Film and International Politics

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nEssay Question

nHow are dysfunctional political systems or leaders represented in two feature or documentary films of your choice?

nIntroduction

nDysfunctional political systems or leaders are the major causes of the perpetual challenges in the society such as racism. The failure of the political systems and government to counter cases of racism in an effective and candid way play a part in more vulnerability and marginalization of the communities and persons targeted (Kivel 2011). Moreover, dysfunctional political systems empower the perpetrators of racial profiling, which motivates a sense of impunity. Racism remains an endemic problem in many countries across the world where the whites are seen as superiors as compared to people of colour or the blacks (Walker, Spohn and DeLone 2012). Although many nations have established a wide range of policies to deal with the vice, people continue to suffer under discriminatory and racist societies. Racism is widespread in the American society as demonstrated in two documentary films – To Kill a Mockingbird and Malcolm X. In this case, people from the lowest social class suffer from discrimination based on their skin colour. Moreover, the two documentary films demonstrate a dysfunctional American political system that has failed to deal with racism. This paper will analyse how dysfunctional political systems or leaders are represented in the films – To Kill a Mockingbird and Malcolm X.

nThe film Malcolm X by Spike Lee is a biography depicting an African American human rights crusader Malcolm X. The movie performs crucial stages of his life from his time in the streets, criminal life, prison, changing faith to Islam and his death through assassination (YouTube 2016). In this film, there are major instances of racism in the American society against African Americans. Malcolms father was murdered when he was a young boy but his mother could not support the family. Therefore, he adopted by a foster home. Being the brightest student in class, he dreamed of pursing the most promising career choices. However, his white teachers asked him, since he was an Afro-American, he could only pursue for jobs that he can do with his hands. After school, he worked in Harlem and as a shoe polisher (Singleton 2015). However, he later joined criminal organizations where he engaged in burglary and drug trade for survival.

nIn the late 1940s, he met a white woman in the dance club who later became his companion in criminal activities. At this time, he was nicknamed “Detroit Red” and he concentrated in burglaries in partnership with the white woman. However, he was arrested and imprisoned for ten years in jail (YouTube 2016). The film demonstrated that Malcolm was sentenced on fourteen cases of wrongdoing. Most notably, Malcolm was sentenced to seven years for having sex with his white partner. In jail, he was introduced to Islam by the Black Muslim community and he became a Muslim. Additionally, it was in prison where he gained skills on self-respect and started studying the principles of Prophet Muhammad. After Malcolm was released from prison, he becomes a Muslim preacher who becomes a charismatic person among the black community (Dyson 2016). In his daily preaching activities, he asserted that the white people were satanic being. Therefore, he urged the blacks to learn to be self-sufficient and independent. He also advocated for African American supremacy. However, after participating in a Mecca pilgrimage he changed his perception of the white people. In Mecca, he was accepted by all Muslims from all occupations. Therefore, after returning home, he was persuaded that in all races there are good people. Consequently, he started to establish a good relationship with people of all races and discovered a new life founded on human unity. He embraced these new human values, which helped him to re-organize his thinking, but was killed by his own adherents in front of his family.

nBased on the proceedings of the film Malcolm X by Spike Lee, it is evident that Malcolm is a victim of racial profiling in the American society. The film demonstrates how the society is divided based on races, especially among the whites and blacks. Most notably, the whites are considered superior while blacks are inferior beings because of their skin colour (Singleton 2015). On the other hand, there are differences based on classes where the African Americans occupied lower social status as opposed to whites who assumed the capital places. For instance, Malcolm worked both as a waiter on the train and a shoe polisher where he was attending the white clients (YouTube 2016). The film criticizes discrimination based on races and encourages change. Surprisingly, the movie shows instances where racial boundaries are crossed, especially when Malcolm engages in a sexual relationship with a white woman. In addition, the white woman feeds Malcolm while in bed which highlight instances of change in the roles of different races (Dyson 2016). For many years, Malcolm desired to achieve nationalism among Afro-Americans but finally he realized that nationalism is a union that can be accomplished by fostering unity among all races.

nThe movie To Kill a Mockingbird by Robert Mulligan exhibit a theatrical depiction of innocence of childhood as well as a theme of violence, prejudice in the American society in the 1960s. The movie starts by demonstrating the innocence of Scout who is a six year-old girl (YouTube 2012). She has a brother (Jem) who is ten years old and their father by the name Finch Atticus. The family lives in Maycomb, Alabama. The movie concentrates on the lives of three children particularly Scout. It shows the evil and good of the society via the view of Scout. The film covers the lives of these children where they experience massive transformation (Mills 2011). They started as guiltless children who utilize their time playing together. They also spied Arthur Radley “Boo” who lives a mysterious life because he never left his home. Their father is a principled person and advocate equal treatment of all people irrespective of their skin colour. In addition, he teaches his children to be guided by human dignity. The children notice their dad, who is a lawyer, allows his client, Mr Cunningham to pay the legal fees using hickory nuts since he does not have other resources (Milică 2012). In addition, Jem and Scout started to study cases of evil and racism through their fathers legal work.

