Running head: REFERENCE GROUPS AND 13TH DOCUMENTARY

Reference Groups and 13th Documentary

<Name>

<University Name>
REFERENCE GROUPS AND 13TH DOCUMENTARY
2

Reference Groups and 13th Documentary

Q1. The reference group that I emulate is my family specifically because they have significantly

shaped the way I view the world. My value system is significantly shaped by my family, since

they were the first people who I learnt to interact with before starting school. I came to realize

how much impact the socialization process has on my world perception as well as the impact that

it has on my belief and value system. As much as I am older now, I have come to learn how

distinctively different my view of the world can be when compared to some of my peers while it

is very compatible with my siblings’. Some of the things that I had initially considered common

knowledge turned out to be valuable information to some of the people who I interacted with. I

have had a chance to interact with people from different socioeconomical backgrounds as well as

those from different age groups and ethnicities. These interactions have made me realize how big

of an impact my family has had on the way I view the world as well as on my behavior patterns.

So often have I found myself reacting the same way my sibling or mother would to an

experience. I am forever grateful to my family, especially my parents, whose instructions never

seem to depart from my memory. I strive to emulate the principles that they have taught me to

date, especially during times of conflict or when I am experiencing a dilemma. Evaluating my

behavior in light of the standards and principles of my family is crucial to my identity. I am

always keen to know what my parents think of a big step that I take in life, whether it relates to

my personal development or familial relations.

Q2. Qualitative research methods were used to support the documentary’s main ideas. The

directors of the documentary seek expert opinions from different scholars as well as highlight

some of the pertinent issues related to racism in the United States through the documentaries,

films and songs from the 20th century.

REFERENCE GROUPS AND 13TH DOCUMENTARY
3

2. Social institutions played many important roles in the documentary that include policy

enactment, victimization and oppression, liberation and empowerment. Accordingly, the

government as an institution enacted laws that propagated racism especially in the South. Groups

such as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) actively victimized, oppressed and lynched members of the

Black community for petty offenses. While some of the members of the Black community were

wrongfully accused, thousands of them died while the government made no interventions to

address these atrocities. However, social institutions such as the church through religion and

educational institutions also empowered members of the Black community with knowledge

concerning their rights – actions which subsequently led to the Civil Rights Movement.

3. In reference to the documentary, whites and Blacks are in conflict wherein white supremacists

inflict pain and torture on members of the Black community based on racial differences. This

oppression further stems from the abolishment of slavery, where the Black community acted as a

significant asset to the generation of wealth. Essentially, the documentary shows how racism has

led to atrocities such as lynching and mass incarceration.

4. Some of the symbols observed in the documentary include the KKK symbol and attire, which

were not only indicative of white supremist but also implied that Black people’s lives was

endangered.