Trouble The Water Conflict Theory

The events that took place during Hurricane Katrina were very different for a middle class white family compared to that of the experiences portrayed in the film, Trouble the Water, of an impoverished African American neighborhood. Although the general media may only display stories of hope and praise for the people who could evacuate the New Orleans area, Trouble the Water offers a very different view, one that reveals a deeply rooted social problem that is not typically headlined. Conflict theories and Anderson and Collins’ (2004) analysis of the intersections between race, class, and gender help explain some of the events that take place in the film.
Conflict theories can be used to help comprehend the alienation of individuals, groups, and communities (Robbins, Chatterjee, Canda, 2012, p. 75). As seen in the film, Trouble the Water, the alienation of the New Orleans residents who did not have the means to leave the city before Hurricane Katrina was disturbing. No public transportation was offered to help those in need, no rescue teams were sent for those stuck in the storm, and the government’s response was extremely disappointing and unreceptive.
Conflict theories focus on …show more content…
60). Showing this side of the story is an example of how Kim and her husband decided to use the power they had to try to educate others on their circumstances and how their lack of resources affects their lives. A sense of cultural diversity was obvious in the film as individuals like Kim and her family were stuck due to personal economic circumstances versus others within her neighborhood who were able to escape the pending disaster. Anderson and Collins (2004) described how a diverse culture can be represented as the status of different groups that were once invisible, such as people of color, are now more