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Examples Of Structuralism In The Movie Coach Carter

Decent Essays

Structuralism is a philosophy that views society as composed of structures such as class and race that shape our lives, making it challenging for all individuals to have access to equal opportunities. Thus, it is focuses on exposing these structures and investigating power -- who has it and who doesn’t -- and what we can do to change this, often by way of advocacy, actions, and campaigns, and striving for social change (J. Poole, personal communication, September 13, 2017).
Coach Carter is a sports drama based on a real life experience of a former Richmond High alumni and basketball coach, Ken Carter, who became known in 1999 for benching his undefeated basketball team, due to poor academic standing (Watch Coach Carter, n.d.). It is through this film I will illustrate my understanding of structuralism, with a special focus on the “lockout” that occurs, as it demonstrates power imbalances addressed by advocacy and social action (Watch Coach Carter, n.d.).
In the film, Coach Carter initiates a lockout after learning some members of his team failed to uphold the academic requirements mutually agreed to between the Coach and the players in a signed contract (Watch Coach Carter, n.d.). In place of practice, the players were confronted by a sign on the gym door asking that they meet the Coach in the library (Watch Coach Carter, n.d.). Going forward, practices were cancelled and the team was forced to forfeit games they demonstrated an improvement in their grades (Watch Coach

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