Boys in the Hood tell the stories of three young African Americans growing up with many social problems in inner city Los Angeles. The film also shows gives the viewers a look at racial inequality, gangs violence, and drugs in what is known as South Central Los Angeles. Tre, Rickey, and Doughboy are African American boys growing up in a society that is designed for them to fail. Tre’s father is determined not to see him grow up like the fatherless boys in his neighborhood. Rickey knows that his sports ability in football is his only way to get out of the hood. Doughboy feels that a life of selling drugs and gang violence is the only way to survive the hood. The young men lead three very different lives. The movie shows how a person’s environment can affect their lives negatively. The movie begins with Tre living with his mother in Los Angeles. Tre’s mother realizes that he needs more than she can give him. Tre …show more content…
Tre’s father has values and goals that he felt should shape Tre’s life. Furious, Tre’s father played by Laurence Fishborne in the movie did not want the problems the other children had in the neighborhood to play a part in Tre’s life. In the neighborhood of South Central, Los Angeles violence was at an all time high. Drugs, poverty, and gang violence can be seen in each neighborhood. Survival means joining a gang or risk being killed because you do not have the protection of the gang. One dimension in the Cultural Learning theory is individualism (Newman and Newman 2009). The end of movie Tre must decide whether to seek revenge on Rickey’s killers or steer clear of danger. Tre’s personal goals did not coincide with the goals of Doughboy and his friends. Tre valued his personal achievement of graduating from high school and attending college more than seeking revenge on Rickey’s