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.
Showing posts with label maxed out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maxed out. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Conclusion
Newly formed tradition in American society suggests that each person should obtain a debit card, credit card, ATM card, discount shopping card, etc. Yet, predatory and targeted marketing, like that revealed in Maxed Out, does a great job of everything but explain the fine print. Most people aren’t aware that the first time they’re late on a credit card payment, their contract gives the card company the right to raise their default interest rate to, in most cases, at least 28.99%. At that rate, a laptop computer bought on credit today, and paid in monthly installments on a minimum-wage income might never be paid off. People take care of themselves first, with food, shelter, and gas; debt payments are often the last obligation to be fit into a household’s already stretched budget.
There seems to be an overwhelming level of inequality and unfairness in the empire that is money lending. Consumer ignorance is taken advantage of regularly because there is nobody to step in and ask the hard questions. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Once people find themselves in a hole they realize they can’t dig out of, they resort to filing for bankruptcy and occasionally killing themselves. Marx suggested a violent uprising to deal with problems of this nature. Perhaps an uprising of some kind, perhaps of a more figurative kind, is what is necessary for the principal of justice at stake here to be addressed: Should lenders be allowed to take advantage of financially uneducated persons without ensuring they fully understand what it is they’re committing to? I would recommend that a commission or law-making body of some kind be tasked with addressing this issue, however this has already been done and it yielded no finite results. The reason it was unsuccessful, as Maxed Out illustrates, is because of bureaucracy. To address the issue of inequality and the absence of equilibrium with regard to the American political arena, would require an entirely separate paper.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Newly formed tradition in American society suggests that each person should obtain a debit card, credit card, ATM card, discount shopping card, etc. Yet, predatory and targeted marketing, like that revealed in Maxed Out, does a great job of everything but explain the fine print. Most people aren’t aware that the first time they’re late on a credit card payment, their contract gives the card company the right to raise their default interest rate to, in most cases, at least 28.99%. At that rate, a laptop computer bought on credit today, and paid in monthly installments on a minimum-wage income might never be paid off. People take care of themselves first, with food, shelter, and gas; debt payments are often the last obligation to be fit into a household’s already stretched budget.
There seems to be an overwhelming level of inequality and unfairness in the empire that is money lending. Consumer ignorance is taken advantage of regularly because there is nobody to step in and ask the hard questions. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Once people find themselves in a hole they realize they can’t dig out of, they resort to filing for bankruptcy and occasionally killing themselves. Marx suggested a violent uprising to deal with problems of this nature. Perhaps an uprising of some kind, perhaps of a more figurative kind, is what is necessary for the principal of justice at stake here to be addressed: Should lenders be allowed to take advantage of financially uneducated persons without ensuring they fully understand what it is they’re committing to? I would recommend that a commission or law-making body of some kind be tasked with addressing this issue, however this has already been done and it yielded no finite results. The reason it was unsuccessful, as Maxed Out illustrates, is because of bureaucracy. To address the issue of inequality and the absence of equilibrium with regard to the American political arena, would require an entirely separate paper.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860 – 1935), Response to Maxed Out
The principal focus of Gilman’s theory is concerned with the inequality between men and women that has evolved over time. She is in dialogue with Marx with regard to her first aphorism, that “all human beings, male or female, are capable of and need fulfillment in work” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 1). Gilman’s second contribution to sociology, however, veers from Marx’s idea that capitalism is the root of alienation, by saying that the sexuo-economic relation is to blame for the inability of both men and women in today’s society to enjoy work to the same extent.
Finding fulfillment in work, to Gilman, is only feasible if the following two conditions are met: joy and independence (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 2). Independence, specifically, entails the ability to consider oneself an embodied subject by thinking and acting on one’s own. Explicitly, Gilman emphasizes that a person, regardless of sex, must be able to claim their human-born right to autonomy. To deny someone that is to confiscate their livelihood, according to her.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Subsequently, Gilman names the human practice of excessive sex distinction as the culprit for the “gender division of labor” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 2). In particular, she points out that “We are the only animal species in which the female depends on the male for food, the only animal species in which the sex-relation is also an economic relation” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 2). While in recent years there seems to have developed a tendency away from this trend, at least in the United States, this statement almost wholly depicts the present state of global sexuo-human affairs.
