Sociological Analysis of One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Film

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interactionism Theory
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Sociology focuses on the bond created between various institutions, including schools, religious centers, health facilities, and the community, with individual beneficiaries of the institutions. Many theories that have assisted in understanding the sociocultural characteristics of people have studied sociological elements. These paradigms include; conflict, structural-functionalism, and symbolic interactionism theories (Berkeley, 2022). Moreover, these paradigms have been used to analyze various concepts in films and novels to bring a clear picture of the intended message of the authors and the editors creative works. For instance, in One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest film, sociologists reviewed many societal aspects that the author intended to use in passing information to the public. According to the film, the main characters, Patient McMurphy and Nurse Ratched, fall on opposite sides in believing in the best possible processes to handle cases in the ward. Therefore, sociologists try to evaluate various communities societal beliefs and practices. However, the primary teaching from the film One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is that inclusion and consensus methods should be considered while treating patients with mental health issues.

Society must therefore use a friendly approach to people convenient to them with good intentions, understanding, and inclusion in societal operations. This paper emphasizes two of the three social paradigms evident in One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, including; conflict and symbolic interactionism theories. The paper also expounds on the conflict between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched in managing the wards patients and the competitions implications (Berkeley, 2022). On the other hand, the social interactionism theory shall dwell on the behavioral aspect of various characters in society, including the deviant traits of McMurphy and Nurse Ratcheds reactions to the mentally ill patients admitted to the hospital.

The Conflict Theory

Karl Max developed the conflict theory after pondering the social problems humans face. According to him, society continuously faces conflicts due to the competition to obtain limited resources for daily activities. As such, the theory emphasizes that for the maintenance of order in society, power and domination must be in existence. These two aspects surpass the conformity and consensus conflict resolution notions deemed ineffective (Dorst, 2019). Furthermore, various assumptions revolve around the conflict theory that human beings are self-centered and that society functions continually with limited resources. Lastly, conflict is unavoidable and pervasive between and within societal groups (Rina et al., 2021). For example, the battle depicted in One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest film as evident in the hospital operations as conflicting actions arise between the patients and the nurse.

Randle McMurphy, a mental health patient admitted to the hospital for health monitoring after showing complications in prison, found himself at loggerheads with Ratched, the nurse in charge. The patient often had conflicting ideas with the nurses on how mental health activities should be done. This, therefore, brought about a conflict between human decency and the institutions powers. The health institution had a rule that the person with a mental health condition could watch specific staff as recommended by the experts. However, when Randle was admitted, he introduced the idea of watching the games behaviors (Leise, 2018). The idea was rejected by Nurse Ratched, who strictly followed the institutional regulations. A vote count toward McMurphys theory was unsuccessful, making him feel not included in the decision-making (Rina et al., 2021). However, the institutional rules were to be obeyed, and no complaint was expected from the side of the patients.

Symbolic Interactionism Theory

According to symbolic interactionism, people react to aspects of their surroundings based on the personal meanings they ascribe to them. For example, meanings can be generated and changed through social interaction by communicating with others using symbols. According to this view, people exist in both the natural world and the symbolic environment. A process known as symbolic interaction uses characters stored in the mind to animate mutual meaning and values. On the same note, the film One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest uses several symbols to identify most characters based on their behaviors (Leise, 2018). Moreover, through the film, Ken Kesey skillfully shapes and reinforces the idea of how society corrupts young brains. The mental ward combination effectively represents the isolation of those with mental illnesses.

Randal McMurphy, for instance, has been symbolized in the film as having deviant behavior and has acted as a savior to mental health patients. Randles strange behavior, which included his involvement in statutory rape, resulted in his expulsion from society (Rina et al., 2021). Randle had previously displayed deviance by acting contrary to societal norms before he started this activity. Randle also defied the jail terms forcing him to spend the rest of his jail term in mental healthcare behaviors (Leise, 2018). He also went contrary to the institutions will by not following the orders. Nonetheless, his deviation from the mental institutions policies was advantageous to some patients. He empowered his fellow patients through his deviance, bringing them joy, freedom, and power, thus symbolizing the savior.

Nurse Ratched exemplifies contemporary societys oppressive automation, dehumanization, and masculinization. Ratched did not study deviation; instead, she just opposed every action of the insane patients. The majority of Ratcheds acts towards insane patients defy social psychology. Instead, they expose her lack of knowledge of academic and social psychology. However, Nurse Ratcheds behavior is consistent with Sykes and Matzas neutralization hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, conformists frequently aim to satisfy higher authorities and denounce perceived deviants, deny harm, and deny responsibility (Dorst, 2019). Nurse Ratched consistently engages in these acts by depriving the patients of their rights, treating them like inanimate objects, and making their lives into mindless rituals. Furthermore, she works tirelessly to maintain the mental health facilitys institutional culture.

Conclusion

Sociology focuses on the relationship between various institutions, such as schools, religious institutions, healthcare facilities, the community, and the people who benefit from the institutions. Numerous ideas that have aided in the comprehension of human society have studied sociological aspects of culture. Conflict and symbolic interactionism sociological theories have been reviewed in the film. Karl Max considered the societal issues people encounter as he developed the conflict theory. According to him, societal conflicts are a constant result of rivalry for the limited resources needed for daily activity. The conflict between human and institutional decency in the above film is evident as McMurphy and Nurse Ratched have conflicting opinions (Rina et al., 2021). The symbolic interactionism theory holds that people respond to elements of their environment based on the personal meanings they assign to them. For instance, Randal McMurphy, who has behaved as a rescuer for mental health patients, is portrayed in the movie as having aberrant behavior. Nurse Ratched is a prime example of modern societys oppressive mechanization, dehumanization, and masculinization.

Sociologists endeavor to choose the right party in light of societal values. The main lesson from One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is that people with mental health concerns should be treated in various ways. Just like the government has rules and regulations, at some point, harsh laws are lowered in favor of the citizens in critical situations (Berkeley, 2022). Therefore, society must employ the most acceptable strategy for dealing with individuals that is convenient for them, along with goodwill, comprehension, and inclusion in social activities.

References

Berkeley, B. (2022). Evaluating Complementarity in Sociological Worldviews and Sociological Methods of Data Collection. Open Access Library Journal, 9(7), 111.

Dorst, A. G. (2019). Translating metaphorical mind style: machinery and ice metaphors in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Perspectives, 27(6), 875889.

Leise, C. (2018). Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos nest: Damming the Columbia River and traumatic loss. ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 25(1), 6279.

Rina, K., Menon, V., & Kumar Padhy, S. (2021). One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest: The chronicles of Stigma and a proposed socio-cognitive-emotional-behavioral Model for understanding its Genesis in COVID-19. Psychiatria Danubina, 33(3), 378385.

Click Here To Order Now!

Sociological Analysis of One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Film

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)