Akeelah and The Bee: Social Identity
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
Course Name
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Akeelah and The Bee: Social Identity
The film "Akeelah and the Bee" portrays social identity. Various social identities have been in the film. The description of the social identities based on the individual characters of the film, the family and some plot lines. The description of the social identity of the film is therefore essential and takes place based on the various aspects. In the film "Akeelah and the Bee," the identities associated with each family member and how they contribute to the family's experiences and challenges include the following:
Akeelah Anderson
Ethnicity: African-American
Socioeconomic Status: Working class
Gender: Female
Age: Teenager
Race: Black
The three social identities of Akeelah which are more prominent are her race, gender, and social class. Akeelah, an African American girl with a working-class background, is the main protagonist. From an early age, Akeelah battles with unequal educational opportunities and resources. Her academic judgement comes with its unique pressures. Venturing into academics and participating in various academic activities with the three major groups of identities is a major challenge for her.
Dr. Joshua Larabee
Ethnicity: African-American
Socioeconomic Status: Middle class
Gender: Male
Age: Middle-age adult
Race: Black
The identities of Dr. Larabee as an African-American man and an educator in his roles as Akeelah's coach and mentor lead their journeys. Dr. Larabee is a middle-class man earning a salary from his work. However, due to his social identity, he is likely to face some challenges. One major consideration is the discrimination that he is likely to face in the workplace and while interacting with other people.
Tanya Anderson
Ethnicity: African-American
Socioeconomic Status: Poor
Gender: Female
Age: Middle-age adult
Race: Black
Race: Black
Tanya is portrayed as a single parent and is stressed due to the work that she has to do to take care of four children and a grandchild. This contributes significantly to her social class and financial status. Her working various jobs to provide for her family shows the barriers a lot of African American families face in communities with high poverty levels. The social identity she represents indicates not only the ethnicity, racial and gender challenges but also social status.
Devon Anderson
Ethnicity: African-American
Socioeconomic Status: Working class/poor
Gender: Male
Age: Young adult
Race: Black
Devon struggles with various identities, including his race as a young African American man, loss and grief, as well as the challenges of growing up in a low-income neighbourhood. However, he ultimately triumphs over these struggles and emerges a stronger person. The environment in which he interacts with negative factors represents the fact that those young people are deprived of positive options. Being in such challenges is a critical aspect of social identity determination and the evaluation of the challenges that a person with similar challenges can face.
The Anderson family is a social minority which comprises mainly the people who are oppressed of their social identity as Africans and working class and poor people. The movie talks more about race, socioeconomic differences, educational background and opportunities, which eventually cross each other, and they all contribute to the family’s crisis.
In the film, there are examples of such identities and conflicts, including Akeelah's struggle to fulfill her studies while looking after her family. Another challenge is seen in Dr. Larabee's beginning reluctance to work with Akeelah due to his experience. Also, Tanya's struggle to provide for her children the best she can, considering her financial struggles and Devon's engagement with the wrong company and people because of limited opportunities are examples of the portrayals of identity.