The film Maxed Out illustrates this androcentric culture and its gender division of labor, and the exploitation of women therein. Historically, there have been many fewer women than men working in the finance and banking industries. Not until recently have women been able to tap into this once exclusive club, and make their impact. In the film, a woman who works at Harvard University told of an instance where she delivered a presentation which outlined the flaws of the credit lending industry at present. When asked why this system has never been fixed, a man in the back of the room answered the question instead. This man, said the Harvard employee, was clearly a man of power and high status within the banking community. He announced that the reason the credit lending industry hadn’t been fixed, is because then a large segment of lending companies’ clientele would become omitted. Essentially, this man admitted that the goal of credit card companies is in fact to exploit the weak and in doing so make the company, its stockholders, and its executives, richer. Fundamentally, the long-rewarded, stereotypical macho male persona emerged, and it clearly couples well with the opposite stereotype that women tend to be more gentle and less conniving, or at least are oppressed to the extent that that is how they appear. Historically, it seems, the opinions of women, a product of their true personalities, have been subjugated by their male counterparts, which can claim partial responsibility for the difficulty that women have faced when trying to enter the financial workforce.
Gilman stresses that each person must maintain his or her autonomy, which clearly has been denied to women in the past. At another point in the film, however, a panel of spokespersons for the financial industry delivers to Congress a presentation about why lending practices shouldn’t be changed. This is where the stereotypical personality of a woman—that being a caring, whole-hearted person—is exploited for the benefit of the credit lenders. This panel of financial representatives was mostly women, a clear contradiction of the current gender makeup of the industry. Nonetheless, these women seem to have been exploited, and their soft voices and seemingly caring demeanor made all the difference in Congress’s decision to side in favor of the major lending companies. Gilman’s point that society has been developed for the benefit of men and for the denial of female autonomy still holds true today, it appears.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
The principal focus of Gilman’s theory is concerned with the inequality between men and women that has evolved over time. She is in dialogue with Marx with regard to her first aphorism, that “all human beings, male or female, are capable of and need fulfillment in work” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 1). Gilman’s second contribution to sociology, however, veers from Marx’s idea that capitalism is the root of alienation, by saying that the sexuo-economic relation is to blame for the inability of both men and women in today’s society to enjoy work to the same extent.
Finding fulfillment in work, to Gilman, is only feasible if the following two conditions are met: joy and independence (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 2). Independence, specifically, entails the ability to consider oneself an embodied subject by thinking and acting on one’s own. Explicitly, Gilman emphasizes that a person, regardless of sex, must be able to claim their human-born right to autonomy. To deny someone that is to confiscate their livelihood, according to her.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Subsequently, Gilman names the human practice of excessive sex distinction as the culprit for the “gender division of labor” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 2). In particular, she points out that “We are the only animal species in which the female depends on the male for food, the only animal species in which the sex-relation is also an economic relation” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” Page 2). While in recent years there seems to have developed a tendency away from this trend, at least in the United States, this statement almost wholly depicts the present state of global sexuo-human affairs.
The film Maxed Out illustrates this androcentric culture and its gender division of labor, and the exploitation of women therein. Historically, there have been many fewer women than men working in the finance and banking industries. Not until recently have women been able to tap into this once exclusive club, and make their impact. In the film, a woman who works at Harvard University told of an instance where she delivered a presentation which outlined the flaws of the credit lending industry at present. When asked why this system has never been fixed, a man in the back of the room answered the question instead. This man, said the Harvard employee, was clearly a man of power and high status within the banking community. He announced that the reason the credit lending industry hadn’t been fixed, is because then a large segment of lending companies’ clientele would become omitted. Essentially, this man admitted that the goal of credit card companies is in fact to exploit the weak and in doing so make the company, its stockholders, and its executives, richer. Fundamentally, the long-rewarded, stereotypical macho male persona emerged, and it clearly couples well with the opposite stereotype that women tend to be more gentle and less conniving, or at least are oppressed to the extent that that is how they appear. Historically, it seems, the opinions of women, a product of their true personalities, have been subjugated by their male counterparts, which can claim partial responsibility for the difficulty that women have faced when trying to enter the financial workforce.
