Assignment 1 The Gods Must Be Crazy

In-Class Assignment #1
Applying Sociological Perspectives

Names: Ivan Alex Jordyn
Sociological Analysis of The Gods Must Be Crazy
Apply the structural functionalist theory, the social conflict theory, and the symbolic interactionism theory and
write a short paragraph on how these theories are at play in the societies, groups, and interactions between
characters and in events in the clips of the film. Using your knowledge of each theory, discuss how the film
provides illustrations of the three sociological theories. Provide at least one example from the movie for each
theory to support your analysis. Your examples can come from the plots as well as the characters in the film.
Explain how the events and/or characters represent and illustrate the theories.
To help your thought process:
 For the structural functional theory, consider the Bushman society in Kalahari, Xi’s journey, the
Botswana judicial system, etc.
 For the social conflict theory, consider the Bushman society and the Coca-Cola bottle, Sam Boga and
his rebels, the Botswana judicial system, Kate Thompson’s society, etc.
 For the symbolic interactionism theory, consider the Coca-Cola bottle, Botswana society and its court
system, the “Edge of the World”, etc.
1. Structural Functional Theory (Ivan)
“The Structural Functional Theory is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system
whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.” (Pg.14 by John J. Macionis made in 2018.)
you can see this in the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy” with the bushman people since the way they live
is not a complex and is based on hunting, gathering resources to survive the cold, and heat or resources
such as food and water. They were in harmony doing what they usually do every day and working as a
team while sharing everything without having the need to be the only one to do/own something, and the
same with society as seen in the movie where people in the newspaper industries have to write about
something as part of their daily tasks and have to get it done within a certain timeframe to survive or in
this case get paid to provide for their needs. And this is how society is viewed as a complex system when
everyone has their assigned role in modern days and if one of those assigned roles aren’t accomplished
then it messes up the chain of teamwork and makes someone else have to work extra just so they can
finish within the deadline.
2. Social Conflict Theory (Jordyn)

The social-conflict approach is “a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality
that generates conflict and change.” (Macionis, 2018, page 15). When the gods sent a coke bottle to 0the
village, the people were eager to find ways to use it. It was used for art, Snake skin, and the villagers were
overjoyed to have this item from the gods. One day, two children were fighting over it and when one kid
got a hold of it, then used it to cause bodily harm towards the other. Then, a man tried to throw it up in
the air to give it back to the gods, and it hit his daughter. He later went away from the village to bury it.
This scene from the movie shows the social-conflict approach because their society had unequal opinions
of the bottle, therefore conflict took place. Change then took place when their prized possession was
buried.
Symbolic Interaction Theory (Alex)
Symbolic interaction theory is based on the theory that our realities are built upon subjective truths
and how we interact with other human beings rather than what is objectively fact (Macionis, 2018). We can
see an amazing example of this in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” when a pilot throws an empty glass Coca Cola
bottle out of his plane. To the pilot, the bottle is merely trash. It has served it’s purpose and is now just a
waste of space in the plane. Why even keep it there when he could just throw it out of the window? What the
pilot doesn’t know is that there is a wandering bushman underneath the plane who has never seen a glass
bottle before. When Xi sees the bottle hit the ground, he assumes the bottle is a gift from the gods. When he
brings it to his community, they all find various uses for the bottle. To the bushpeople, the bottle is the most
treasured possession they have. Their reality is based on the subjective truth that the bottle is an incredibly
useful and valuable device, rather than the objective fact that the bottle is designed to be disposed of and
never seen or used again after all the soda has been consumed. They have also determined that the bottle is
valuable by interacting amongst themselves and seeing all of the uses of the bottle. Obviously an incredibly
useful object made out of a strange material would be seen as highly valuable to them.

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In-Class Assignment #1

Applying Sociological Perspectives

1. Structural Functional Theory (Ivan)

2. Social Conflict Theory (Jordyn)

Symbolic Interaction Theory (Alex)

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