Sociological Analysis of “Lilo and Stitch” verses the Portrayal of Disney Princesses

In one of Disney’s magnificent motion Pixar, “Lilo and Stitch”, the image of one of the many protagonists brings light to the issue on the mass media portrayal of women. Nani Pelekai, Lilos’ sister and legal guardian, carries the burden of supporting herself and her younger sister. Due to her lack of employment, as well as her core focus of taking care of Lilo, her funds are limited. Therefore, her and lilo face the feminization of poverty, which is the subordination of woman because of limited income and the child rearing of her sister. Based on her accent, skin tone and geographical location, it would seem that her ethnicity and biological race  would be defined as Pacific Islander from Hawaii. Although there is no individual discrimination presented in this film, there can be an act of institutional discrimination based on the Nanis’ mannerism, ethnic background, realistic weight, and her relative poverty from Disney. Based on her heroism and “damsel in distress” depictions, how does she not qualify as a Disney princess? It’s because of her culture of poverty. Limited income and lack of stability, without the “magical wonder” of a prince or inheritance to re-socialize her, and increase her social mobility out of poverty, than the entitlement of princess is not given. From a radical feminist perspective, this is an outcome of woman living in a patriarchal society. Therefore, what Nani must do is respond to her oppression with social activism and justify that the stereotypes of a single mother, or guardian, living on limited income is inaccurate. However, the liberal feminist believes that this issue should be resolved with Nani maintaining an actual job and progressing into a higher position. However, a social feminist might connect her female oppression to the inequalities of her race.  Being a female minority in a somewhat diverse society still has a dominant group and a subordinate group, which may be the cause of her economical instability.

Based on the ideology of what qualifies as a dominant species in our culture, the one that looks more “Anglo-Saxon”, more specific, “blonde hair and blued eye” will fit into the princess category. Other female attributes include waist size, clothing selection, scheme of color, and victimization. All of which Nani does not carry. What example does this set on the femininity of society, specifically the children that actually analyze and idolize the Disney princesses? ABC news, C. Micheal Kim and Ariella Noveck, used a survey to justify that African American girls actually prefer playing with white dolls. “63 percent of African-American children surveyed preferred playing with white dolls over black dolls” (Ahuja). Another survey concludes that, “college-age women were developing narcissistic traits was four times that of men”, according to the Alternative Press of NBC news (Alternative Press). Thoughts?

Works Cited

"Princess Fever Reigns for Generation of Girls." Msnbc.com. Alternative Press, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

KIM, C. MICHAEL, and ARIELLA NOVECK Via. "Black Girl Wants White Doll: What Would You Do?" ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

"I am always amazed that the ability to forget history is a choice for some people."

Brief Discussion of the Moral and Legal Issues of the Immunizations for Addictions

The moral and legal issues of the Immunization against addiction are centered on the ideology that there is a probable cause of producing another addiction when replacing an addictive agent with another. However, the moral aspects would be in favor of this form of drug therapy because it would benefit society by offering an alternative for the individual.  For example, Dawn MacKeen states in Immunized Against Addiction, that immunizations will develop a blocker against cocaine, which happens to be a popular substance of abuse, that would stop cocaine from entering into the bloodstream before it reaches the brain.   On the other hand, this may violate the ethics of legalism.  The code of law would suggest that drug addiction couldn’t diminish with another, possibly addictive, drug. The drive to alter your state of mind and changes in the body will become part of an addict’s human biology. Therefore, replacing a substance with another substance would have a causation of another addiction.  MacKeen also states that a vaccine, such as Methadone that is used to heroine addiction, is effective, but highly addictive. Therefore, if anti-drugs proved any form of effectiveness, it has the opportune of triggering another desire of addiction (Mackeen).

This form of pharmacological modalities in substance abuse treatment is used to remove to the harmful impact of will power.  Anyone has the potential of creating a lifestyle within an addiction, due to an individual’s normal dopamine transporter.  However, when a life fully organized around their addiction, they lose the will to produce a healthy and positive lifestyle. So when they stop their addiction, they have to find another way of reformatting their lives.

Drug therapy promotes the option of an alternative lifestyle. However, it is the individual’s choice to actually attend their meetings and apply their discussions and suggestions to their daily lives. Once showing the desire for change, a drug therapist will help produce a stronger willpower against the addictive agent.

Works Cited

Mackeen, Dawn. "Immunized Against Addiction." Saloncom RSS. N.p., 26 Apr. 2000. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Abstinence

Complete abstinence from an addictive substance, such as alcohol, is the only choice for recovery. When undergoing rehabilitation and/or medicinal alternatives, an addict must abstain from the addictive agent. The step within the realm of recovery is the process of admittance and the stepping out of denial. For example, an alcoholic must admit that the overall issue is his alcohol abuse and dependency.  Therefore to have an outcome of recovery, an addict must remove the addictive variable that prevents him or her from an alternative way of living.

When becoming dependent, the substance will have a powerful impact on ones psyche and physical desires. Thus deeming the potential addict defenseless towards substance abuse. Each agent eventually becomes a threat towards ones self esteem and health (mental and physical), which justifies that eliminating the drug or alcohol is the only option for the regaining of living a life without dependency.

