The Inequalities Of Groups In Cady's Social Conflict Theory

Social Conflict theory is a sociological theory that argues that society is made up of different groups in society that are all competing for power and scarce resources. The theory focuses on the inequalities of groups such as such as race, sex, class, and age. These inequalities may determine one's social status resulting in conflict. This theory was originally derived from Karl Marx who is considered the "father" of conflict theory. Karl Marx believed that society was made up two unequal groups of people: the people who have all of the power (haves) and the people who are striving to attain the power (have nots). Marx believed that power derived from money, and the more money one had the more control someone had. Karl Marx believed that if the lower class (have nots) would revolt against the upper class ( haves), we

In the movie, Cady is a 16 year old girl who just moved from Africa and does not yet understand any of the social norms and the unspoken rules of the high school she moved to. On Cady's first day, she meets and befriends Janis and Damien who are both considered to be "have nots" because of inequalities such as attractiveness and sexuality. To help Cady understand how to avoid what they consider "social suicide", Janis Ian draws a map of the cafeteria that explains the difference between each social group that exists in the school. Janis Ian classifies these groups as, "You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, J.V. jocks, Asian nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity jocks Unfriendly black hotties, Girls who eat their feelings, Girls who don't eat anything, Desperate wannabes, Burnouts, Sexually active band geeks, and the worst. Beware of plastics". This concept relates to social conflict theory because it is dividing each group into a social class based off of the inequalities of each group such as race, ethnicity, class, religion, and