Sociological Perspective

Introduction

Sociology is defined as the systematic study of human society. At the heart of sociology is a distinctive point of view called "the sociological perspective." Sociologists look for general social patterns in the behavior of individuals as they relate to a group and how the group and social structures affect our individual perception and behavior. Human behavior is patterned, and repetitive. We can predict with reasonable reliability what each of us will do generally under given conditions (Seymour, 2003). Our uniqueness as individuals is in the context of the group we belong. Sociology studies the social forces that impinge on our lives in so many unseen, yet significant ways. Sociologist Peter Berger said:

In seeing the strange in the familiar "things are not always what they seem." Sociology pushes us to question the assumptions we are making about society, and reveals aspects of our social life that we typically would not claim to be "obvious" facts. Our social world guides our actions and life choices as individuals. People act in the context of the group they belong; it is the group that influences human behavior. The realization of the strength and importance of the group is the heart of the sociological perspective (Berger, 1983).

In this paper, I will explain the sociological perspective of the personality and character of the lead actor, Denzel Washington, and supporting actor, Bruce Willis, in the movie called The Siege. Their personalities and characters shaped by the same America society, both of them work for a law enforcement agency, but their beliefs, values and attitude to duty are divergent. My points of reference are based on the theories of Max Weber and Йmile Durkhiem

Max Weber

The idea of symbolic interactionism, or interactionism for short, was coined by the German sociologist and economist, Max Weber (1864-1920). Weber emphasized the subjective meaning of human behavior, the social process, and focused on the subjective aspects of social life and social systems. Max Weber believed that we need to know the image of humans, rather than on human's image of society. He said that humans are pragmatic actors who continually must adjust their behavior to the actions of other actors and situations. He also said that humans can adjust to these actions only because when we are able to interpret them, i.e., to denote them symbolically and treat the actions and those who perform them as symbolic objects.

Society consists of organized and patterned interactions among individuals. This focus on interaction and on the meaning of events to the participants in those events (the definition of the situation) leads to toward change, and continually readjusting social processes. These emphases on symbols, negotiated reality, and the social construction of society lead to an interest in the roles people play (Blumer, 1969).

Йmile Durkhiem

Йmile Durkhiem, (1858-1917), argued that social institutions are functionally integrated to form a stable system; and that a change in one institution will precipitate a change in other institutions. Structural functionalism takes the view that society consists of parts, each of which have their own functions and work together to promote social stability. Another emphasis is placed on needs, which must be met for a social system to exist, as well as the ways in which social institutions satisfy those needs. Thus, every society will have a religion, because religious institutions have certain functions which contribute to the survival of the social system as a whole.

This analogy between society and an organism focuses attention on the nature of social systems: social systems work to maintain equilibrium and to return to it after external shocks disturb the balance among social institutions. Therefore, members of the society are schooled into the basic values and norms of that society, so that consensus is reached. (Garfinkel,1967).

Synopsis of The Siege

The Siege is a political drama, depicting leading news stories of the day. February 26, 1993 is considered by many to be the day America lost its innocence. Until the moment a bomb exploded in the underground garage of the World Trade Center, terrorism in the United States existed only as an abstraction. As rescue workers rushed to the scene, the unthinkable had become the undeniable. What was commonplace in cities around the world - London, Athens, Paris, and Tel Aviv - had now become the concern of the United States (The Siege - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 1998).

A special agent of the FBI, Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington), has - "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States." When a bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make its bloody mark on a city under siege, the men and women who have sworn to protect the country must now reckon with the many implications of their oath.

The public's clamor for safety forced the hand of the President of the United States - whose only recourse is to declare a State of Emergency and ask help from the military. General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis) is a thoughtful, cautious warrior who well knows the dangers of bringing the army onto the streets of an American city. Although he argued against it, when he was given the unenviable task of imposing military order he responded as a soldier must, with unquestioning obedience and purpose (The Siege - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 1998). .

At what point does the protection of the country's citizens conflict with the protection of their rights? Faced with such grave danger, how will the members of a free society measure up? How quickly will the country abrogate the Constitution? How shallowly beneath the surface, does the ugly specter of repression and persecution reside? Or more simply put: Will the people of the United States be forced to become monsters in order to fight monsters?

The characters and their believes

Anthony "Hub" Hubbard (Denzel Washington), the head of the joint FBI/NYPD terrorism task force, is the man charged with keeping New York City safe from an array of threats that seem to grow more terrifying with every headline. First, as a police, his job is the apprehension and prosecution of criminals. He believes in pure detective work and other police tactics to obtain his goals. As much as he was under pressure, from politicians and the public, to apprehend the terrorists creating havoc in New York, he steadfastly followed the dictates of the law. He did not torture detainees but provide them the protection of the law as was mandatory under the circumstances.