Gilman stresses that each person must maintain his or her autonomy, which clearly has been denied to women in the past. At another point in the film, however, a panel of spokespersons for the financial industry delivers to Congress a presentation about why lending practices shouldn’t be changed. This is where the stereotypical personality of a woman—that being a caring, whole-hearted person—is exploited for the benefit of the credit lenders. This panel of financial representatives was mostly women, a clear contradiction of the current gender makeup of the industry. Nonetheless, these women seem to have been exploited, and their soft voices and seemingly caring demeanor made all the difference in Congress’s decision to side in favor of the major lending companies. Gilman’s point that society has been developed for the benefit of men and for the denial of female autonomy still holds true today, it appears.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
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 healthy relationship between power and difference” of opposing groups, and is marked particularly by the presence of negotiation and equal empowerment (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 2). 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 “society and individual life experience is shaped by the power relation among groups” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 2).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
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 (For power resource titles (1-4): Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 2). 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 its margins,” while the dominants “are free to ignore all activity in the world of the subordinates” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 3). 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.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Africana theory, while the product of several contributors, is firmly seated in the concept of equilibrium. Defined, equilibrium is “the healthy relationship between power and difference” of opposing groups, and is marked particularly by the presence of negotiation and equal empowerment (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 2). 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 “society and individual life experience is shaped by the power relation among groups” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 2).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
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 (For power resource titles (1-4): Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 2). 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 its margins,” while the dominants “are free to ignore all activity in the world of the subordinates” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes The Africana Theorists,” Page 3). 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.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Jane Addams (1860 – 1935), Response to Maxed Out
Similar to Marx, Jane Addams also sees the importance of collective work. In fact, she labels it “the distinguishing discovery of our time” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1). People come together in numerous ways, however, including socially. Addams outlined a number of ways people interact with each other, and how they justify their actions in doing so. These societal standards or modes of individual behavior are referred to as ethics. When combining collective work and ethics, Addams’ true focus is best summarized as “the ongoing adjustment between the organization of production and the organization of ethical codes governing social interaction” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
One exemplar of ethics is the social ethic. The social ethic refers to a person’s ability to feel “orientation to right relationship with others,” but based on the assumption that “each individual actor identifies with the large, heterogeneous, even anonymous community of which he or she is a part” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). The social ethic requires people to possess a desire for heterogeneous culture and a willingness to act in order to make it a reality. As such, this is a particularly important concept in the realm of lending and borrowing, predominantly with regard to the notion of responsibility. Just as important, though, is the neighborly relation, or the means by which Addams insists a point of view must be obtained in order for a person to fully comprehend the situation and act accordingly. The idea of the neighborly relation is summarized by Pat and Jill as “the condition in which the sociologist attempts to understand a social world not as an outside observer but as a participant living side by side with the people whose lives are her or his concern” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Beginning with Addams’ notion of the neighborly relation, one need not look too hard at Maxed Out to see a perfect example. Through the film, several young men and a young lady, all employees of a debt-purchasing, pioneer company, talk about their jobs as debt collectors. They describe the thrill or rush that comes as a result of successfully collecting. Addams might be proud that these people are able to find joy in their collective endeavor to collect debt, however she wouldn’t be particularly fond of the means by which they go about getting it. These debt collectors call not only the debtor, but that person’s family, friends, and co-workers, and harass each one in an attempt to embarrass the debtor to enough of an extent that they will finally be guilted into beginning to pay their bill.
There is an inconsistency with this method of collecting, though. The debt collectors are for the most part not people who are in debt themselves. And in fact, most of them probably don’t understand how it feels to have massive debt riding on their shoulders. Yet, they call up the poor Proletarians and make their life hell. An older person’s chemotherapy could be the cause of their indebtedness, and yet despite their clear inability to pay, they may receive obscene, threatening phone calls at all hours of the day. From Addams’ perspective, the debt collectors shouldn’t harass or point fingers until they themselves are in the same position. In order to fulfill the neighborly relation, both the debtor and the collector must be on the same level. Most debt collectors might be inclined to go a bit easier with future clients if they truly understand what circumstances each person faces.
