Symbolic, Anthropology and Race Labeling in Hidden Figures

Synopsis of the movie

Hidden Figures (2016) is an American biographical drama. This film was directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. It is based on the true story documented in a non-fiction book of the same title by Margot Lee Shetterly. The story revolving around black female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race set back in 1960s. Hidden Figures is not similar to regular film of its kind: “It’s a story of brilliance, but not of ego. It’s a story of struggle and willpower, but not of individual glory”. The storyline set in 1960s Virginia. Three pioneering African American women made a significance contribution on the calculations for NASA several historic space missions, including John Glenn’s successful mission orbiting the Earth. From the start, Hidden Figures makes clear that it is about a trio, not a lone heroine. These three Hidden Figures were Katherine Goble later on Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan.

The story begins in West Virginia in 1926, where the sixth-grade math prodigy Katherine Coleman is granted a scholarship to best and only school that goes beyond eight grade for black children. She proved her genius but the segregation law limited the education opportunities for black. The whole plot than forward to 1961 where Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy are already part of NASA’s pool of human “computers”. The employees, usually women, were giving the task of doing calculations before the use of digital computers or IBM. In 1960s, Virginia still a segregation state, African American female computers have to work in a separate “colored” building at the Langley Research Centre. The space race between the United States and Russia take place in 1960s. Russia led the race by sending Yuri Gagarin, be the first man on space. The United States (US) is very desperate to beat the Russia that NASA becomes a slightly reluctant meritocracy. With her expertise in analytic geometry, Katherine Goble was assign to a special task group trying to send Glenn into the orbit, seeing she is the sole brown face in the office. On the other hand, Mary Jackson must face her own fight on racist bureaucratic along her application to become an engineer. Mary’s struggle takes place in a public forum: she petitions a Virginia state court for permission to take the needed night classes in a segregated white school. However, regarding her financial situation, she not afford for a lawyer. Thus, she has to speak on her own behalf. However, she brilliantly makes a personal plea to the judge that’s as much about him and his outlook as it is about her, and her work and its usefulness. What her plea isn’t about is law, rights, or justice. But for the judge to consider. Their other friend, Dorothy is waiting for a formal promotion to supervisor, but a talk with a senior administrator makes clear that it’s not to be; the clear but unspoken reason is her race. Ironically, the IBM machine has arrived to the compound and might put her and her team of women colored computers out of work. Dorothy consistently making her own effort to learn the new programming language and even taught the FORTRAN to her subordinates. Their intellect may not be broadly relatable but their sense of rootedness is. Though most of their time and energy go to their careers, the women of Hidden Figures don’t take their relationships with each other and with their friends and families for granted. If one gets held up at work for hours, the other two wait in the parking lot until they can all drive home. On the weekends, they go to church and neighbourhood barbecues and spend time with their children. They don’t “have it all,” but they do strive for balance and connection. The Hidden Figures author, Shetterly, has discussed how the film only portrays a fraction of the individuals who worked on the space program — and how the movie was meant to speak to the experiences of the many African American women working at NASA at the time. Watching this particular story unfurl on the big screen, it’s hard not to think of how many more movies and books could be made about women like Katherine Johnson — talented women shut out of promotions and meetings and elite programs and institutions and, thus history, because they weren’t white.

Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology

Symbolic and interpretive anthropology begins in the 1960s and is reaching its maximum in 1970s. Symbolic anthropology criticized the materialist views of interpreting the culture with the ‘material phenomena’ whereas emphasised that culture is a ‘mental phenomena’ same as cognitive anthropologist and ethnoscientist. However, symbolic anthropologist rejected the idea of ethnoscientist that the culture could be modeled like mathematics and logic. Symbolic and interpretive anthropology investigate how people give meanings to their reality and how this reality is expressed by their cultural symbols. With a reference to socially established signs and symbols, people shape the patterns of their behaviours and give meanings to their experiences. Symbolic anthropology shows two major variations in form of analysis. The American School – represented by the work of Clifford Geertz and Sherry Ortner. Geertz established culture as an organized collection of symbolic system and symbols were ‘means of transmitting meaning’ (McGee & Warms, 2012). The British School – represented by works of Victor Turner and Mary Douglas. Turner emphasised the operation of symbols in the maintenance of society. Further, Geertz clearly represents a transformation upon the earlier American anthropology concerned mainly with the operations of 'culture,' while Turner represents a transformation upon the earlier British anthropology concerned mainly with the operations of 'society' (Ortner, 1984). Hermeneutics is the study of meaning behind the particular behaviour, interactions of the people, language they use and symbols they employ. The idea of ‘interpretation’ is often discussed in American cultural anthropology and also by Clifford Geertz in his thick description classic paper on the Balinese cockfight.

