Sociological Implications of “Modern Times”

Running head: SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF “MODERN TIMES”
Sociological Implications of “Modern Times”
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF “MODERN TIMES”
After the end of the First World War, the entire world heaved a sigh of relief. The horrific
events witnessed in such a disastrous and traumatic war had finally come to an end. The various
economies of the world, especially those who took an active participation in the war, were left
ravaged and desolate (Brock, Timothy). The initial economic boom which was experienced
during the course of the First World War due to the high sales of arms and ammunitions, came to
an end with the end of the War. As such, the world entered in to period of economic depression.
This economic depression was so deep rooted that it was termed as the Great Depression and all
the economies of the world experienced widespread recession in terms of high level of
unemployment and a rapidly decreasing value of money. This essay seeks to discuss the ideas of
organization and employment as seen in the movie “Modern Times” of Charlie Chaplin. The
essay analyzes various sociological terms and theories in relation with the movie.
The movie of “Modern Times” of Charlie Chaplin shows a machine which needs to be
worked upon by the employees of that particular organization. The black and white color of the
movie is a reiteration on the dullness of the entire mechanistic structure (Harte, Tim). The
workers are seen to be working on that machine day in and day out without any interruption.
This part of the movie shows a clear indication of the very nature of a private organization. In a
capitalist state structure, the private players are given a free reign to conduct their business
activities. The ultimate aim of a private player is to earn a higher margin of profit. Such a profit
motive of the organizations has instilled the concept of conformity in the employees working in
the industry. The phase of Economic Depression had adverse impact on the human population
(Rossouw, Martin). The value of money decreased immensely while material things essential for
survival became extremely valuable. This necessitated the people to take extreme measures and