On the other hand, though, it could be suggested that debtors who face this terrible harassment deserve it. Addams’ social ethic cites that one’s circle of caring must expand to take into account others in the community (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). Excepting those people who, for reasons of crisis, are forced to enter into debt, people that voluntarily enter debt or practice irresponsible spending habits are in a sense negatively affecting the community around them. Once someone enters debt, they place a heavy burden not only on themselves, but on their family, friends, and co-workers. Stress, depression, and any number of other psychological phenomena can also plague an indebted person, creating even greater grief on the society as a whole. Thus a seemingly moot point is reached with Addams, for a person should not have to endure relentless taunting, but simultaneously should not consciously plunge into debt.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Similar to Marx, Jane Addams also sees the importance of collective work. In fact, she labels it “the distinguishing discovery of our time” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1). People come together in numerous ways, however, including socially. Addams outlined a number of ways people interact with each other, and how they justify their actions in doing so. These societal standards or modes of individual behavior are referred to as ethics. When combining collective work and ethics, Addams’ true focus is best summarized as “the ongoing adjustment between the organization of production and the organization of ethical codes governing social interaction” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
One exemplar of ethics is the social ethic. The social ethic refers to a person’s ability to feel “orientation to right relationship with others,” but based on the assumption that “each individual actor identifies with the large, heterogeneous, even anonymous community of which he or she is a part” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). The social ethic requires people to possess a desire for heterogeneous culture and a willingness to act in order to make it a reality. As such, this is a particularly important concept in the realm of lending and borrowing, predominantly with regard to the notion of responsibility. Just as important, though, is the neighborly relation, or the means by which Addams insists a point of view must be obtained in order for a person to fully comprehend the situation and act accordingly. The idea of the neighborly relation is summarized by Pat and Jill as “the condition in which the sociologist attempts to understand a social world not as an outside observer but as a participant living side by side with the people whose lives are her or his concern” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Beginning with Addams’ notion of the neighborly relation, one need not look too hard at Maxed Out to see a perfect example. Through the film, several young men and a young lady, all employees of a debt-purchasing, pioneer company, talk about their jobs as debt collectors. They describe the thrill or rush that comes as a result of successfully collecting. Addams might be proud that these people are able to find joy in their collective endeavor to collect debt, however she wouldn’t be particularly fond of the means by which they go about getting it. These debt collectors call not only the debtor, but that person’s family, friends, and co-workers, and harass each one in an attempt to embarrass the debtor to enough of an extent that they will finally be guilted into beginning to pay their bill.
There is an inconsistency with this method of collecting, though. The debt collectors are for the most part not people who are in debt themselves. And in fact, most of them probably don’t understand how it feels to have massive debt riding on their shoulders. Yet, they call up the poor Proletarians and make their life hell. An older person’s chemotherapy could be the cause of their indebtedness, and yet despite their clear inability to pay, they may receive obscene, threatening phone calls at all hours of the day. From Addams’ perspective, the debt collectors shouldn’t harass or point fingers until they themselves are in the same position. In order to fulfill the neighborly relation, both the debtor and the collector must be on the same level. Most debt collectors might be inclined to go a bit easier with future clients if they truly understand what circumstances each person faces.
On the other hand, though, it could be suggested that debtors who face this terrible harassment deserve it. Addams’ social ethic cites that one’s circle of caring must expand to take into account others in the community (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). Excepting those people who, for reasons of crisis, are forced to enter into debt, people that voluntarily enter debt or practice irresponsible spending habits are in a sense negatively affecting the community around them. Once someone enters debt, they place a heavy burden not only on themselves, but on their family, friends, and co-workers. Stress, depression, and any number of other psychological phenomena can also plague an indebted person, creating even greater grief on the society as a whole. Thus a seemingly moot point is reached with Addams, for a person should not have to endure relentless taunting, but simultaneously should not consciously plunge into debt.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Karl Marx (1818 – 1883), Response to Maxed Out
Karl Marx explored a plethora of ideas during his time, however his main focus, and that which is most readily seen in Maxed Out, is this idea of the duality of substructure and superstructure, and its applications to capitalism. As the foremost premise, Marx believed that it was the essential nature of human beings to enjoy participating in collective work. He saw the depravity of this experience as a crime against the fundamental being of human nature.
