Introduction
Sociology focuses on the bond created between various institutions, including schools, religious centers, health facilities, and the community, with individual beneficiaries of the institutions. Many theories that have assisted in understanding the sociocultural characteristics of people have studied sociological elements. These paradigms include; conflict, structural-functionalism, and symbolic interactionism theories (Berkeley, 2022). Moreover, these paradigms have been used to analyze various concepts in films and novels to bring a clear picture of the intended message of the authors and the editor’s creative works. For instance, in “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” film, sociologists reviewed many societal aspects that the author intended to use in passing information to the public. According to the film, the main characters, Patient McMurphy and Nurse Ratched, fall on opposite sides in believing in the best possible processes to handle cases in the ward. Therefore, sociologists try to evaluate various communities’ societal beliefs and practices. However, the primary teaching from the film “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is that inclusion and consensus methods should be considered while treating patients with mental health issues.
Society must therefore use a friendly approach to people convenient to them with good intentions, understanding, and inclusion in societal operations. This paper emphasizes two of the three social paradigms evident in “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” including; conflict and symbolic interactionism theories. The paper also expounds on the conflict between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched in managing the ward’s patients and the competition’s implications (Berkeley, 2022). On the other hand, the social interactionism theory shall dwell on the behavioral aspect of various characters in society, including the deviant traits of McMurphy and Nurse Ratched’s reactions to the mentally ill patients admitted to the hospital.
The Conflict Theory
Karl Max developed the conflict theory after pondering the social problems humans face. According to him, society continuously faces conflicts due to the competition to obtain limited resources for daily activities. As such, the theory emphasizes that for the maintenance of order in society, power and domination must be in existence. These two aspects surpass the conformity and consensus conflict resolution notions deemed ineffective (Dorst, 2019). Furthermore, various assumptions revolve around the conflict theory that human beings are self-centered and that society functions continually with limited resources. Lastly, conflict is unavoidable and pervasive between and within societal groups (Rina et al., 2021). For example, the battle depicted in “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” film as evident in the hospital operations as conflicting actions arise between the patients and the nurse.
Randle McMurphy, a mental health patient admitted to the hospital for health monitoring after showing complications in prison, found himself at loggerheads with Ratched, the nurse in charge. The patient often had conflicting ideas with the nurses on how mental health activities should be done. This, therefore, brought about a conflict between human decency and the institution’s powers. The health institution had a rule that the person with a mental health condition could watch specific staff as recommended by the experts. However, when Randle was admitted, he introduced the idea of watching the game’s behaviors (Leise, 2018). The idea was rejected by Nurse Ratched, who strictly followed the institutional regulations. A vote count toward McMurphy’s theory was unsuccessful, making him feel not included in the decision-making (Rina et al., 2021). However, the institutional rules were to be obeyed, and no complaint was expected from the side of the patients.
Symbolic Interactionism Theory
According to symbolic interactionism, people react to aspects of their surroundings based on the personal meanings they ascribe to them. For example, meanings can be generated and changed through social interaction by communicating with others using symbols. According to this view, people exist in both the natural world and the symbolic environment. A process known as symbolic interaction uses characters stored in the mind to animate mutual meaning and values. On the same note, the film “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” uses several symbols to identify most characters based on their behaviors (Leise, 2018). Moreover, through the film, Ken Kesey skillfully shapes and reinforces the idea of how society corrupts young brains. The mental ward combination effectively represents the isolation of those with mental illnesses.
Randal McMurphy, for instance, has been symbolized in the film as having deviant behavior and has acted as a savior to mental health patients. Randle’s strange behavior, which included his involvement in statutory rape, resulted in his expulsion from society (Rina et al., 2021). Randle had previously displayed deviance by acting contrary to societal norms before he started this activity. Randle also defied the jail terms forcing him to spend the rest of his jail term in mental healthcare behaviors (Leise, 2018). He also went contrary to the institution’s will by not following the orders. Nonetheless, his deviation from the mental institution’s policies was advantageous to some patients. He empowered his fellow patients through his deviance, bringing them joy, freedom, and power, thus symbolizing the savior.
Nurse Ratched exemplifies contemporary society’s oppressive automation, dehumanization, and masculinization. Ratched did not study deviation; instead, she just opposed every action of the insane patients. The majority of Ratched’s acts towards insane patients defy social psychology. Instead, they expose her lack of knowledge of academic and social psychology. However, Nurse Ratched’s behavior is consistent with Sykes and Matza’s neutralization hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, conformists frequently aim to satisfy higher authorities and denounce perceived deviants, deny harm, and deny responsibility (Dorst, 2019). Nurse Ratched consistently engages in these acts by depriving the patients of their rights, treating them like inanimate objects, and making their lives into mindless rituals. Furthermore, she works tirelessly to maintain the mental health facility’s institutional culture.
Conclusion
Sociology focuses on the relationship between various institutions, such as schools, religious institutions, healthcare facilities, the community, and the people who benefit from the institutions. Numerous ideas that have aided in the comprehension of human society have studied sociological aspects of culture. Conflict and symbolic interactionism sociological theories have been reviewed in the film. Karl Max considered the societal issues people encounter as he developed the conflict theory. According to him, societal conflicts are a constant result of rivalry for the limited resources needed for daily activity. The conflict between human and institutional decency in the above film is evident as McMurphy and Nurse Ratched have conflicting opinions (Rina et al., 2021). The symbolic interactionism theory holds that people respond to elements of their environment based on the personal meanings they assign to them. For instance, Randal McMurphy, who has behaved as a rescuer for mental health patients, is portrayed in the movie as having aberrant behavior. Nurse Ratched is a prime example of modern society’s oppressive mechanization, dehumanization, and masculinization.
Sociologists endeavor to choose the right party in light of societal values. The main lesson from “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is that people with mental health concerns should be treated in various ways. Just like the government has rules and regulations, at some point, harsh laws are lowered in favor of the citizens in critical situations (Berkeley, 2022). Therefore, society must employ the most acceptable strategy for dealing with individuals that is convenient for them, along with goodwill, comprehension, and inclusion in social activities.
References
Berkeley, B. (2022). Evaluating Complementarity in Sociological Worldviews and Sociological Methods of Data Collection. Open Access Library Journal, 9(7), 1–11.
Dorst, A. G. (2019). Translating metaphorical mind style: machinery and ice metaphors in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Perspectives, 27(6), 875–889.
Leise, C. (2018). Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s nest: Damming the Columbia River and traumatic loss. ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 25(1), 62–79.
Rina, K., Menon, V., & Kumar Padhy, S. (2021). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: The chronicles of Stigma and a proposed socio-cognitive-emotional-behavioral Model for understanding its Genesis in COVID-19. Psychiatria Danubina, 33(3), 378–385.