Exploring Social Dynamics: A Sociological Analysis of Men of Honor

This essay provides a sociological analysis of the film 'Men of Honor', focusing on themes of race, discrimination, and social change. It examines the film through the lenses of conflict theory, functionalism, and symbolic interactionism, highlighting the power dynamics between characters and the evolution of societal attitudes. The analysis traces Carl Brashear's journey as a black U.S. Navy diver facing systemic racism, and the transformation of Chief Billy Sunday from a prejudiced superior to an admirer and supporter. The essay concludes that the film reflects a significant shift in American society, bridging the gap between black and white communities, with Desklib offering similar essays and study resources for students.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
MEN OF HONOR ANALYSIS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1MEN OF HONOR ANALYSIS
Introduction
Films are often a reflection of our society which helps to show our values, socio-cultural
and economic aspects. Men of Honor was released in the year 2000, is an American drama set in
the 1940s which tells the story of a young African-American U.S Navy Diver Carl Brashear and
the person who trained him Master Billy Sunday (IMDb. com, 2020). The following report
analyses the film from a sociological point of view.
Beginning
During the very beginning of the story the conflict theory is evident. The American
society is divided economically, sociologically and culturally based on the colour. The socio-
cultural struggle of black lives is distinct in the movie (Simon, 2016). When Carl is recruited for
Navy he is hopeful; till he realises that he can only be a cook because he is black. From the
sociological theory of functionalism the American society was going through a change where the
segregation was just being eradicated however, from the cultural perspective the fact was that
blacks were still oppressed (Turner, 2017). On the other hand, Chief Billy Sunday is a white
privileged man in the society who is not ashamed of hating black people, he calls Carl cookie
because of the colour of his skin (King, 2017). He serves as the institutional and cultural
symbolism as even though he affirms to the changing laws and allows Carl to enter the academy
he maintains his cultural perspective of a white supremacy and always ensures to insult Carl for
his colour and never appreciates him.
The interaction between the Carl and Billy Sunday is never pleasant and is dominated by
the white supremacist ideology which also conforms the cultural view of the then American
society at large. The conflict among the members of a majority of white American is evident

2MEN OF HONOR ANALYSIS
when a black person enters the institution of the naval academy when the white officers refuse to
bunk with Carl (King, 2017).
Middle
Carl represents the first generation of black African-American who have the opportunity
to seek job opportunities. The laws change but it does not change the mindset of the average
white American society that believes that coloured people do not deserve the same respect. Carl
is advised by Chief Sunday to give up on his last exam as he is surely going to fail. The attitude
of Chief Sunday is conflicting as they sabotage his exam by cutting the tool bag. There is a
visible inner conflict in Chief Sunday who is begrudgingly admires the grit that Carl has (Simon,
2016). He knows that Carl has talent, yet he too faces sociological pressure in form of Mr. Pappy
who commands the death of Carl just because he is black. It is during this time that the
differences based on colour begins to take a backseat as Carl passes the test and also gets help
from his teammates who previously discriminated against him. It is important to note that it is
also the first time that Carl is referred by his real name signifying his positioning in the society.
From a sociological perspective the institutional changes and the sociological pressure opposing
forces that cause conflict and effect the interactionism (Stryker, 2017).
End
The end is significant because it is not only a racial victory, but it also shows that the
society has significantly changed from 1940s to late 50s. The character of Chief Sunday has
undergone significant change. He admires and respects Carl for the person he is. He no more
affirms to his previous socio-cultural perceptions. Carl advances in his career but is faced with
new challenge as he loses he leg and needs to prove that he is physically capable of being a
diver. The sociological struggle is different the racism is subtle not as prominent as before but it

3MEN OF HONOR ANALYSIS
exists. The twelve steps that Carl needs to take in the courtroom is symbolic of the struggle that
he has overcome as black person. From a sociological viewpoint, it is the step that brings the
black and white community bridging the gap in the society. In the last part, Chief Sunday refers
to Carl as cookie but it is no more used from a derogatory perspective in fact it is a term of pride.
The interactionism and conflict has reduced among the characters throughout the movie.
Conclusion
The character dynamics within the movie is very interesting. The two main characters in
the movie come very different societies yet they are united by their passion to dive. In the
beginning there is a lot of discrimination and conflict that is diminished in the end.

4MEN OF HONOR ANALYSIS
Reference
IMDb. (2020). Men of Honor (2000) - IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 February 2020, from
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203019/.
King, L. J. (2017). The status of black history in US schools and society. Social Education,
81(1), 14-18.
Simon, R. M. (2016). The Conflict Paradigm in Sociology and the Study of Social Inequality:
Paradox and Possibility. Theory in Action, 9(1).
Stryker, S. (2017). Symbolic interactionism: Themes and variations. In Social psychology (pp. 3-
29). Routledge.
Turner, J. H. (2017). Functionalism. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, 1-9.