Rock 'n' Roll High School Movie - Essay Example

Rock’n’Roll Hight School “Rock’n’Roll Hight School is a systematic anarchy. Anarchy is not chaos” (Reed, p. 17). Anarchy can be defined as a social structure that is characterized by absence of official government and laws. This entails social disorder. However, it should be remembered that any society, no matter under what kind of rule it exists, has certain internal structures, such as organized groups, that form the overall structure of the society. A systematic anarchy is, therefore, a social structure that can be characterized by a rule of voluntary formed associations of people that work in cooperation.

Therefore, since an anarchic society does have certain structure and, consequently, certain rules and norms based on the society’s ethical norms, such a society is not a chaos because any processes taking place within such a society are regulated by its internal structures. Furthermore, this social order is not a chaos because it is not disordered or disorganized. Everyone acts in correspondence with the values of the group. In the movie ‘Rock’n’Roll Hight School’ we see a group of people, the majority of the school population, with common tastes – those found of rock’n’roll.

They live their lives in a pretty structured way – have their own traditions and social norms. Though this population might seem rather disorganized from the first sight, it can further be observed that one culture unites them – a subculture of rock music. The things change when a new chief administrator of school – a new principal with an iron hand – comes to rule. She tries to implement a new set of rules – skirts below knees for girls, hair above collar and ties for boys, and, of course, no rock music.

The concert of the Ramones which is being attended by nearly everybody, and even a music teacher, seems for her to be a crisis. As a result the administrator, together with a small supporting group, attempts to break the old state of things burning the records of the rock band. Such radical actions can be said to be an attempt on the major population’s cultural values and, hence, their rights. Surely, an organized group of the majority shows resistance – the Ramones come to the school and the school gets taken over and, finally, burnt by the students.

This can be said to be a reaction to oppressive actions of the new administration. At the same time, it is an organized and even planned reaction. If there was a chaos, everyone would be for oneself and, potentially, just resign oneself to the new ‘government’. However, since it is a systematic anarchy, the whole group stands for its values, believes, and the way of life they are used to. Resistance to the new rule just shows the school’s society desire to continue living in their systematic anarchy.

Systematic - because everyone has its role in it and everyone, when needed, supports the goal of the whole. This anarchic society, therefore, can be said to have laws – they are dictated, supported and reinforced from within, without participation of any higher governing body.