Responses by Sociological Theorists to the Film Maxed Out

Africana Theorists: Anna Julia Cooper (1858 – 1964), Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862 – 1931), W.E.B. DuBois (1868 – 1963); Response to Maxed Out
Africana theory, while the product of several contributors, is firmly seated in the concept of equilibrium. Defined, equilibrium is the balance of power of opposing groups, and is marked particularly by the presence of negotiation and equal empowerment. Put plainly, this means that when two parties come to the table, it cannot be predicted ahead of time with reasonable certainty who is likely to come out on top. Africana theory attempts to frame all interactions between owners and workers in the context that how we experience the world is influenced by our relationships with others.
Within the context of Maxed Out, there is clearly no equilibrium to be found, whatsoever. Power changes hands often between groups involved with lending and owing. When a person goes into major debt, there seems at first to be nothing that he or she can do to relieve their problem. As soon as it appears that the lending companies have gotten an unbreakable, perpetual hold on a debtor, he or she can file for bankruptcy and all at once every bit of power has been transferred to the other side of the table. With so little consistency, and rampant legal and practical loopholes, it seems that a striking blow to equilibrium is just around any corner. Maxed Out, itself, is a small attempt aimed at achieving equilibrium.
A breakdown of what is considered the four power resources that affect outcomes offers further insight. 1) Access to material goods: The lending companies have access to vast amounts of cash, teams of attorneys, and even the belongings which debtors have purchased on and off credit, including any collateral. 2) Control of ideas and definitions (ideology): While either party can claim to know what is right, the rules and regulations that govern any relationship between debtor and lender are the sole discretion of the lender. 3) Control of interactional norms and behaviors (manners): The norm is for a consumer to use a credit card, then pay the monthly resulting bill, or a portion of it; however this is where a debtor begins to have some discretion because he or she can choose not to pay the bill. 4) Passion or emotion: When a debtor beings to feel the pressure or potentially other serious psychological consequences or amassing debt, he or she actually has more discretionary will power in this category than any other. In some cases, as was shown in Maxed Out, people are sometimes driven to the point of suicide. More commonly, however, consumers who haven’t previously filed for bankruptcy choose to exercise their power to take that route. Considering that each of the four points above should come close to striking even ground, there is clearly an ailing relationship between power and difference when it comes to lending companies and their patrons.
Another concept in Africana theory is that of the veil. The veil is the condition which results from a subordinates’ expectation to view the dominant world from the outside, while the dominants ignore the world of those whom they consider lesser persons. In a sense, the borrowers in Maxed Out see bills in their mail, and the same companies on television, giving them insight into a company’s entire world. On the contrary, a lender (dominant) rarely looks into the life of a debtor (subordinate) to try to understand what conditions have made it difficult for him or her to rise from debt or pay bills on time. Even when they’re paying $2 in interest for every $1 in principal, it’s not often that the proletariat receives the luxury of an understanding bill collector.