IndexThreeRickyDoughboyFuriousCriticisms, solutions and suggestionsConclusion Observing the lives of 3 teenagers who reside in the heavily gang-influenced Los Angeles ghetto, Boyz N the Hood by John Singleton does an amazing job of examining and portraying the reality of what it means for those who reside in this area. Giving viewers an in-depth look at the daily struggles and obstacles that the 3 boys: Tre, Doughboy, and Ricky face, gives viewers an even deeper look at the relationship between conformity and deviance. All three of these characters grew up together in the same area but have all been influenced by micro and macro level influences that have altered their perception and where they reside on the border between conformity and deviance. In this article, I will examine the lives of Tre's Furious Styles, Ricky, Doughboy, and Tre's father through a positivist lens highlighting what theories can be applied to each character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay ThreeThe first character to whom we can apply these positivist theories is that of Three Styles. Tre, the character around whom the film revolves, is considered one of the most compliant characters in the film. He begins to live with his mother but, after a fight at school, he is sent to live with his father and that is where his journey begins. There are many theories that can apply to Three, the first of which is social disorganization. The environment in which Tre grows up has a strong impact on his willingness to engage in deviant or compliant behavior. Since Tre was a child playing on the street and exposed to criminal activity such as: blood on the ground from a previous shooting, bullet holes in a poster on the wall, and while walking home and witnessing an aggravated assault on the street, Three Exposure at an early age is immediate and may further extend into his adolescence. The next theory is that of measuring the middle class through his interaction with his teacher in his elementary school. This can be seen through his influence on Tre's life and his failure to adapt to the middle class environment and this has let him down at school. Furthermore, her skepticism towards Tre's home environment leads her to a very critical and discriminatory approach towards Tre's behaviour. Referring to the same example, there is also a clear indication of Strain in Tre's life, as it was less about anomie but about his understanding of the situation and his approach to the conflict. Furthermore, Glaser's theory of differential identification can also be applied to Tré through his relationship with his father. This can be seen as Tre and Furious have a very close relationship which can be seen at various moments, such as when he is open to talking to his father about sex and women. Tre eventually tried to replicate his father and his compliant behavior and this led to very strong positive connections between the two where Tre has the ability to talk to his father about anything and also keep him compliant for the most part. Furthermore, the next theory is that of learning perspective. This theory is highlighted in Three since one of his main aspirations that tends to distance him from the path of deviance is that of not wanting to disappoint his father. When Tre decides to leave Doughboy's vehicle, it is because in his head he remembers the lessons his father taught him earlier in life and decides not to follow through with their actions. This highlights the importance of his lessons and teachingsfather have on Tre's life. Furthermore, Tre also highlights social deviance through his complex position on the conformity/deviance spectrum. An example of this in the film is when he creates a fictional story about his first time having sex to hide the fact that he hasn't had sex yet and his deepest fear of becoming a father. This example highlights Tre's ability to demonstrate conformity, but lie to his father due to the social pressure he let get the better of him. The last theory that can be applied to the character of the Three styles is that of Reckless's theory of containment through his relationship with his parents and his environment. Not just presence, but his parents, being able to instill core values ​​in Three and making sure he stayed on a compliant path, were able to make his "sense of self" see himself as a compliant individual and have a positive effect on his internal containment. . Furious's constant presence and his strong relationship with Tre were able to also influence his external containment and ensure that the values ​​taught were replicated by Tre in his search for compliant behavior. Furthermore, the next character who is able to highlight some positivist theories is Ricky.RickyThe next character to whom the theories taught in class can be applied is Ricky. The first is the labeling perspective. This can be seen as Ricky's choice to conform and avoid the deviant path chosen by his brother Doughboy. An example of this perspective is due to the fact that he and Doughboy have different fathers, his mother labeled Ricky from an early age as a good son and would show hope in Ricky's football career and try to keep him on the path to achieving this goal . This statement from the mother about Ricky could highlight the different type of learning that Ricky received compared to his brother. Furthermore, Ricky also had a complex position on the compliant/deviant spectrum as we could see social deviance on his part. An example of his social deviance is being a father and having a child before getting married or going to school. This highlights that in a macro-level social view, Ricky has taken part in partial deviance due to his actions. The next theory that can be applied is Albert Cohen's tension theory. Although Ricky's aspirations to become a successful football player in line with his cultural goals and means were legitimate, he still fell victim to economic tensions. This is because living in the low socioeconomic home he grew up in made it difficult for him to achieve his goal and provide for his son. In reference to this, this leads to Ricky's main conflict is that he needs to score high on his SAT so he can get his football scholarship. This is a clear example of Cohen's middle class measuring stick as his high school is filled with middle class expectations which make it extremely difficult for Ricky to achieve his desired score and for other lower class students who cannot measure up of these expectations and turn to deviance. Furthermore we can also see the biological positivism in Ricky through two examples. The first is how his mother constantly labels him positively and the fact that he takes the SATs. Through both examples, biopositivism is seen as holding that deviance is a genetic disease and it is because of Ricky's father's ability to conform that he himself conforms and his mother treats him as such. Additionally, we see the problematic and racialized assumptions that come from and how SATsare often culturally discriminatory and partial. The final theory that can be