Table of contentsAnalysis through the lens of conflict theories and structural functionalismGender inequality - one of the most prevalent social problemsConcluding thoughtsWorks citedRegarding different aspects of sociological thought , the 1998 film Mulan provides many illustrations of intriguing social behavior. Mulan tells the story of a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man in order to protect her sick father, Fa Zhou, from being drafted into another war. China is attacked by a group called the Huns led by Shan Yu. Following this attack, the Chinese army requests that one man from each family serve and help defeat the Huns. Zhou had already served in a previous war which left him in a weaker condition than most. Mulan fears that her father will die because of his condition and decides to take his place. At that time, China was under a patriarchal regime, which meant that Mulan was immediately ignored because she was a woman. Nonetheless, Mulan does whatever it takes to protect her father and family: she cuts her hair, takes her father's armor, and heads to the training ground. There, Mulan faces many challenges but overcomes them by showing resilience and perseverance, which allows her to keep up with the other men. Mulan defeats the Hun leader Shan Yu and in doing so saves all of China. Although she was a woman, she was given a sword and the crest of the emperor, which are among the highest honors. Mulan returns home to her father proud. In the film Mulan, sociological concepts such as structural functionalism, conflict, gender, and inequality are prominent and work together to highlight a variety of social interactions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Mulan has been a successful film because it takes viewers to vicariously experience the ways of life through Mulan. The director and writers use powerful imagery such as historically accurate illustrations of the characters, their clothing, and their culture. Using this technique, the audience, mostly young and impressionable, is introduced to the cultural distinctions of another country. This allows viewers to temporarily experience Mulan's sociological perspective. While entertaining, the film provided valuable insight into cultural differences.Analysis Through the Lens of Conflict Theories and Structural FunctionalismThe sociological theories that were prevalent throughout the film emphasized conflict and structural functionalism. Shan Yu, leader of the Huns, attacks China in an attempt to gain wealth and power. He chooses to go into battle to defeat the Chinese army and show them what a real and powerful leader looks like. Shan Yu represents the poor while Mulan and her village represent the rich. He may express his frustration at being in the lower class of society in retaliation. According to Stein and Ferris, "conflict theory proposes that conflicts and tensions are fundamental facts of social life and suggests that people have disagreements about goals and values ​​and are involved in struggles over resources and power ". Mulan also faces a gender role conflict between herself and her male alter ego Ping. When Mulan is herself, her thoughts and actions are dismissed in an instant, but when she is Ping, she experiences the freedoms that come with being a man. When Mulan first impersonates Ping, she struggles with the ideology of male behavior.For example, in one of Mulan's scenes, a fight breaks out, and Mulan attributes it to the fact that it was just one of those things men do, saying, "but you know what it's like when you feel these manly urges and you just have to kill something.” Her rationalization of turbulent men perhaps comes from seeing men as dominant figures, such that they have the right to do whatever they want. Mulan presents structural functionalism as one of its key points for societal expectations. Ferris and Stein define structural functionalism as “a paradigm based on the assumption that society is a unified whole that functions through the contributions of its distinct structures.” In Mulan, Mulan and her village must follow the rules established at that time. The company believes that with these rules in place, it works well for them. Women are expected to marry and function as housewives and procreators while men are the breadwinners. Mulan focuses heavily on gender and inequality. Throughout the film, her success depends on the gender she was displaying at the time. In the film, gender is presented as dominant or submissive. Men are dominant and women must seek approval from said men. During the film, Mulan attempts to plead her case as to why her father couldn't survive another war to which she received the response "Silence!" You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue in the presence of a man.” Since Mulan is a woman, her only task is to get married, and the idea of ​​this is conveyed by Belarmino and Roberts' study in which they write: "Five of the women interviewed believed that family expectations centered on marriage ". According to an article written on the effects of sexist roles: “Despite the involvement of women in economic activities, certain behaviors considered weak or simple are attributed to the feminine gender. In an analysis conducted by Melanie Belarmino and Melinda R. Roberts, they express how inequality and patriarchal rule go hand in hand by stating: "Gender inequality results from long-standing patriarchal societies in which women have more expectations of them and less expectations. freedoms than their male counterparts. This is displayed in Mulan when all the other women are waiting and preparing to meet the "matchmaker" to find husbands and bring "honor" to their families. Gender inequality – one of the most widespread social problems. evident in Mulan by the interactions between the male and female characters. A heartbreaking scene took place when Mulan considered herself a failure because she couldn't bring honor to her family; In a study conducted by Soltanpanah and colleagues, “the results of a cross-cultural study examining different samples of women confirmed our prediction that gender role satisfaction is related to general life satisfaction. Mulan also believed that she couldn't do anything right in life, which, if she wasn't a strong woman, could have led to her developing depression. Mulan was able to overcome her struggles and honor her family by being persistent as a woman with little to no voice. Mulan helps one understand the sociological concepts above through the use of visual aids and how the characters interact with each other. Looking at sociological principles visually displayed through the life of a young woman from a different culture, time, and country helps me more objectively see these principles applied in my own life. We can see similarities in the pressures exerted by societal expectations; because it can be to go to.