Gruwell is facing difficulties convincing her superiors to provide better resources for these students. Evidence (2) of Conflict Theory states “status groups tend to occupy different occupational positions within organizations…Evidence (3) of Conflict Theory states that occupants of different organizational positions struggle over power” these apply directly to the portion of the story where Ms. Gruwell, after many failed attempts to convince her section head to provide better materials for her students, she goes above her head to speak to her Principal directly, then later directly to the school board. Modern society imposes a hierarchy in regards to faculty and authority, the example given in the movie, Ms. Another example of conflict theory is in regard to the faculty positions. Gruwell’s class was predominately minority. The student in the honor’s program were typically white, while Ms. Gruwell’s students had damaged desk and old materials. When considering education, the movie shows the evidence that supports conflict theory, evidence “(1) that there are distinctions among status group cultures- based on both class and ethnicity” this is represented by the first comparison of classrooms in the movie, the honors program had pristine white desk and state of the art equipment in their classroom, while Ms. The clear conflict that is throughout the movie is related to the student’s gangs’ ties. Label can lead to an individual becoming deviant which can change teacher expectations and even lead to a prophecy that might have otherwise never existed had the label not existed. In essence the terms used to describe someone becomes what the person self-identifies as. Labeling theory basically is that self-identity and behaviors of individuals can be determined by the terms used to classify them. Labeling theory is used to analyze deviant behaviors. Typically, conflict theory is applied large scale, but in this particular instance conflict theory can be applied to the microcosm that is Room 203 at Wilson High. Unlike social order theory or functionalism, the society is not built on shared norms and values, instead a society can rise against a dominant force that powers or controls weaker parties. This theory allows for humans to unleash capacities by challenging the current power structure. According to this theory society is organized around fundamental inequalities that privilege some groups or individuals while disadvantaging another group or individual. Conflict Theory in layman’s terms is a model that rejects assumptions of the preservations of social order theory. The movie is an excellent example of sociological theories, namely conflict theory and labeling theory. Gruwell, and the school board begins to back minority students. The adversity is eventually overcome, the students spend four years with Ms. ![]() Gruwell faces resistance from her colleagues, the school board, and even her husband. Throughout the two-year journey with her students, Ms. The students slowly start to overcome their racial differences (some of the change is due to a mutual dislike of their teacher), and over the course of the two years, the students meet grade level expectations. She assigns each student a journal to free write in, and the stories they tell about the adversity the face daily begins to open her eyes to the challenges in the classroom. Gruwell begins to fight for resources and funding, when the district and the school refuse the resources, she begins to work two part-time jobs. Gruwell begins her time at Wilson High by clashing heads with the department head who believes that resources should go to high performing students or those that were part of the honors program, Ms. Gruwell’s class was filled with students that were deemed as underperforming, most with reading levels well below their grade level. Before the integration, the school was considered high performing and had stellar academics, once the students were integrated, the existing staff deemed the program to be a failure because the newer students were lower performing which resulted in the school underperforming as a whole. ![]() The story takes place at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California in 1994 two years prior the school was part of a voluntary integration program. It tells the story of racially charged students living in an environment laden with gang violence. The beginning of the movie is narrated by main protagonists Eva, who explains the strict moral code of taking care of one’s own this code will become the main conflict in this movie. The movie Freedom Writers is a book-to-film adaptation that follows the story of first year teacher Erin Gruwell and her at-risk students in room 203.
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