applied to Ricky's life is Cooley's self-theory and Ricky's perception of himself. Thanks to his childhood and his mother's constant affirmation, Ricky lived up to the perception of those around him and was able to pass the SAT and continue with his compliant behavior before he died. Additionally, another character who was able to highlight many theories was Ricky's brother, Doughboy. Doughboy Unlike Tre and Ricky, Doughboy was often on the opposite side of the spectrum as he more often than not took part in deviant behavior. However, this has not always been the case as it often moves along the spectrum. This is done by Doughboy through examples such as him constantly trying to protect Ricky in cases such as protecting his football and then avenging his death. These redeeming features of Doughboy show his complexity in the spectrum and his social conformity. The next theory for Doughboy is that of functionalism. We are able to see this theory evident as it provides an explanation for Doughboy's deviant behavior and justifies it as he adapts to abnormal circumstances which may include: a lack of affection from his mother, residing in a poor socioeconomic neighborhood, and having a poor sense of self. This allows us to assume that Doughboy was simply reacting to his surroundings in his social systems. Furthermore, another theory illustrated by Doughboy is that of Cloward and Ohlin's differential opportunity theory. This theory can be highlighted as Doughboy and his friends acted in deviance as a group response to a shared problem which was unequal access to illegitimate means. Furthermore, they were to be considered a confrontational gang subculture because they prioritized violence and placed a strong focus on the protection of turf and reputation. With reference to gang subcultures, the next theory to apply to Doughboy was Miller's class analysis. Doughboy highlighted this theory as it possessed some major focal concerns such as: tenacity and intelligence. He displayed tenacity as he was very aggressive and intelligence as he was able to thrive on the streets and was able to manipulate his circumstances to maximize his advantages. Furthermore, he did not have a proper learning environment which led him to join gangs in the first place. The next theory we can see is that of Merton tension. This can be seen as he is seen as an innovator. This is because he is successfully achieving the implicit cultural goals, but rejects legitimate means and does so through drug dealing. Furthermore, his behavior can also be justified as it is simply his reaction to his abnormal circumstances (lack of resources and low socioeconomic status) and therefore is a normal response. Another form of strain theory that can be seen is that of Cohen's strain theory. This is because his gang delinquency is justified and considered an emotional act since he is unable to achieve middle class values. To further build on this, Doughboy's actions are more often than not intended to achieve a short-term form of sensation instead of a long-term one, as if he wants to immediately avenge Ricky's death. Another theory that is seen in the character of Doughboy is that of Cooley's Autotheory as he is realizing his expected reaction. In an early scene in the film, his mother yells at him as he gets ready and constantly reminds him that "he's not shit and he won't be shit." This quote indicates how the anticipated reaction for Doughboyeither that he will simply stay in the neighborhood and amount to nothing and his inner concept tends to believe this allowing him to satisfy this anticipated reaction. Based on this, another obvious theory is Lemert's primary and secondary deviation through the informal influences of the people around him. Referring to the same example, those around him constantly remind him of his value and ultimately contribute to making him feel like he is worthless. This leads him to adopt and adapt to the deviant lifestyle he possesses. Before Doughboy lives up to his label, Becker's master status is quite visible early on as he renegotiates his master status. An example of this is that at his homecoming party he reaffirms to one of his friends that he is "not a criminal" and that he "can read". This quote highlights Doughboy's ability to renegotiate his perception and remind people that he is not a criminal and that is not his primary identity. Furthermore, biopositivism can also be seen in Doughboyvita. An example of this is Doughboy's lack of a father and his criminal behavior. Here biopositivism comes into play and offers the explanation that the reason for his behavior is a genetic cause and because Doughboy's father was also a criminal and it is because Doughboy is an example of an atavistic throwback who participates in deviance. The last theory that I illustrate through Doughboy is that of symbolic interactionism. This can be seen through his environment and internal factors that make him prone to being a delinquent as he lived in an area that normalized violence and had drugs and gangs so visible that it made his future and path predetermined. Furthermore, he could also be seen as taking part in a deviant lifestyle, as if not in high school like Tre and Ricky, serving multiple prison sentences and owning a gun. The final character to which these criminological theories can be applied is that of Furious Styles. Furious The final character who is able to illustrate many criminological theories within him is Tre's father, Furious Styles. The first theory that can apply to him is the Merton deformation theory. This theory can be seen as Furious falls into the category of ritualism. An example of this is when he tells his wife how he is and says “living is enough for me”. This highlights that, although he conforms to legitimately accepted means, he does not strive for more and does not seek to achieve cultural goals. Furthermore, the next theory that Furious is able to symbolize is critical/conflictual criminology. This can be seen as he is very concerned and very critical of the world around him and is able to recognize and fight racial oppression which is quite evident in the "hood". An example of this is when he dismisses the black police officer by saying the n-word. This highlights how he is critically interested in the policeman's political hypotheses and is able to oppose the officer. Another theory highlighted by Furious's character is the labeling perspective. This can also be seen by referring to his conversation with the officer and his stereotypical assumptions about Furious and his son. The next theory that can be seen in the case of Furious is that of social disorganization. This is because Furious is able to recognize the lack of association between the community and the problematic environment in which they live. An example of this is when he tells Tre everything his friends did when his mother was pregnant and how he doesn't want Tre to end up like all his friends in the hood who would end up a different way than Tre. The last theory that can be applied to Furious Styles is the.