Macy Climer
Sociology
July 6, 2015
Mean Girls

Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. The sociological perspective is a perspective on human behavior and its connection to society as a whole. It invites us to look for the connections between the behavior of individual people and the structures of the society in which they live. Typically, we tend to think of our society as just natural. We don't think about how it affects us and our behavior. The sociological perspective is one in which we do not do this. Instead, we look at our society and the way it is set up. We ask how that society affects us. In this way, the sociological perspective helps us to understand how society is important in shaping our everyday lives. This definition tells us that sociologists look for general patterns in the behavior of particular people. Although every individual is unique, society shapes the lives of people in various categories very differently. We begin to see the world sociologically by realizing how the general categories into which we fall shape our particular life experiences. Seeing the strange in the familiar, sociological perspective reveals to us the initially strange idea that society shapes what we think and do in patterned ways. The sociological imagination is defined as the capacity to see how sociological situations play out due to how people differ in terms of their places in given social or historical circumstances. It is a way of thinking about things in society that have led to some sort of outcome, and understanding what causes led to that outcome. By applying sociological perspective, we are likely to become more active and aware and to think more critically in our everyday lives. Some benefits are that

it helps us assess the truth of “common sense”, helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives, empowers us to be active participants in our society, and helps us live in a diverse world. Mean Girls, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has never known what "high school" truly meant. She lived her first 15 years in the African jungle, home-schooled, living life with only her parents and the animals of the wilderness, knowing all of the rules of survival. However, when she moves out of Africa, she has to learn the rules of high school, a jungle in itself. She instantly makes friends with two sweet teenagers, Damian and Janis, who, in the terms of the high school, were in the "out crowd." Soon she meets the Plastics, the three crude, beautiful, popular girls, consisting of Regina, the unofficial leader, Gretchen, Regina's full-time follower, and Karen,
"one of the dumbest people you will ever meet." They immediately let her into their group, but
Cady, wanting to keep her first friends, is unsure. The two convince Cady to keep her relationship with the Plastics, only so that they can know their dark secrets. However, events turn for the worse when Cady falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels. When Regina finds out, she seeks revenge of Cady by taking Aaron back. When Cady finds out, what began as a game to discover secrets turns into a plan to destroy Regina. Now, Cady, Janis, and Damian plot together to bring Regina's status down. However, as Cady spends more time with the Plastics, she, too, begins to become one.
1. Social Structure: Social organization based on established patterns of social interaction between different relationships regulated through accepted norms and shared values;

2. Social-Conflict Theory: Patterns in society that benefit some people while hurting others;
The “plastics” show off their wealth which make them superior to the students who aren’t as wealthy and that causes conflicts between social groups.
3. Race-Conflict Theory: Inequality of people with different race and ethnic categories; Cadys first day at American high school was questioned why she wasn't black because she was from Africa.
4. Culture: The way we think, how we act, and what we own; Mean