The two protagonists are actually placed in the position of this kind of struggle where they fight for the love of one man, their father.

This struggle is supposed to make them rivals to a certain extent, but instead, they become close friends who help each other regain conciliation with themselves and their traumatic past. Thus, functionalist’s ideas are relevant and applicable in the real world as individuals, as well as society at large, can and do collaborate rather than struggle.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, July 2). Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie. https://ivypanda.com/essays/functionalist-ideas-in-the-smoke-signals-movie/

Work Cited

"Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie." IvyPanda, 2 July 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/functionalist-ideas-in-the-smoke-signals-movie/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie'. 2 July.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie." July 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/functionalist-ideas-in-the-smoke-signals-movie/.

1. IvyPanda. "Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie." July 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/functionalist-ideas-in-the-smoke-signals-movie/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Functionalist Ideas in the Smoke Signals Movie." July 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/functionalist-ideas-in-the-smoke-signals-movie/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1