In the documentary we see the theory of social class as well as the history of
three sided conflicts. The social classes we see are African Americans, white people against desegregation/white supremacist and white people who empathized with the African Americans and their cause. Subsequently, we witness the schemes that take place. During the Montgomery bus boycott white women were giving rides to their maids. There was turmoil between whites who agreed with desegregation or empathize with the black community and whites who didn’t. The beliefs and ideas were determined by the classes, as we see the African American community come together because of their treatment by the other class (on the buses or the treatment of their children). Here we see the fight for political/ economical purposes. The theory of ideology also played a role in this part of history as we see ideas serving a double purpose. We see the KKK and the white citizens council try to justify and “cloak” (Collins, 1994) their intentions by stating that it is politicians greed for votes that desegregation was becoming popular or that the interbreeding of the races would be a “destruction of the races”. When in reality they were just trying to hold on to old southern and racist ways. We also witness the theory of ideology when we see certain parts of the court system, like in the Emmitt Till case, side with “the hand that feeds them” (Collins,1994) , instead of enacting justice. Sex stratification also played a role, it can be argued that white women were seen as sexual property of white men. As white men seemed to feel threatened by interracial relationships and considered it a detriment to the races.
The NAACP decided to enforce Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated schools illegal, by placing black students in white schools. At Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, Governor Orville Faubus calls out the National Guard. Bullying occurs despite a state trooper walking them to class. Black students are dropped throughout the year. One black student graduates from Central High School at the end of the school year. James Meredith tries to register at the all-white University of Mississippi. Still, he is refused by Governor Ross Barnett, a segregationist, who tries to keep Meredith out despite President Kennedy’s decision. Kennedy sent in federal troops, but the student body rioted. Meredith succeeds despite violent opposition.
Using Weberian theory, I will identify the nature of this change within a context both specific and general enough for a precise diagnosis. Society replaces traditions, values, and emotions with a concept based on rationality and reason. A person’s actions, expressions, and rationality define rationality. In addition to the view of rationality in people, this term can be applied to any person who can speak or act. It is my belief that a conflict theorist can explain what is happening in the story since it provides a context and example of how societies operate. How each individual gets to where they are and how these movements shaped the way society works today. This documentary just showed us an example of rationalization: bureaucracies in government are rationalizations, and high-efficiency homes are rationalizations.
Bibliography
Radner, S. (1989). Eyes on the Prize, Episode II: Fighting Back: 1957-1962.
Video, P. (Director). Eyes on the prize: America’s civil rights years. Episode 2, Fighting back 1957-1962 [Film]. PBS.
Bigelow, B. (2004, January 1). “A School Year Like No Other”: Eyes on the Prize: “Fighting Back: 1957-1962”. Zinned Project. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/a-school-year-like-no-other/
The events depicted in “Eyes on the Prize: Fighting Back” can be analyzed through the lens of conflict theory, which views society as characterized by struggles between groups with differing interests. From this perspective, the struggle for school integration and James Meredith’s efforts to register at the University of Mississippi represent examples of conflict between dominant and subordinate groups. Conflict theorists argue that power struggles between groups are influenced by larger economic, political, and cultural factors. In the case of the Civil Rights movement, Marxist conflict theory might highlight the role of class-based interests in shaping the resistance of segregationist regimes to integration, while Weberian conflict theory would emphasize the role of cultural norms and beliefs in shaping the conflict.
The integration battle at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas and the efforts of James Meredith to register at the University of Mississippi, can therefore be understood as part of a larger power struggle between groups with conflicting interests. The specific theories from the Marxian and Weberian traditions offer useful frameworks for understanding the dynamics of conflict and the role of broader social, economic, and cultural factors in shaping social struggles.
Both Marxian and Weberian conflict theories would be relevant in explaining the events in the documentary. Marxian conflict theory would focus on the economic and class-based roots of the conflict, arguing that the segregationist regimes were motivated by a desire to maintain their economic and political power, which was threatened by school integration. On the other hand, Weberian conflict theory would emphasize the role of ideas and cultural norms in shaping social conflict, arguing that the segregationist regimes were motivated by deeply held beliefs about racial superiority and the need to maintain racial hierarchy. Overall, the examination of these events through the lens of conflict theory highlights the importance of understanding social struggles and power dynamics in constructing explanations of social events and actions.
References:
Radner, S. (1989). Eyes on the Prize, Episode II: Fighting Back: 1957-1962.
Video, P. (Director). Eyes on the prize: America’s civil rights years. Episode 2, Fighting back 1957-1962 [Film]. PBS.
Phillips, B. D., & Haines, H. (1988). Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954 to 1965.
Sitkoff, H. (1987). Eyes On The Prize. Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies, 17(2), 43-46.
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