nIn one instance, they father accept to defend a black person Mr Robinson in court. The man was accused of raping the daughter of a white man, Mayella Ewell. After their father accepts this job, Scout and Jem suffer from rejection and scoffs for their fathers actions in school. Moreover, because of his decision, Atticus faces an angry mob, including, Mr Cunningham, who wanted to lynch Robinson (Milică 2012). However, Jem, Scout and Dill intervene to save their father. The case is characterized by prejudice and racism as Tom Robinson is found guilty of an offence. In addition, in the transfer process to prison, a deputy kills him (Rocque 2011). The final episode shows Jem and Scout suffering from an attempted assault from Bob Ewell but their lives are saved by Boo.

nThe film “To Kill a Mockingbird” candidly explains the social problems that existed in the Maycomb. Racism is a social disorder that seeks to separate people based on their skin colour. The trial of black person Tom Robinson, who is alleged to have raped the white woman by the name Mayella Ewell, confirms the racial profiling. The Ewell family represents the white community who believes in white superiority, racial prejudice and ignorance (Lanphear 2015). On the other hand, Atticus family stands for morality and justice. Tom Robinson is a victim of racial prejudice hence is easily convicted and killed because he is a black. In the process of trial, suggested that the blacks cannot share the intimate feeling with the whites. Atticus is not happy because white people control the justice systems, who take advantage of the ignorance of their black neighbours (YouTube 2012).

nAs the two documentary films demonstrate, dysfunctional political systems and leaders are the main cause of racism in the American society. Political leaders play an important part in countering or the promotion of racism. Barak, Leighton and Cotton (2014) argued that political leaders enjoy special status because they develop agenda and shape peoples insights. In addition, they have the power and responsibility to explicitly denounce racism. Moreover, political leaders have the authority to deal with xenophobia and associated prejudices. When political leaders openly condemn it delivers a clear message of hope to the targeted communities (Barak, Leighton and Cotton 2014). Moreover, the political class has a major contribution in the formulation of policies to counter cases of racisms.

nHowever, due to dysfunction of the political systems, as demonstrated in the documentary films, they are not systems in place for all-inclusive recording and reporting of the racists occurrences. In addition, the policymakers in a dysfunctional political system lack information that they require to establish an effective and robust response (Walker, Spohn and DeLone 2012). The dysfunctional political systems and leadership have failed to address cases of racism in criminal justice systems and workplaces. In the contemporary society, many people suffer at the hands of justice officials because of their skin colour (Dipboye and Colella eds. 2013). Similarly, the rate of unemployment is higher among the people of colour because they cannot secure jobs because they are black.

nReports by Stuntz (2011) noted that in the criminal justice system, in the US, there are high cases of racial profiling where the African Americans became the victims of this vice in a more hostile manner as compared to the whites. This is a clear manifestation of a dysfunctional criminal system, which does not promote fairness and justice to the underprivileged people. For instance, in the past four decades, there has been an increase in the number of arrest and imprisonment of people. One of the major reasons for this increase relies on the drug wars (Stuntz 2011). Both blacks and whites participate in drug-relates cases of sales, possession and offences at approximately the same rates. In addition, the black Americans consist about 13 per cent of the total population. However, the black community comprises of about 14 per cent of all drugs handlers in every month (Kivel 2011). Similarly, in terms of people arrested due to drug related cases, they are more than 37 per cent in the use. The political systems have failed to address this inequality by establishing policies that would promote fail dispensation of justice across all races. Just like in the case of “Tom Robinson, in the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird”, many African Americans are quickly imprisoned because of their races (Dipboye and Colella eds. 2013). Therefore, the US criminal justice system has facilitated marginalisation of the underprivileged people in the American society.

nAnother instance of racial discrimination that is evident in the American criminal system of justice is the fact that most of the Black Americans do not enjoy lawyers to defend them in court. In the film “To kill mockingbird”, the society opposes Mr Atticus when he accepted to defend the black American. In the current society, most of the people of colour, lack legal representation or defenders (Mauer 2011). In this case, the political class does not address this challenge by funding the public defenders so that they are able to conduct their jobs (Walker, Spohn and DeLone 2012). The US constitution, offer each citizen a right to a public defender in any criminal case. Nonetheless, in practice this does not take place. Consequently, most of the innocent defendants are wrongly convicted when they plead guilty because they fail to understand their fundamental rights (Bhattacharyya, Gabriel and Small 2016).

