The Hate U Give is a 2018 American drama film based on the 2017 novel by Angie Thomas. The film explores critical issues associated with race, gender, and social class stratification. It follows the story of Starr, a high school student, who sees how a police officer kills her unarmed friend (Tillman, 2018). Starr has to juggle her racial, gender, and class identity while navigating the aftermath. The social stratification of class, race, and gender depicted in The Hate U Give represents inequality in modern society since the same issues are persistent nowadays.
The story takes place in a primarily African American setting, a neighborhood called Garden Heights. The events alternate between Starr’s two worlds: the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she resides and the rich, predominantly white private school that she attends. Two major examples of social inequalities in the movie are racial profiling associated with police brutality and education inequity. These inequalities can be attributed to social structures and norms such as systemic racism, prejudice, and discrimination. The film shows how the police are more prone to use excessive force when dealing with black people. On the other hand, the movie depicts the difference between the education available at the predominantly white school and the educational opportunities blacks have. Possible social structures or norms that could have contributed to these inequalities include racism and institutionalized discrimination.
Symbolic interactionism can be used to explain social inequalities in the movie. This theory focuses on how individuals communicate with one another and how their interaction creates meaning in their lives (Charmaz et al., 2019). An example of symbolic interactionism can be seen in how Starr and her family treat each other and the different expectations they have based on race. Starr’s family interacts differently with police officers based on their race, and this creates an unequal sense of safety.
The movie portrays the social stratification of class, race, and gender in a way that sheds light on inequality in society. Starr, as a young black woman from a lower-class background, finds herself navigating a world with two very different sets of rules. Her family and community are subject to systemic racism and poverty, and she experiences prejudice, being forced to interact with wealthy white peers at her prep school. Starr must grapple with her identity as a black woman while trying to make sense of the racial and class tensions between her two worlds. The movie serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of inequality and the need for social action to create a more just world.
To conclude, The Hate U Give portrays significant disparities in social stratification based on class, race, and gender and represents the ongoing inequality in modern society. Starr’s experiences growing up in Garden Heights illustrate the harsh realities of poverty and the power dynamics of race, class, and gender. The movie highlights how class, race, and gender intersect to shape Starr’s life and brings to the forefront the systemic inequalities that exist in society.
References
Charmaz, K., Harris, S. R., & Irvine, L. (2019). The social self and everyday life: Understanding the world through symbolic interactionism. Wiley Blackwell.
Tillman, G. (2018). The hate u give [film]. Fox 2000 Pictures.