Billy Elliot a sociological perspective
Sociologically, gender can be described as the roles and responsibilities that a certain group of people men or women are expected to play in a society. Every society has set aside certain duties that women and men are supposed to play (WHO) (McCampbell). The film Billy Elliot describes the story of eleven years old boy that lives with his father, brother and grandmother in the mining village after the death of his mother. His father and brother work in the mining company as coal miners and are involved in the 1983-1984 workers strike. Billy comes from a working class family and they are living among working class people in brick houses. The whole village is filled with paramilitary antiriot police. Villagers are left secluded and the only spirit they have is fighting. Boxing has become a male tradition in this society all men must learn boxing as a way of protection or self defense. Billys father takes him for boxing classes but Billy found them not interesting and he is strongly attracted to music (Mahon 2004).
His passion for music is manifested when he attempts to play the old piano that belonged to his mother. Music being meant only for women, his father closes the lid of the piano whenever he sees him playing. His father sacrifices fifty pence every week so as to pay for Billys boxing classes fees. He is also given old gloves that belonged to his grandfather. The family is going though very tough moments since the workers in the mining company are on strike and Billys father and brother are working there (Mahon 2004, p. 14). Having been brought up in a society in which really men never mingle with women, Billys father and brother rather die than watch their own blood get spoilt and become the village talk. His father, who is already frustrated by the financial repercussions resulting from the strike and the recent death of his wife, gets disappointed and frustrated after learning that Billy has dropped the boxing classes. Mrs. Wilkinson, his ballet teacher, however encourages him to continue and helps him to get an opportunity to go for auditions in the Royal Ballet School. Upon realising that Billy is a good performer, father gets involved and even offers to pay fees for Billys ballet try-out that is to be held in London (Mahon 2004, p.28). Having been on strike for a long time now, father and brother have no money and they resolve on selling Billys late mother jewellery so as to raise the money. The conflicting aspect of the whole issue is the dilemma that Billy faces. While he wants to become a ballet dancer, his father wants him to become a boxer. He is not shy in getting involved in a girls activity and he puts all his strength in dancing. He finally becomes the best dancer and makes his family proud (Mahon 2004).
Sociologically, the whole story brings out the aspect of gender and role. There are role and responsibilities that are specifically meant for women and those that are meant for men. In this society, men in the 1980s were not allowed to be involved in any activities that betrayed masculinity. Activities such as music and dancing were exclusive for women. On the other hand, men were expected to protect the society being the family breadwinners and perfume other duties were specifically meant for them (Connell 2005).
Having been brought up in such a society, Billy was not expected to be involved in any activities that were feminine. Before Billy joins the ballet class, we find that there are no boys in that class only girls train dancing. At the same, time there are no girls in the boxing class and only boys are practicing boxing. So when Billy sells his boxing gloves and buys ballet shoes, people especially those from his family fail to understand him. (Connell 2005). The issue of identity is very important in this society. Identity here refers to the individuals physical appearance such as nationality, gender, age, beliefs, dreams, personality among others. Thus the story explores identity as something that can be refined, changed or shaped through social interaction and life experiences. Dancing has not only been used as a means of expressing himself but also as a sing of freedom. Billy struggles to find his identity since he fights between doing what his heart desires and what the society expects. While he is very much aware that he can excel in dancing, he fears that the society will criticise him (Connell 1998, p. 474)
We therefore find out that at the end of the film, Billy identity has shifted from the expected men roles and duties and he is supposed to be involved in to doing female roles. From a sociological point of view, Billys way of life and behavior changed because of the way he was brought up. Being the last born in that family and he spent most of the time with his mother, he got attached to his mother more than any other member of the family. She is the only person who can give him the comfort he needs as a small boy. After the death of his mother, we find that the Billy is left with his father, brother and grandmother. Apparently all these are not as close as the mother. Therefore something is missing and needs to be replaced in Billys life. His strong affection to his mother is illustrated when he wakes up in the night to drink milk from the kitchen when his mother appears and talks to him (Mahon 2004, p.40). The loss of his mother creates a vacant in his heart and he needs someone of the same gender as his mother to replace the love and comfort he got from the mother.
Thus when he sees the girls dancing in the ballet school, his desire for love by from the opposite sex crops up. He thus resolves in joining the dance and forgets about the boxing lessons since the boys could not help him recover the lost love. When he joins the ballet lessons, he practices will all the passion not because he loved the dancing too much but because that is where his heart belonged. We find him having a very close relationship with his ballet teacher Mrs. Wilkinson, who later finds for him an audition opportunity with the dance school (Mahon 2004, p.30). Billys close relationship with the girls and the female teacher is a clear indication that he is finding maternal love from the opposite sex. His excellent performance is brought about by his consciousness which does not allow him to disappoint the people he values
Another sociological aspect that the story tries to bring out is that of class. Sociologically, people of a certain class have something in common. Living among working class people, Billy is expected to behave in the same way the members of that society behave (Weber 1977). Thus when Billy deviates from the traditions of his class, then it shows that he is physiologically challenged. He does not want to go by what the traditions and customs of his society, but wants to live by what he feels comfortable doing.
In conclusion gender is the role that different people play in the society depending on their sex while class is the social status of a society within which a certain group of people live. The aspects of gender and class have been well illustrated in the movie Billy Elliot and we find that there are contradictions on how the society has designed these aspects to be and how the movie has pictured them. This is illustrated when Billy the young boy, deviates from the gender roles that he is expected of by the society and gets involved in activities that are meant for women. However according to some sociologists such as Weber, gender roles can change depending on the environment in which one has been brought up. Men can perform roles that are meant for women and vice versa, but they fail to do so because of the fear of what the society will say about them.
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