 Once admitted into rehab, an addict is strongly encouraged to participate in Alcohol Anonymous or group programs (Byrd, 259). One core reason as to why these programs exist is to prevent a recovered addict from a relapse (Byrd, 258). If a substance has played a major role in his or her life, the body will have a powerful impact once it is deprived of the addictive agent. This is also known as a withdrawal, the overwhelming action that occurs when deprived of a dependent agent.

Thomas Byrd states in Is Total Abstinence The Only Choice For Alcoholics, “Each seemingly insignificant daily choice is a separate affirmation that recovery is worth but trouble” (Byrd, 262). While in recovery or after, an addict will have the potential of abuse again, which leads to problems recurring. Thus indicating that the only to invest in full recovery is abstinence, the removal of addictive substances.

Works Cited

Byrd, Thomas. Lives Written in Sand: Addiction Awareness & Recovery Strategies. N.p.: n.p., 1997. Print.

A brief definition of a fitness hearing.

Based on the Juvenile system, the purpose of a “fitness hearing” solidifies a burden of proof on whether an adolescent should be trialed as an adult or juvenile. The criteria associated with a fitness hearing is based on a fit evaluation which consists of the sophistication behind the criminal activity that is exhibited by the child, the possibility of rehabilitation, the child’s history of delinquency, the results of previous attempts of intervention and/or rehabilitation by the court, and the circumstances and extent of the alleged offense (Title Five Rules).

When a child is charged and has a fitness hearing, they must be determined under evaluation of the five criteria. The hearing is based on a fit or un-fit type determination. If the adolescent fits all criteria, than the child is deemed as non-violent and their court proceeds within the realm of juvenile justice.  However, if the child is unfit for one or more of the criteria, than he will be trialed as an adult, and deemed as violent (Title Five Rules).  However, based on the set criteria of a fitness hearing, states are trialing children as adults without any proper quota of the child’s ages, and using evidence alone. One opposing concern would be, whether or not this breaks the cycle of delinquency. On the other hand, there may be a concern of safety in society, if the delinquent is trialed and later released (Albanese, 469-470).

Works Cited
Albanese, Jay S. Criminal Justice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999. Print.

“Title Five Rules.” Title Five Rules. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

A short response to the increase of juvenile and female crime.

It has become apparent that more and more adolescences are becoming juveniles today, than ever before. Over the last ten years, younger juveniles are engaging in more criminal activity, which increases the incarceration rate by two hundred percent, along side the increase of women. However, the factor that may contribute to this societal detriment is the issues within our social intuitions. More specifically, the institution of family has the most influence on a child’s psyche, which can produce and/or influence their possible deviant outcomes. Along side the increase of juvenile delinquency, there has been an increase in divorce rates. Which, leads in several plausible directions and factor that may contribute to the increase of juvenile delinquency. The increase in divorce solidifies that there will be cracks in that family. Therefore, adolescents will respond in either rebellion or internalize their parent’s behavior and become a product of that broken union of relationship. Functional sociologists would suggest that their deviant behaviors is a cause of the family institution weakening, thus resulting in an adolescent producing anomie, which is a deviant response to normalcy and/or act of detaching ones self from society (Albanese, 192) (Kendall, 190). Another factor would be the symbolic interaction of labels, and the outcome of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The majority of he juvenile increase may not be based on the biological reasons, but on social forces that contribute to our label. The symbolic perspective on labeling, would suggest, “No behavior is inherently delinquent or criminal; it is defined as such by a social audience” (Kendall, 192). This will result in a “self fulfilling prophecy, which concludes that the likelihood of a juvenile accepting a delinquent label can result in a new personal identity and enter into a lifestyle of crime (Albanese, 73-72).

Another rise in the criminal justice system is the increase of violent behaviors from women, which results in an increasing percentage of female incarcerations. There has been a trend of risk taking, thrill seeking, and aggressive attributes from woman, which resulted in deviant-violent behaviors and possible incarceration. According to the conflict theory, this is a result of gender inequalities in a male-dominant culture (Kendall, 191-192). More specifically, this can be a result based on more issues within the institution of family and relationships (boyfriend-girlfriend ordeals). When the union of marriage is broken up, there is one who takes on the victim role. This is typically the woman, which results in an abusive relationship and/or outcome of a broken relationship. There is a connection due to the act of violence based on gender, and the role of victimization based on gender as well. Thus, indicating that a woman’s violent behaviors can be a result of domestic violence. Another factor is the concept of the “second shift” in the family institution. Society would suggest that stress-related diseases are a “father type disease”, since they are the breadwinners of the family. However, there has been an upsurge of the increase of stress related disease in women, resulting from entering the work force, due to single-motherhood, and/or continuing their working role at home, the core parent of child rearing as well as serving the needs of her husband. These results can be a responsive act of victimization, which will result in violent behaviors. A core example is the “battered woman syndrome”, which is a defense mechanism used in the court of law that suggests the violent behavior of a female defendant, who possibly killed her husband, as a result of domestic abuse. 

Works Cited:

Albanese, Jay S. Criminal Justice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999. Print.

Kendall, Diana Elizabeth. Social Problems in a Diverse Society. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Print.