The economic substructure, to Marx, is the defining structure of society. The economic and material relationships formed and maintained in the substructure, are what shape the superstructure, or the “secondary and dependent set of institutions and ideas” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 4). The superstructure, then, is comprised of society’s most basic institutions such as government, religion, and education. How the link between substructure and superstructure is formed then, is “through human activity as people take the formative experience of the economy into their life in the family, politics, religion, [and] education” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 5).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
The substructure, in essence an economic foundation of society’s organization, is an economic arrangement that can take more than one form. What Marx analyzes during his lifetime is the resulting effect on the superstructure, that the substructure, when organized as capitalism, has. What Marx determines is that when capitalism is in fact the mode of substructural organization, then alienation is like to result, something he describes as “a distinctive malaise of the human personality” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 1). Put simply, this is the inability to experience pleasurable, collective work.
Maxed Out introduces a new class of individual who has become eternally indebted to credit card companies or other lenders. These people are slaves to the monthly minimum payment they face on their enormous-and-growing liabilities. In this way, partially, the poor continuously grow poorer. In analyzing this phenomenon, it helps to take a look at the Marxist model of capitalism. That is, the Proletariat trade their commodity, that being their physical bodies and their capacity to provide labor, for money, that they then use to purchase other commodities off which to live. So what you see with the Proletariat in America is not that they have much of a problem with providing labor and receiving money for doing so. It’s that instead of only using their money to purchase other commodities off which to live, lenders have provided credit which can also be used to purchase those commodities. What ultimately happens is that the working class buys commodities on credit, but because they are on credit, they’re not truly owned by the worker. The worker owns a liability to the lending company, and if that obligation isn’t met in some small form each month, then the purchase commodities can be revoked.
Clearly, a disparity exists. From a Marxist perspective, it’s when the credit enters into the equation that a problem arises. The standard equation of capitalism is disrupted, and because capitalism is the organization of the economic substructure on which our culture operates, all other aspects of social life are affected as well. Referring back to the interrelation of substructure and superstructure, because the substructure in America is disturbed, many institutions of the superstructure are also displaced. The female debt collector depicted in Maxed Out said that, in attempting to collect on overdue bills, she often calls family members or neighbors. In this way, the institution of family is disrupted. On a separate note, the fact that many Americans borrow an exorbitant amount of money and have a difficult time repaying it puts a strain on the economy and government. Specifically, making monthly minimum payments of mostly interest serves only to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
To complete the discussion of Marx, it’s essential to remember his assertion that, as the chief economic substructure, capitalism is the source of alienation. Alienation, he says, causes a person to become “separated from the basic qualities of humanness,” that being primarily the right to find joy in collective work (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 6). What Maxed Out does a magnificent job of illustrating is the wide-ranging effects that a capitalistic market, with predatory entities such as credit card companies, has on the ability of individuals to maintain control of their life, and live out the maxims that Marx has set down as essential to being human.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Karl Marx explored a plethora of ideas during his time, however his main focus, and that which is most readily seen in Maxed Out, is this idea of the duality of substructure and superstructure, and its applications to capitalism. As the foremost premise, Marx believed that it was the essential nature of human beings to enjoy participating in collective work. He saw the depravity of this experience as a crime against the fundamental being of human nature.
The economic substructure, to Marx, is the defining structure of society. The economic and material relationships formed and maintained in the substructure, are what shape the superstructure, or the “secondary and dependent set of institutions and ideas” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 4). The superstructure, then, is comprised of society’s most basic institutions such as government, religion, and education. How the link between substructure and superstructure is formed then, is “through human activity as people take the formative experience of the economy into their life in the family, politics, religion, [and] education” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 5).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
The substructure, in essence an economic foundation of society’s organization, is an economic arrangement that can take more than one form. What Marx analyzes during his lifetime is the resulting effect on the superstructure, that the substructure, when organized as capitalism, has. What Marx determines is that when capitalism is in fact the mode of substructural organization, then alienation is like to result, something he describes as “a distinctive malaise of the human personality” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 1). Put simply, this is the inability to experience pleasurable, collective work.
Maxed Out introduces a new class of individual who has become eternally indebted to credit card companies or other lenders. These people are slaves to the monthly minimum payment they face on their enormous-and-growing liabilities. In this way, partially, the poor continuously grow poorer. In analyzing this phenomenon, it helps to take a look at the Marxist model of capitalism. That is, the Proletariat trade their commodity, that being their physical bodies and their capacity to provide labor, for money, that they then use to purchase other commodities off which to live. So what you see with the Proletariat in America is not that they have much of a problem with providing labor and receiving money for doing so. It’s that instead of only using their money to purchase other commodities off which to live, lenders have provided credit which can also be used to purchase those commodities. What ultimately happens is that the working class buys commodities on credit, but because they are on credit, they’re not truly owned by the worker. The worker owns a liability to the lending company, and if that obligation isn’t met in some small form each month, then the purchase commodities can be revoked.
