Sociological Reflections on High School: a media analysis of Glee

The following is a paper I wrote for a sociology class and I have been thinking alot about group dynamics and fitting in and the difference a close knit group of friends can make in one person's life...more on that topic to come.

The minority to be analyzed is the subordinate group in the high school environment. More specifically: how can membership in a subordinate group perceived as “bottom of the rung”, enhance the cohesiveness of that socially subordinate group in the adolescent environment, and how does the subgroup attempt to overcome the negative perception imposed on them? The hypothesis being that members of a social group with specific goals, perceived as subordinate and influenced by the social superiority of their peers will bond as a result of common social maltreatment as well as common goals. The results of this study can provide an understanding of the realistic ability for high school aged children to develop healthy relationships despite their subordinate status within their social environment and whether this idea is accurately represented in the media.
Literature Review In addressing the concrete definition and study of cohesion, Moody and White explain the ongoing issue of cohesion this way: “Although questions about social cohesion lie at the core of our discipline, definitions are often vague and difficult to operationalize…Structural cohesion is defined as the minimum number of actors who, if removed from the group would disconnect the group…” (p. 103). In their study of peer relationships amongst high school students the authors “show that network positions predicts school attachment” and that the cohesiveness of such attachments is greatly shaped by the group having a “status beyond any individual group member.” (Moody & White, pp 104,122) Other studies look specifically at the influence of group identity within the subordinate group status. In their study of the social significance and cohesiveness of the high school musical groups, researchers Adderley, Benz, & Kennedy found that the subgroups formed by these musical organizations, “form subcultures of their own within the larger school setting and that these subcultures prove to be important vehicles for support and growth.” (Adderley, Benz, & Kennedy, p 191) Their interviews with students who participated in such groups suggested that these students did so with multiple benefits; most particularly an open classroom with a social environment leading to a group which develops a structured sense of group identity. (p.200-201) According to Kinney (1993), studies involving high school, as well as intergroup social interactions, have clearly shown how these social relationships shaped the individuals view not only of themselves, but others as well. Findings have been strong in supporting the belief that those who actively participate in extracurricular activities were defined by a healthier sense of self. (Kinney, 1993, p.22)
Methodology
Because we are examining the representation of minorities in media, particularly on television, content analysis is the most effective form of research. My study involves the portrayal of the group dynamic within a clearly defined subordinate high school group as represented by the Glee club on Fox’s television show, Glee. Although there are twelve episodes in which a pattern of cohesion becomes well-developed, I have selected the first three episodes to represent the parameters of my research.
Results
Within the high school world of Glee clear there is a clearly defined social hierarchy as described by the cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester in the pilot episode. Sue: High school is a caste system, kids fall into certain slots. Your jocks and your popular kids, up in the penthouse; the invisibles and the kids playing live-action druids and trolls out in the forest, bottom floor. Will Schuester: And where do the Glee kids live? Sue: Sub-basement.
The subgroup represented by the Glee club is slow going at first. It initially collects the socially ostracized misfits: the overeager star, the closet drama queen, the Asian punk rock chick, the paraplegic, and the African-American diva. As the show progresses the viewpoint of the general school population regarding the members of Glee club are evidenced by their blatant ridicule via slushies to the face in the case of Rachel Berry or regular hurling into the dumpster by football players in the case of Kurt. But peer bullying will eventually extend to the more socially accepted students who join, like the football quarterback, Finn Hudson, whose fellow teammates bombard him with paint pellets once they find out he has joined Glee club.
As the make connections through performing together the differences between them take a back seat to their mutual goal. Initially intimidated and a little afraid of Rachel’s aggressive behavior Finn tells her in Episode 2:
Finn: Well, when I first joined I thought you were kind of insane. I mean, you talk a lot. More than you should. To be honest with you I looked under the bed, made sure you weren’t hanging out under there…but then I heard you sing…It touched something in me. Despite the slushies to the face for Rachel, or being called deep throat by fellow teammates for Finn, as he reveals in Episode 3, the connection they make through music binds the growing Glee club together. Through his membership in Glee, Finn withdraws from the typical high school antics he was previously involved in like in Episode 1 when watches his “buddies” swing Kurt into the dumpster. When Finn finally decides he is committed to Glee at the end of the Pilot Episode he tells the other members, “I don’t want to be the guy that just drives around throwing eggs at people….that isn’t who I am…This is what I want to be doing, with you guys….We’re all here for the same reason, because we want to be good at something.” The growing cohesiveness and clear emotional connectedness is clearly evidenced in two incidents in Episode 3. Although much of this episode revolves around the attempts by Sue Sylvester and her cheerleaders to thwart the success of the club by focusing on their need to win at Regionals, the Glee kids rise above the desire to win at all costs when their group dynamic is threatened by the overbearing choreographer they bring in to improve their chances. When he tells Artie he is cut because he isn’t trying hard enough to walk and a wheelchair is depressing, the group seems to crumble. But as Dakota continues to ridicule the individual members for what he perceives as their “flaws”, like Mercedes being too fat or Rachel needing a nose job, the group led by Rachel decides he is unnecessary because, “…we don’t need you…We’re going to win because we’re different, and that’s what makes us special.” Who they are as a musical family is what makes them special The second scenario that exemplifies the cohesiveness despite inner and external pressures is the ability Kurt finds to reveal that he is gay to Mercedes. Although, it seems obvious to many in the group, it is not until Mercedes takes an interest in him that Kurt is forced to admit it out loud. Mercedes’s response models the bonds which hold this subordinate group together. Mercedes: You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are, Kurt. You should just tell people, especially the kids in Glee. The whole point of the club is about expressing what’s really inside you.
Discussion
While the show is certainly a generalized as well as hyperbolic representation of the high school experience it allows for a strong representation of what the research claims. That a school sponsored group where teens participate with a shared goal and allowing for sincere personal expression and social development can strengthen the bonds of that subordinate group and allow them to buffer the day-to-day challenges of being allocated to the “sub-basement.”