One of the underlying themes of the movie Menace II Society shows the negative side of a child's life when they lack an authoritative figure. The film takes a look into a poverty-stricken community, saturated with deviance and weak authoritative bonds. The combination of weak outer controls and a lack of appreciation of authority contributes to a community stuck in an ongoing cycle of youth violence, a negligent disregard for education, and a skewed idea of the means of a decent income. This movie demonstrates that even when trying to escape from the social norms of a community, for a more socially conformed atmosphere, individuals will suffer consequences such as emotional or even physical attack from the community.
The protagonist in the film, Caine Lawson, or "Kaydee" raised in an affiliated gang community, attempts to survive day to day life living within the unpredictable neighborhood environment. The movie starts with Caine and his friend, O-Dog, in a liquor store buying beer. From the moment they walk in, they are immediately profiled as potential criminals by the store clerks, not because of specific actions but based on race and personal appearance. The direct labeling instills frustration between Caine and O-Dog, also serving as an example of the labeling theory. The labeling theory, created by Howard Becker, is when people are viewed as criminals by other individuals usually who are more molded to the social norms, and the people depicted that way end up fulfilling the label as to which they are viewed to be. This theory is proven correct when O-Dog proceeds to fulfill the prophecy by shooting up both the man working the cash register after he made one comment that didn't sit well with O-Dog and his wife when demanding her to give him the security tape. O-Dog fulfills this stereotype cast on himself and demonstrates one of the two types of the labeling theory, known as secondary deviance. Secondary deviance is when one person's self-concept changes once labeled deviant (Camelot). The situation to Caine seems to be normality as O-Dog proves throughout the rest of the film to be somewhat spontaneous and live up to the label he has been casted as, again proving Howard Becker's original labeling theory correct. Another example of the labeling theory is when Caine's grandparents decided to take him in after his parents became absent in his life. They decided to kick him out of the house as he seemed to be too dangerous to be around and feared that they would consequently be punished by the law or by a gang member through affiliation with Caine. The last example of the labeling theory I witnessed was when a white man, who seemed to have a pretty strong connection with the societal norms, asks Caine and his fellow gang members to steal a car for an insurance scam. The white man, scared as can be for his safety, is requested to meet back at the house where they all hung out, the following night past 10 p.m. Seeing that it would be dark by 10 o'clock, the white man feared for his safety even more than he had been during broad daylight when he asked initially to steal the car. This example shows that the man (rightfully so) labeled the community he entered was dangerous and that a white man walking around at night in this neighborhood would be subject to violent behavior or robbery.
The next few scenes of the movie, show how Caine's life was exposed to rather weak outer controls by showing his drug-addicted mother, that seemed to be absent-minded, and his drug-dealing father. With weak bonds between his father and mother, who seemed to be absent majority of his adolescence, he sought after someone who would be his role model. The role model that he ended up adopting was a character by the name of Pernell. Pernell is someone who is gang affiliated as well and was raised in the same crime infested neighborhood. With Pernell's involvement and commitments within society being illegitimate, this shows that both Pernell and Caine would live out their lives in crime and violence. These scenes are a perfect example of the weak form of the control-bond theory. The control-bond theory originally curated by Walter Reckless in 1973, is when inner and outer controls superintend an individual's behavior, and depending on the impact of those inner and outer controls will determine whether they will be more likely to live a deviant or conformed lifestyle. Travis Hirschi, another founding father of this theory, states that the inner and outer controls in a person will depict their ‘self-control' throughout the rest of their life. Caine, as well as his peers demonstrate weak self-control in the movie when they decide to avenge the death of Caine's cousin instead of reporting the murder to the police. All of these examples of the control bond theory show why Caine, O-dog, Parnell, and all of the other members of the community face such a hard path to survive.
Throughout all of the crime and violence in the movie, the film takes a twist and leaves Caine with the decision of giving a young boy the opportunities of developing proper inner controls as well as giving himself a more prosperous, and socially accepted livelihood. Caine's mentor Pernell is locked away in prison leaving his son, and girlfriend Ronnie behind, making Caine feel responsible for the well being of his dear friend's son and girlfriend. With this debt that Caine feels he owed Pernell given the fact of everything Pernell did for him growing up, Caine chooses to take care of Ronnie, and her son both in security and financially. Given the fact that Caine earns his income in illegitimate means, Ronnie, who seems to have more institutionalized means for achieving the societal goals, chooses not to accept the money provided by Caine, as it has either been stolen or made unethically. With Caine feeling that he owes it to Pernell to take care of Ronnie and her son, Caine refuses to take the money back as she is a single parent with no job. With Caine trying to provide financial comfort but using an illegitimate manner to do so, he is practicing an example of the strain theory. The strain theory is when an individual or community chooses to go against the social norms for creating financial comfort by either robbing, stealing, or selling narcotics, or any number of unconstitutional ways of making a living. Caine is what we could describe as an innovator, as he is not trying to make a living by using his educational background, or hard work, but by cheating the system and taking from others. Another example of the strain theory in this movie is back to when the white man requested the help from Caine's posse to hijack the black sedan to fulfill an insurance scam. Being a wrong way of earning money by cheating the system, demonstrates a prime example of how the people within this community choose not to stick with the societal norms of earning a living but would instead make shortcuts whenever possible.
The last sociological perspective towards deviance that was found smothered within this movie is the differential association theory. Differential association theory is when oneself learns conformity or deviance based upon the culture they are raised around. For example, if Caine grew up in a loving household, to a father who was a policeman and a mother who was a grade school teacher, then he would more than likely be more conformed to society as a whole. However, given the fact he grew up in a blue collar neighborhood, and raised by absent, drug using/selling parents, and was surrounded by people who grew up very similar to his own life, he ended up becoming more deviant to the social norms. An example from the movie of this differential association theory with it leaning more towards defiance to society is at the beginning of the movie when Caine talks about how his parents always had people over, and these people were buying or doing drugs, or they were on their way or just got out of prison. Growing up around these types of people and their parents being friends or neighbors to such people, leaves no shock to the viewer as to why Caine ended up adopting such a rough lifestyle. Another example of this theory is Caine's lack of care within the school and even admitting to the fact he would show up half the time and would be mentally checked out even when present. The entire movie is covered in perfect examples of how Caine's life has been lead down a defiant path versus a more safe and secure lifestyle. The relationship he ends up developing with Ronnie pushes him to desire a long, happy life without violence or crime, leading him to live on the opposite side of the differential association theory; however, he would still be significantly rooted to his core to a deviant lifestyle.
Throughout the film, there is a specific pattern of events that with Ronnie's son and Caine. The viewer, ends up hoping that Ronnie's son doesn't become the same by-product of his community as his father Pernell did, or even Caine was, and end up hoping that the child finds a conforming member of society to be his role model, so the same tragic sequence of events aren't repeated once more. This movie ends on a very depressing note as Caine seems to desire a better life with Ronnie and her son, but right before they leave to Georgia, A drive-by shooting initiates, killing O-Dog, A-Wax, and Caine as he tries to protect Ronnie's son from being shot. Based on this film, it is clear to see why people end up having to choose a life of crime or violence versus conforming within society. The culture within a community like this is unethical and dangerous for anyone's well and indeed opens the viewer's eyes to the importance of nurturing the adolescent properly, and the importance of education and strict norms. Without this, you are left with a life of defiance.