One of the key elements that is prominent in many films is sociology. It focuses on societal research and how people interact with one another (Henslin, 2013). Major social theories are frequently shown in films. The movie Hot Fuzz is a fantastic illustration of this. The film explores life in a certain community where most residents disregard the law and opt to ignore all infractions. Shoplifting, underage drinking, and illegal firearm possession are problems in this community. The movie also highlights aspects where the society is taken custody by some of the people who determine those to be punished, and the values which should be observed. The movie's plot is in a societal setting where the interactions of the people leads to a lot of issues which appear in the sociological theories.
Brief synopsis
The movie involves two English constables who go into a village in attempt to investigate and unravel several mysterious deaths in a village in the countryside. The officers are shocked by the state of lawlessness they find in the village. It is a village where children are allowed to drink; drivers have no regard for speed limits, and massive possession of illegal firearms.
The constables embark on a mission to investigate various events and they find that people involved with propagating violations die mysteriously. These deaths continue to increase and the officer realized they are not accidental deaths, but murder cases. Investigation reveals that, these murders are propagated by members of the neighborhood watch in order to maintain a certain image. The main aim of the village is to win the title "Village of the Year" (Pegg & Frost, 2007). To win this title, the society eliminates people who do not conform to the required standards. The movie ends with neighborhood watch being exposed and the killers arrested.
Application of sociological theories in the movie
Structural functionalism-Under this theory, societies are seen as independent units. With each aspect of the unit or person in the society working to fulfill his or her own goal. However, individual goal should yield benefits for the whole society (Hayatullah, 2016).This is evident in the Hot Fuzz where individual who are deemed to derail the development of the society are murdered.
These are individuals who do not help the village in winning the title "Village of the Year". The society is held together by social cohesion in which it values which there adhere to. The society works together to achieve what they think is best for the whole society. In Hot Fuzz the villagers are against the investigation by two constables. They are ready to do anything to ensure that the village wins the "Village of the Year".
Conflict theory
In this theory, individuals are viewed as competitors in the society. According to this theory, people are opposed to each other. In this context, the winner gets more earnings than the loser. In these competitions, the society establishes the rule of the game under which the people competing must adhere to (Christofer, & Jens, 2011). The theory determines the social arrangement in a society and tries to examine the competing interest. In Hot Fuzz, the villages across the country compete for the award of the "Village of the Year." Each village endeavor to win the title and do all they can to win the prestigious award. In this village, there is a group called Neighborhood Watch Alliance which is tasked with establishing the people who should be punished because they can make the village lose the award.
The Symbolic Interactionism theory
This theory deals with consideration of the symbols and their meaning to day to day activities. These symbols have different meanings and interpretation in the society. According to theorists, people have attached greater meaning to these symbols in the society. Society set rules which ensure that people act according to the interpretation of the symbols (Derek, 2011). The spoken words have meaning to the sender and to the receiver.
Conversation is one of the symbols which is used in interactions between individuals. They require interpretation in order to achieve the intended meaning. In Hot Fuzz, the village has symbols which they have attached different meanings on them. The village believed that diseased individuals are counterproductive and should be eliminated from the society. The village also believed that eliminating people from the society was good for the society, hence they supported it.
It is evident that the village also had a culture with components such as; values. These are perceptions which are considered to be good and desirable in every society (Gerber & John, 2010). In the movie, the society had values which were set by Neighborhood Watch Alliance that determined which values were to be observed and who to be punished for failing to observe them.
Conclusion
Sociological theories are common aspects associated with many films. The theories serve to illustrate how social change is observed in the society. Movies sets to establish some of the flaws that are associated with these theories in the society. This is evident in the film Hot Fuzz where sociological flaws in the society are exposed.
References
Christofer, Edling & Jens, Rydgren (2011). Sociological Insights of Great Thinkers: Sociology through Literature, Philosophy, and Science. Santa Barbara, CA, Praeger
Derek Chadee (2011) Theories in Social Psychology. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell
Henslin, J (2013). Essentials of sociology: A down –to-earth approach .Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Laluddin, Hayatullah (2016) A Review of Three Major Sociological Theories and an Islamic Perspective. International Journal of Islamic Thought, vol. 10, 23-41
Macionis, Gerber, & John, Linda (2010). Sociology, 7th Canadian Ed. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson
Pegg, S., & Frost, N. (2007). Hot Fuzz. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963176/ (Accessed 14th July 2017)
Pound, Pandora & Campbell, Rona (2015) Locating and Applying Sociological Theories of Risk-Taking to Develop Public Health Interventions for Adolescents. Health Sociology Review, 24, (1)71-85
