Structural and Cultural Forces Shaping a Particular Media Artifact - Term Paper Example

?Communications Studies - Analysis of the Structural and Cultural Forces That Shape a Particular Media Artifact THESIS MENT The paper intends todiscuss the structural and the cultural forces of a media artifact i.e. Fruitvale Station, one of the most acclaimed movies in 2013. Furthermore, it will also provide an idea about the relationship existing between the structural and the cultural forces with reference to the media artifact i.e. Fruitvale Station. ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL FORCES THAT SHAPE FRUITVALE STATION The movie i.e. ‘Fruitvale Station’ represents an American drama, which released in the year 2013. Ryan Coogler is the director and the writer of this particular story. Oscar Grant, the protagonist of the story did not deserve to have died. This statement pertains to be the central message of the movie. The film primarily dramatized the real case scenario of a young black man, who was shot dead by a white police in the year 2009 at Fruitvale Station. "Racism – and anti-black racism in particular – is the belief that there's something wrong with black people” is the cultural belief portrayed in the movie (Amnesty International, “USA's Record on Racial Discrimination under Scrutiny”). Oscar Grant as a protagonist reflects three dimensional characteristics of a black male. This is the reason that it can be regarded as one of the rarest artifacts within the American culture. The plot states that Grant was on a train returning to Oakland. Subsequently, he indulged in fighting after encountering an enemy. Following this scenario, the police detained Grant at the Fruitvale Station and when Grant tried to confront the police regarding their abusive nature, one of them fired Grant on the back. This reflects the cultural dimension pertaining to racial discrimination. This movie conveys an apparent and uncalled for picture of racial discrimination in the United States. Over the years, it has been observed that racism has reared its ugly head quite often in different fields in the US. The roots of racism can be determined to have originated from cultural intricacies that have prevailed in the US culture especially amid blacks and whites. It is often recognized that blacks are despised still by the whites owing to the fact that they consider themselves to be a superior race. In the age of 21st century as well, the non-US nationals have been treated harshly on the grounds of discrimination by the US military. Moreover, on the grounds of disparities, it has also been noted that healthcare access and voting rights among others are also affected by racial discrimination amidst blacks and whites. Therefore, Ryan Coogler, the director has clearly been able to show the picture of discrimination within the US through his movie. This particular movie depicts the still prevalent scenario of racism in the US culture especially within the system and psychology of the people (Amnesty International, “USA's Record on Racial Discrimination under Scrutiny”). According to critics, the killing of the African-American men as depicted in the movie i.e. ‘Fruitvale Station’ conveys the politics, law, violence and racism prevailing within the US. Furthermore, the movie as an artifact aimed to show the world the real picture related to class, masculinity and also the relation existing between various people. It has been very strongly proclaimed in the movie about a black man irrespective of being a common person or a President gets affected by the popular culture and the psychology being practiced in America (Brevet, “The Tragedy that Inspired Fruitvale Station”). Social along with economic gaps have been greatly visualized within the blacks and whites, which is imbedded in the US culture since ages. Correspondingly, it has been observed that despite the implementation of civil rights and discrimination laws, race-based injustice and disparities continue to persist within the societal system of the US. This movie also relates the apparent inequality being shown by the US military over the non-US natives (Brevet, “The Tragedy that Inspired Fruitvale Station”). ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURAL FORCES THAT SHAPE FRUITVALE STATION Ryan Coogler, the director and writer of the movie, Fruitvale Station was motivated to present to the world such kind of a gruesome based on racism as he present there at the spot when this particular incident took place. He was encouraged to direct the film based on a true incident in order to portray the race and the treatment which the blacks receives in the US. It has been revealed that when the incident took place, it had been recorded by the passengers present there. In relation to this particular incident, riots took place for months. The police officers’ responsible for killing Oscar Grant were arrested and kept in the prison for two years. The brutal murder of Grant revealed the picture of the US military and the unequal treatment, which an African American individual faces on part of the US laws and the justice system. These real scenarios prevailing within the atmosphere stimulated the director to create such an artifact. Ryan Coogler the director of the movie was a resident of Oakland and an eyewitness of the dreadful incident that shook everyone’s heart. Furthermore, his landmark movie i.e. Fruitvale Station also conveys the social media’s role in publicizing the concerned crime along with enjoying the community response. “I saw the riots and the frustration [following the shooting] and they didn’t have an effect. If I can get two hours of people’s time, I can affect them more than if threw a trash can through a window” was the thought of Ryan Coogler conveyed to media (DuVernay, “The Day Before: Ryan Coogler on Fruitvale Station”). The institutional structure on creating an artifact such as ‘Fruitvale Station’ can be drawn from the above thought process of Ryan. He said that the riots and conflicts were unable to create a strong impact upon the society; therefore he planned to make a film, which within two hours can create a greater impact on the societal context. Furthermore, the other institutional force that drove Ryan to create a movie based on real incident is his emotion towards Oscar Grant and his eagerness to depict the community loopholes (DuVernay, “The Day Before: Ryan Coogler on Fruitvale Station”). With regard to Fruitvale Station, the movie starts with the original video of Oscar Grant being assaulted by the police officers, which also acts as an institutional force. The other decisive institutional force that ensured the creation of such an artifact is the support which Ryan received form the society. