CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study

there is a disparity in every society, which is shown with high and low status. For
example, the income of society group is different depending on the ability in every person.
For they who have the highest income, they are belonging to upper class. And, for they
who have the lowest income, they can be categorized in lower class. This thing can cause
a disparity of social class in society

A social class is a category of people similar in socioeconomic status when

compared to other such categories in a stratified society. The equality characterizes all
societies larger than non-literate tribes is an equal distribution of material goods, prestige
or honor and power over others. The formation of a hierarchy or pyramid of groups
differentiated by their possession of greater and lesser amounts of these advantages
constitutes the class structure of
society. (Sill, 1972:40). Then, Marx (in Suseno, 1999:113) said that society consists of
upper
class and lower class. The differences in material achievement make the lifestyles
between the rich and the poor different. The rich who has the wealth will get higher
education and prestige than the poor. Everything is easy for the rich by using their wealth.
In feudal societies based on land and agricultural production the two great classes are the
lord and the serf or the larded
aristocracy and the peasant. The lord or aristocracy owns the lord (the means of
production) while the serf and peasant own but their labor power.

There are some reasons of why the researcher is interesting in analyzing the class
distinction in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). First, the disparity of social classes can be
reflected in literary work. One of the literary works is film. Film has an important role in
recent society since it exposes many issues in daily life. Allen and Gomery(1985:156)
discuss the relation between films and society as follow “The making of film also has a
social dimension for several reasons. Film makers are members of society and as such are
no less subject to social pressures and norms than anyone else. So, all film making occurs
within some social context”. Second, Mad Max: Fury Road received a number of awards
and nominations, including thirteen nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, where it
won for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Production Design and Best Visual effect, and
many more. It was nominated for seven awards at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards,
winning for Best Director and Best motion picture, and 4 at the 2016 British Academy
Film Awards, winning four awards, including Best Director.

B. Question of the Problem

1. How is class distinction between upper and lower class portrayed in the movie
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)?

C. Purpose of the study

According to the problems that have been exposed above, the purposes
can be written as follows:
1. This study purposes to describe how class distinction between upper and
lower class in the movie Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

D. Significances of Study

1. This study can display different perspective for viewers to watch the conflict in the
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
2. This study can give the understanding of capital concept consists of economic,
cultural, social and symbolic
3. For researcher, this study can be used as the reference for further research since this
movie basically the fresh and the newest movie
4. For other researchers, this study is a part of other study of deconstructions. This
study can be used as a reference to find the novelty for other object of study

E. The Scope and Limitation

The scope of this study highlights on the class distinction in Mad Max: Fury
Road (2015). To support it, this understanding uses Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of
social capital
The limitation of this study highlights on capital form as follow : economic,
cultural, social, and symbolic

F. The Definition of Key Terms

1. Modal/Capital

Capital refers to resources. Bourdieu identifies three main varieties:

economic (understood basically as income and ownership), social (basically
understood as connections), and cultural (informal education, cultural objects, and
credentials). These can be measured in two dimensions: quantity and structure.
Thus, particular agents may possess more or less total amounts of capital, and this
capital may be structured in different proportions. Accordingly, although two
“agents” may have the same total overall amount of capital, one might have a
greater proportion of cultural capital and the other of economic capital. Generally,
the volume and structure of capital determines one’s “position in social space” or
class position. The primary class division in Bourdieu’s scheme is between those
with high and low total capital, but within each of these classes there is a further
difference between those with a greater proportion of either economic or cultural
capital. The concept of capital is thus supposed to provide a map of the main social
divisions in contemporary society.
2. Field

Fields are agonistic social games in which agents struggle with one
another over some socially defined stake, such as profit or prestige. Although
there are an unspecified number of such fields, the economic field, the political
field, and the field of cultural production are among the most important.
Bourdieu sees social reality as made up fundamentally of fields, and social
action as action in fields. The consequences of the general use of this metaphor
are profound, and I examine them in detail in the subsequent section.