A Bronx Tale

The last week of class we watched the movie a Bronx Tale. It follows the life of Collogero in an Italian neighborhood. The films depicts a lot of hidden sociological themes. These themes include, micro-macro dynamics, groups, social construction of reality, and sociological imagination.

The micro and macro dynamics in the movie cover racism. Why is the neighborhood racist? Some micro forces would be being raised by racist parents. With parents passing down prejudice to their kids, it is no wonder the kids will be racist. In the movie, "C" says, "We hate these people, well I don't hate them." He looks at the group that is his neighborhood and identifies their hate and automatically associates the hate with himself. Even though he does not hate black people. Some macro forces would be government building low income housing close to the Italian neighborhood. This causes minoities to have to drive through the Italian neighborhood. This causes more racial tension.

There are many groups and even sup groups in the movie. The main groups would be the Italians and the African Americans, but within these groups there are more important sup groups. Especially in the case of the Italians. There is the mobsters and there is "C"'s family. C belongs too both. He is a son in his family and friend/associate to the mob. In the beginning of the film, C's master status is a son in his family. As the movie progresses he leans toward the side of the mob, but in the end remains loyal to his father and family. I think throughout the movie his master status remains being a son. There is also a small group within the mob. This would be Sonny and C. They are in a friendship that lets them look out for each other and advise each other. In this group, C is a friend and student in a sense, learning life lessons of the streets.

The social construction of reality in the movie and neighborhood is based off the mobs rule. The unwritten rules of the neighborhood are enforced by the mobsters. These rules include no snitching, no disrespecting a mobster, no disrespecting the neighborhood. Especially no argueing over parking spots, that will get you killed. But all these rules are made by the mob and the people of the neighborhood accept as if the government made the rules. That is just how things are done there. They accept tha way of life because it seemingly as always been like that. They have made there own rules based off what their society has told them is right.

C's story shows a lot of things on the surface, but with a sociological imagination, we can see more to the story. C's life is not uncommon. Many cities have similar situations with organized crime. This is rooted in life before America. In Sicily, there was the origin of the Mafia and it came to America with Italian immigrates. At times it seemed alright for these men to break the law in order to protect the neighborhood. It eventually became normal. No one would challenge the mob, but more importantly no one would challenge the way of life everyone had come to known, good or bad. Because it was normal. This is why C is so influenced by these men, because their society had them above everyone else.