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) provided its full support to the director to shoot the film in the exact location, where the incident took place. Moreover, on further analysis, it has been observed that the US society has also provided their complete support which depicts the impact that this real incident laid upon the common people. The film has been designed in such a way to convey a potent message about the nature of the American justice system, the adverse effects of racism and the dreadful effect of the inequitable society. Thus, the overall scenario, societal inequitability and real incident correlating racism and communal discrimination formulate the institutional forces that have encouraged the writer-director Ryan Coogler to create such an artifact i.e. Fruitvale Station (The New York Times, “A Man’s Death, a Career’s Birth”). EXPLAINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRUCTURAL FORCES AND CULTURAL FORCES In essence, there exists an implied relationship between the structural and the cultural forces related to Fruitvale Station. The cultural forces in this particular movie reflect racism and communal disparities within the societal context. The institutional forces such as the presence of the writer-director Ryan Coogler on the spot, when the incident took place facilitated him to reveal the brutal reality of the US military. This establishes a relationship between the institutional and the cultural forces. The key dimension of inherent age old disparity prevailing amid blacks and whites has been critically replicated in the movie. In this portrayal, the contribution of both structural and cultural forces has been paramount as these forces are generally the key drivers towards the conduction of any activity that might not be ideal to human sensation. This aspect also relates with the psychology and the cultural prevalence of the disparity between blacks and whites. Racial discrimination in any society has been scorned by the people in recent years as the world is moving towards a more equal society. Despite this fact, in this modern society and in the progressive nation such as the US, the uncalled-for incident related to racial discrimination is occurring, which has been dramatically projected in the movie, Fruitvale Station (The New York Times “A Man’s Death, a Career’s Birth”). Media has laid a greater impact upon societal framework over the years. It has been observed that media economy has witnessed a considerable rise in the recent years. Media plays a vital role in conveying a strong thought to the society. Considering Fruitvale Station, Ryan Coogler also applies media as a medium for portraying communalism and racism existing within the US society. He successfully was able to reach a wider mass and narrate them the actual incident that took place in Oakland at Fruitvale Station (Winseck 365-370). Communication has also framed a vital part in conveying the strong message to the larger mass. Media as a communicating medium has effectively assisted Ryan Coogler, the director-writer to accomplish the desired objective (Gadamei 1-2; Davidson 1-15). Correspondingly, the movie also projected the social reality that depicts the racial discrimination within the US. This concept relates with cynicism, which represents an ideology. The concept pertaining to the ideology primarily signifies the social reality, presuppositions and distorted representation among others. Cynicism mainly projects the social factor that is distorting the entire humanity and their prevalent values. In relation to Fruitvale Station as a symbol of cynicism reflects a social factor i.e. the brutal killing of Oscar Grant, which is conveying a distorted message about racial discrimination within the US (Zizek “Cynicism as a Form of Ideology Slavoj Zizek. The Sublime Object of Ideology”). Thus, it can be ascertained that movie was created with a motive to convey the society about the treatment which African-American natives still receive from the whites. Works Cited “USA's Record on Racial Discrimination under Scrutiny.” Amnesty International. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Brevet, Brad. The Tragedy that Inspired Fruitvale Station. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. DuVernay, Ava .The Day Before: Ryan Coogler on Fruitvale Station. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Davidson, Philips. “The Third-Person Effect in Communication.” Public Opinion Quarterly 47 (1983): 1-15. Print. Gadamei, Hans·Georg. “The Problem of Communication”. Introduction (n.d.):1-16. Print. “A Man’s Death, a Career’s Birth.” The New York Times. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Winseck, Dwayne. “Financialization and the “Crisis of the Media”: The Rise and Fall of (Some) Media Conglomerates in Canada.” Canadian Journal of Communication 35 (2010). Print. Zizek Slavoj. Cynicism As A Form Of Ideology Slavoj Zizek. The Sublime Object of Ideology. 1989. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Read More