Analysis Of The Movie The Pursuit Of Happiness In Terms Of Psychology And Sociology

The self-concept develops through biology and personality, culture and gender roles, reflected appraisal, and social comparison. Personality, or ways of thinking and behaviors that characterize a person, are an important component of self-concept. Likewise, some aspects of one’s personality are shaped, reflected, or affected by how one as raised. Even one’s biology can shape their personality. The culture one grows up in or identifies with, along with societally pressured gender roles placed upon them, affects how they may self-identify. One could feel defined by the group(s) of culture they associate themselves with or one could define themselves independently and outside of the culture they were raised in. Social constructions, such as gender roles and norms, could cause one to act inside of the norm placed upon them, or to question their self-concept if they do not feel like they fit that norm. A reflected appraisal influences one’s self-concept in that their concern for what others think of them, either positively or negatively, is reflected in the image they conceive of themselves. Lastly, one largely can form their self-concept on the notion of social comparison or the way they judge and compare themselves to others. In the movie, The Pursuit of Happiness, Will Gardener takes on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker in hopes that he will get the position in the end and be able to provide for his son. There are multiple examples of reflected appraisal in the film. There are a lot of instances where Gardner must prove that he is an intelligent and skilled intern that can prosper in his training.

Gardner has very little academic experience in his life and when a remark is made on his educational background in reference to his resume, Gardner is quick to respond that he can and will demonstrate that he is a smart man. He does not let what could be a negative reflected appraisal mirror upon him, but rather uses it almost to an advantage to prove to his interviewers and later his employers, that he is, in fact, intelligent, dedicated, and persistent. Similarly, when he shows up without a proper shirt on and covered in paint, he verbally and physically expresses his concern for what others will think of him and how they will question his professionalism and ability to handle the position

The fundamental attribution error is when one emphasizes or attributes another’s tendencies and/or behaviors to internal, rather than external, causes to explain their behaviors. Both a stereotype and a fundamental attribution error are perceptions one will put on another on the basis of externalized generalization without any information or prior knowledge of that person or instance. To use the classic stereotyping of blondes, say one is a tutor trying to help a student. She is struggling and so it may be assumed that she is unintelligent because she fits the role of being a “dumb blonde”; however, what is unknown to the student is that perhaps she has a learning disability or that she does not have ample time to study because she has some personal things going on with her family. Both a stereotype and a fundamental attribution error were perceived in this instance.

When Chris and Christopher skip the line and push to get on the bus so that they can make it to the shelter on time, the other bus goers probably perceived him as rude and self-centered. They did not know that it was an act of desperation so that the two could have food and shelter for that night. The book suggests three steps to use when being mindful of your perceptions: know yourself, focus on others’ characteristics, and consider the context. I think knowing yourself in situations is important because it forces you to stop and think, and also allows room for empathy. It somewhat humbles one and brings them back to the situation at hand that they originally judged so harshly. In the instance of the tutor situation I gave, if I were the tutor and stopped to think about my similar situations, I would realize that I have struggled with classes before and it is unfair to judge when I have easily been in the same position.

A “perceptual scheme” is a mental framework for organizing information. There are four types of perceptual schema that one may use to classify information that they notice about another person(s): physical constructs, role constructs, interaction constructs, and psychological constructs. A physical construct is noticed by objective, subjective, and physical appearances. An example of a physical construct for Will Gardener was when his appearance was questioned when he showed up to his interview without a proper shirt on. Both his professionalism and accountability were put to question at that moment. Role constructs emphasize people’s professional and/or social positions. We see a lot of role constructs in the movie since there is a hierarchy in the organization that Gardner works in. There are many people above him, who teach him, and who demands things form him. His internship was highly competitive, and it is as if the interns are at the bottom of the hierarchy — they were the students to many teachers. Interaction constructs highlight a person’s behavior. Gardner’s character and the narration of his own life are an example of interaction constructs. At various times in the movie, Gardner will comment about his life and how he feels it best reflects his character (e.g. riding the bus, being stupid, happiness, etc.). Psychological constructs stress people’s feelings and thoughts, resulting in one’s perception of another being predetermined. What stood out the most to me for an example of psychological constructs was the character of Linda and her actions in the movie. I think she was portrayed as an emotionally abusive wife and as the antagonist. I think it is important to look at the large amounts of stress that she was under. We see a bit of her character’s sensitive side when she says her goodbyes to Christopher and demands that Chris takes care of him.

Self-disclosure occurs when one communicates some information about themselves to another. When Gardner self-disclosed his technique of how he mastered the Rubix cube and his understanding of how it functioned, he impressed Mr. Twistle. By looking at the previous scenes that led up to this moment, I believe that Mr. Twistle would have never considered Gardner for an interview until this moment. At that moment, Gardener enhanced and furthered his relationship with Mr. Twistle.

Likewise, Gardner could have put himself at risk when he self-disclosed during his interview that the reasoning behind his dress was because he was arrested beforehand for failure to pay parking tickets. At that moment, they could have turned him away on the basis that he may have a criminal record. At that moment, he could have risked rejection and hurting Mr. Twistle for embarrassing him when he had put a lot of faith into him.

I would argue that a majority of the time, the benefits will outweigh the risks in situations of self-disclosure. In the instances of the movie, Gardener had very little to lose and just carried on in his authentic and honest self. I would state that when one self-discloses, they are trying to better a relationship. If one is to then be rejected or face harassment because of their openness, I would argue that a relationship with the one putting judgment on the one that self-disclosed will never be a healthy relationship that one should engage in. One does put themselves at risk for momentary harm, but a positive long-term outcome should be the goal.

Fellowship face is one’s need to feel liked and accepted by others. An example of when a fellowship face is important is for politicians running and trying to win a campaign. They are trying to be liked by the masses to win by popular vote. They often make promises that make themselves seem trustworthy and reliable, with futuristic ideas for change and/or action. Likewise, they may try to market themselves to a specific demographic (i.e. Millennials) and market their campaign in ways that would be favorable to win votes by this specific group. Autonomy face is one’s need to avoid being imposed upon by others. This is especially important for when one needs to be in control of their decisions, opinions, and arguments. Referring back to politics, a voter should have their own favors leaning to particular parties, politicians, and laws and policies. Competence face is one’s need to be respected by being viewed as intelligent and competent. A resume itself demands a competence face. When a resume is necessary, such as when seeking a new career or applying to major life-changing events such as college, a person highlights themselves in ways that competence is followed. In these processes, one exemplifies themselves as over-qualified and well trained in this said field. Personally, I think I struggle the most with fellowship face. I believe that I have a basic understanding of myself and my interests as an individual, and I highly value being an authentic being. Likewise, while I do try to maintain my authenticity, I often feel almost a sense of guilt when it is not the accepted norm of a particular group. It is not so much that I feel the pressure to change myself to fit in and assimilate, but rather I notice when labeled as an outsider and often question my actions — I’m sure as almost everyone does.

I highly desire to have a group of people that I have a close relationship with and I think my stress more so comes from this perception and fear that I am not going to be able to find nor fit into a group. Yet, it is not a fear of not fitting into just any group. I will selfishly not care to be in a group that I have no desire to be in or with people I don’t entirely have positive feelings for.

It is a fear of not fitting in a sort of tribe, or community, of likeminded individuals that I highly relate to and desire to be a part of. It is about finding the right group versus just any group.