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Candace Johnson
Sociology 01
Professor Mozzini
November 16, 2014
Project 1: Video/DVD Analysis
The movie that I chose to discuss was Skin. This video of my choice displays a few
clips of the young girl, Sandra Laing, and some of the misfortunes in her life. Sandra Laing lived
through the era of the apartheid in South Africa. It occurred from the 1940s to the 1990s. The
apartheid was national policies that enforced segregation. Nonwhites were forced to live and use
separate public facilities. Whites and nonwhites were separate and contacts between races were
limited. What made Sandras story so interesting was that she was born to a white family;
however she was born with certain traits that made her appear to be a nonwhite. In fact, some her
traits made her look black and that is what caused a lot of the controversy that occurred in her
life. Her hair formed tight coils and her skin was slightly brown. Sandras parents wanted the
best for their daughter and hoped for a bright future for her; however she was not accepted by
society. To the outside world she looks coloured. Sandras looks caused her to struggle with
being accepted by society. In school she faced inequality. Teachers did not treat her the same as
the white students. Children would also give her strange glances because they thought she did
not belong. Sandras looks aroused so much attention that she was actually forced to get
reclassified as a coloured individual. Some law enforcers even threatened to have Sandra taken
away from her parents and siblings. She mainly struggle with trying to be accepted. Sandra
Langs situation was usual but this is what made her story very interesting.

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This video represents the social conflict paradigm. Conflict theorist study and analyze
society-wide patterns of behavior. Studies are usually large scale. The conflict perspective
focuses on how the status quo is established and those in high positions of power who control the
resources. For example Capitalism is seen as a way a society will flourish. It also focuses on
tensions between groups which is what this video tries to display. Social theorist believe that
inequality and that social structure is maintained because some groups have more privileges than
others while other groups are considered inferior. This video is great example of the conflict
perspective. It focuses on the social tensions between different racial groups, inequality and
discrimination. Sandra Laing and her family lived during the era of the apartheid and in this
period of time laws were enforced that separated whites and nonwhites. Blacks were seen as
inferior in society. Teachers and students treated her as if she was inferior. In fact, one her
teachers encouraged her parents to take her out of the all white school she was attending. She
was also forced to be classified as a coloured individual because no one took the chance to get
to know Sandra and her background. Although she was born to a Caucasian family, Sandra did
not receive the same opportunities as other children because of her appearance.
Emile Durkheim believed that deviance is necessary for a society to be successful.
Deviance is the violation of social or cultural norms. It has a negative connotation; however it
promotes changes in society. He argued that deviance challenges the societys present views. If
Durkheim interpreted this video he might say that Sandra Laings situation was necessary in
order to make the issue of equality aware to the public in South Africa. Sandras story might have
changed the way many individuals views about how they treat others or maybe about how unfair
the laws in their society were. Karl Marx was a sociologist and philosopher. He believed

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that society is separated into two social groups which include: the proletariat and the bourgeois.
The bourgeois is a small and wealthy division of society that controls the production. They also
enforce laws, control government and other high positions of power. The proletariats are the
workers who rely on production for employment and that it what they rely on to survive. Marxs
ideals leaned toward the conflict perspective. He believed that inequality, alienation and social
class are all involved with the conflict perspective. If Marx would have interpreted this video he
would have noticed the inequality that Sandra faced right away. Marxs ideals would have led
him to think that Sandra was being mistreated because of the separation in society. Sandras
situation is a perfect example of the social conflict theory. Everyone did not acquire the same
opportunities because of the racial tensions. Comte was a sociologist who believed in the idea of
positivism which was the belief that human society can be studied scientifically. If Comte
interpreted this video he probably would have wanted to figure out what is Sandras genetic
makeup. He might have concluded that Sandra was born with these traits because she has African
blood in her family history. He might of also concluded that maybe some of her families
characteristics have been absent in previous generations and that she just so happened to acquire
the absent genes.