Clearly, a disparity exists. From a Marxist perspective, it’s when the credit enters into the equation that a problem arises. The standard equation of capitalism is disrupted, and because capitalism is the organization of the economic substructure on which our culture operates, all other aspects of social life are affected as well. Referring back to the interrelation of substructure and superstructure, because the substructure in America is disturbed, many institutions of the superstructure are also displaced. The female debt collector depicted in Maxed Out said that, in attempting to collect on overdue bills, she often calls family members or neighbors. In this way, the institution of family is disrupted. On a separate note, the fact that many Americans borrow an exorbitant amount of money and have a difficult time repaying it puts a strain on the economy and government. Specifically, making monthly minimum payments of mostly interest serves only to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
To complete the discussion of Marx, it’s essential to remember his assertion that, as the chief economic substructure, capitalism is the source of alienation. Alienation, he says, causes a person to become “separated from the basic qualities of humanness,” that being primarily the right to find joy in collective work (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Karl Marx,” Page 6). What Maxed Out does a magnificent job of illustrating is the wide-ranging effects that a capitalistic market, with predatory entities such as credit card companies, has on the ability of individuals to maintain control of their life, and live out the maxims that Marx has set down as essential to being human.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
The film Maxed Out is a documentary by filmmaker James Scurlock that attempts to depict the present state of lending services and debt in the United States. Scurlock’s focus is not limited to any particular debt instrument, but encompasses lines of credit, mortgages, credit cards, and predatory lending practices. The purpose of the film seems to be to shed some light on the inequalities facing the American Proletariat with regard to financial instruments, debt instruments in particular. An undereducated American lower-class is being taken advantage of by major corporations, and simply because these individuals do not know any better, they are being turned into slaves, metaphorically speaking.
In essence, the United States has become a country where credit card use is a traditional practice, and going into debt is considered entirely normal. Most Americans experience at least the debt associated with a home mortgage. However, what’s being encouraged more and more in recent years is the use of credit cards. Americans are encouraged by their credit card companies, their friends, television commercials, and even the mass media which displays particular attitudes, to use their credit cards freely, and to charge even the most diminutive of expenses. Credit card use has become especially commonplace this day-and-age and Americans take that luxury for granted. In this country, it is expected that every type of expense will be charged to a credit card; in doing so, Americans expect to pay interest on the money that they borrow. What most people fail to realize, however, is the truly grandiose scale that interest payments take on in proportion to the amount of principal that they borrow. And so, some people become enslaved to the credit card companies, and must struggle each month to make the monthly minimum payments. “Where is the justice?” one might ask. What this implies, however, is that there is justice to be found, when in truth a more appropriate question is, “Is there justice?” The theories of four critical sociologists (three and one group of sociologists – Africana) will be applied to the film Maxed Out to examine the reaction each might have to the implications presented.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
In essence, the United States has become a country where credit card use is a traditional practice, and going into debt is considered entirely normal. Most Americans experience at least the debt associated with a home mortgage. However, what’s being encouraged more and more in recent years is the use of credit cards. Americans are encouraged by their credit card companies, their friends, television commercials, and even the mass media which displays particular attitudes, to use their credit cards freely, and to charge even the most diminutive of expenses. Credit card use has become especially commonplace this day-and-age and Americans take that luxury for granted. In this country, it is expected that every type of expense will be charged to a credit card; in doing so, Americans expect to pay interest on the money that they borrow. What most people fail to realize, however, is the truly grandiose scale that interest payments take on in proportion to the amount of principal that they borrow. And so, some people become enslaved to the credit card companies, and must struggle each month to make the monthly minimum payments. “Where is the justice?” one might ask. What this implies, however, is that there is justice to be found, when in truth a more appropriate question is, “Is there justice?” The theories of four critical sociologists (three and one group of sociologists – Africana) will be applied to the film Maxed Out to examine the reaction each might have to the implications presented.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
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