nAs depicted in the two documentary films, poverty among the underprivileged people is a product of the dysfunctional political system and leaders. Most of the people of colour in America have higher levels of poverty because they cannot get employment while the most qualified cannot hold prestigious positions (Barak, Leighton and Cotton 2014). In the case of Malcolm X, he was the brightest student, but after his academics, he could not be employed. Racial discrimination in employment is prevalent across the globe. For instance, in the US, the whites are fifty per cent more likely to be employed as compared to their black counterparts. Although anti-discriminatory policies in hiring have been enacted, the challenge remains. In most cases, when employers encounter similar white and African American applicants, they prefer the white ones (Rocque 2011). Scholars who oppose discrimination in workplaces argue that employers are guided by initial perceptions and prejudice that a particular race represents higher levels of productivity. However, some suggest that racial prejudice is a past remnant, which has been reduced by maximization of profits, affirmative actions, and enlightenment of employers (Lang, Lehmann and Yeon 2012).

nResearch by Pager and Western (2012) pointed out that although many nations have made significant steps to reduce racial prejudice in employment, there are still reported cases of racial inequalities. The researcher noted that black Americans are more likely to remain unemployed. Similarly, in case they are employed, their income is roughly 25 per cent less than their white workmates. The study noted that there are many possible reasons behind this diversity, which include race-based job prejudice, work cultural norms, and levels of education (Pager and Western 2012). Therefore, it is important for policy markets to introduce affirmative actions in the future that would support equal hiring of workers from all races.

nDysfunctional leadership does not address racial prejudice in the job market. Most of the jobs in the United States are awarded based on the names of the applicants. For instance, a candidate with a white name has a higher chance to secure a job as relative to a person with an African-sounding name. In this case, this implies the race of the applicants. In dysfunctional systems, names are selected based on the frequency of information acquired from the certificates of births (Player 2013). Various studies have confirmed that names are used to assign jobs based on the whiteness or blackness of it. It is important to create a level playing field where all the good qualities of workers are considered when assigning jobs instead of using their races. This has beneficial impacts as it helps to improve the productivity of the company or institutions.

nConclusion

nThe documentary films, To Kill a Mockingbird and Malcolm X demonstrate how racism is a product of the dysfunctional political systems and leadership. In both movies, African Americans in the US, suffer from discrimination in labour, criminal justice systems and education systems. For instance, Malcolm is denied a chance to work in top positions, but instead serves customers as a shoe polisher (Lang, Lehmann and Yeon 2012). In the criminal justice systems, Tom Robinson is imprisoned despite him being innocent. Moreover, racial discrimination plays a major part in his trial because he is an African American (Pager and Western 2012). Although many policies that discourage discrimination have been implemented, more needs to be done to facilitate change of culture.

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nReferences

nBarak, G., Leighton, P. and Cotton, A., 2014. Class, race, gender, and crime: The social realities of justice in America. Rowman & Littlefield.

nBhattacharyya, G., Gabriel, J. and Small, S., 2016. Race and Power: Global Racism in the Twenty First Century. Routledge.

nDipboye, R.L. and Colella, A. eds., 2013. Discrimination at work: The psychological and organizational bases. Psychology Press.

nDyson, M.E., 2016. Malcolm X and the Revival of Black Nationalism. Tikkun, 31(3), pp.21-22.

nKivel, P., 2011. Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice Ð 3rd Edition. New Society Publishers.

nLang, K., Lehmann, J. and Yeon, K., 2012. Racial discrimination in the labor market: Theory and empirics. Journal of Economic Literature, 50(4), pp.959-1006.

nLanphear, J.B., 2015. Inherent Racial Biases Woven into America’s Criminal Justice Institutions: A Reexamination of to Kill a Mockingbird. JL & Soc. Deviance, 10, p.69.

nMauer, M., 2011. Addressing racial disparities in incarceration. The Prison Journal, 91(3 suppl), pp.87S-101S.

nMilică, I.A., 2012. Racial Violence in William Faulkners Dry September and Harper Lees to Kill a Mockingbird. Linguaculture, 2012(1), pp.103-120.

nMills, C., 2011. To Kill a Mockingbird. Insight Publications.

nPlayer, M., 2013. Federal Law of Employment Discrimination in a Nutshell, 7th. West Academic.

nRocque, M., 2011. Racial disparities in the criminal justice system and perceptions of legitimacy a theoretical linkage. Race and Justice, 1(3), pp.292-315.

nSingleton, H.H., 2015. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Black Theology.

nStuntz, W.J., 2011. The collapse of American criminal justice. Harvard University Press.

nWalker, S., Spohn, C. and DeLone, M., 2012. The color of justice: Race, ethnicity, and crime in America. Cengage Learning.

nYouTube, 2012. To Kill a Mockingbird. [online] YouTube. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwB35WkFfKA [Accessed 6 Jan. 2017].

nYouTube, 2016. Malcolm X (1992) Official Trailer – Denzel Washington Movie HD. [online] YouTube. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx4sEvhYeVE [Accessed 6 Jan. 2017].