‘Deep Play’: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight by Clifford Geertz Geertz describes how the Balinese utilising the competition between two roosters represent some significant tensions from their society which related to class and hierarchy. Something more than just one person pitting one rooster against another, there is symbolic meaning to actions of the fighters. Cockfighting in Bali is more than meets the eye. By deeply research and observe the cockfighting, Geertz engage in hermeneutics which is the study of meaning. While it would be one thing for an outsider to go to Bali and make notations about what they were seeing with their own eyes, Geertz aimed to also grasp how the Balinese viewed cockfighting and what it represented to their society. Members of the 'deep fights' are typically predominant individuals of society. As Geertz mentioned, is not a mere fight between individuals but it indicated an imitation of the social structure of kinship and social groups. People would never put a bet against a cock from their own orientation group. Cockfighting takes place between people and cock from opposition and different social groups such as other family, village or clan. The cockfighting manifest the social rivalry and represent a way of identifying these oppositions. Geertz also describe the Balinese cockfight as a way of playing with fire without getting burned. Social tensions are represented through the cockfight, but after all, it's just a cockfight. With this formulation, Geertz gave the hitherto elusive concept of culture a relatively fixed locus, and a degree of objectivity, that it did not have before. The focus on symbols was for Geertz and many others heuristically liberating: it told them where to find what they wanted to study. The other major contribution of the Geertzian framework was the insistence on studying culture 'from the actor's point of view'. Again, this does not imply that we must get 'into people's heads.' What it means, very simply, is that culture is a product of acting social beings trying to make sense of the world in which they find themselves, and if we are to make sense of a culture, we must situate ourselves in the position from which it was constructed.

Hidden Figures and Race Labeling

Hidden figures portrays many social theory that can explain the society. One thing that affects me the most is how the society at that time being segregated in either ‘white’ or ‘colored’. In a simpler word, the culture of ‘race labeling’. Virginia and in general United States are the states where implies the Segregation Law. The Jim Crow Law being introduced and imposed the legal segregation in public facilities. The segregation principal was extended to parks, cemeteries, theatres, restaurants, schools and other public spaces. The law has successfully prevent any contact between the white and colored citizens which at that time were mostly African American and Latins. From hermeneutic point of view, the labeling might be insignificant to some group, but it also might bring different meaning to other. Labels and symbols are by nature multivocalic. They can have multiple meanings and also subject to different interpretations. The construction of the meaning behind the label and signage occurs in specific and dynamic contexts according to the social setting. The ‘white’ people did not have any disadvantage of those signage and labeling. They can just undergo their day as usual without any hassle. The bus seat already dedicated for them in front of the bus, they can have all sort of books in the library without any restriction, they do not have the difficulty if they want to pursue their ambition and dreams and they can go anywhere freely without having the thought of being the suspect for offence. For the case of ‘colored’ people, the signage brings a lot to them. There is no such thing as separate but equal with the ‘colored’ sign. They have to fight for limited seat at the back of the bus, they have limited books in library colored section, they only can use specific toilet even the toilets are miles away, they cannot pursue their highest education because they only restrict it for white, they cannot fill in some position in the workplace because of their colored skin, and even they can be the suspect of crime when they were found stranded in a broken car beside the highway.

1) Segregation

The segregation during that time was mostly defined as separation too. Not just a mere label or signage to tell whom belong to which group. The white group was being separated from the colored group in order to minimize the interaction between them. They lived in same place and same social setting, but they were being separated and mostly will not interact with each other unless for special purposes. The separation occurs in public space, in education sector and also in professional sector. Even in workplace for this case, NASA, they being separated in different dedicated building for each group even though they are doing the exactly same job.

2) Disgust

This notion was reflected on the scene when Katherine take a cup of coffee from dispenser in her new office. All the white gentlemen worker looked at her with unexplainable face expression. The mixed of confusion, prohibition and disgust by her action. Then, they did provide her with her own small coffee pot with the label ‘Colored’. Katherine felt a bit defensive of their action but just accept it as such. However, when she explodes with rage, setting forth the full litany of indignities to which she’s subjected because of her skin color before storming out. She clearly mentioned how her colleagues out of disgust, they would not even want to touch her coffee pot.

3) Problematic

The scene when their car broken down at the highway, then a police car approaches. All of three ladies got tense up; Dorothy says, “No crime in a broken-down car,” and Mary responds, “No crime being Negro, neither.” Their fearful interaction with the officer — a white man, of course, with a Billy club in hand and a condescending bearing. Before learning about their occupation, the police officer mistaken them for being the suspect of offence. However, the whole thing starting to change when he found out they work for NASA. What if they don’t? What emerges, however, is nothing less than an instance in a reign of terror (Brody, 2016).

4) Unequal right

In this movie, the unequal right portrays so much in education and professional sector. Katherine and her family have to migrate just for her to her to get the higher education since that area do not have higher school for colored. Mary, forever cannot be a female engineer because her colored skin and the only educational qualification for the application is offered in white school, from which she’s barred. But still, she fight for it. Dorothy on the other hand working hard as an acting supervisor for almost a year but still being rejected to be the one because she’s not white. All those occasions indicated that the label not only separate between those two groups, but also giving unequal rights between them.

5) Economic disadvantage

The colored group was economically disadvantage from white. Not even jewelleries, Katherine mentioned that how the colored women do not even afford to wear a simple pearl necklace. They are not having enough pay compared to what being received by the white. According to Haviland, Prins, Walrath, & McBride (2010), the stratification in class societies such as in United States involve in three access area, economic resources, power and prestige. The lower class such as what happened to colored group in United States, have lower access to economic resource compared to white.

 6) Low social status

Colored people were having to face the lower social status in society compared to white group. They been recognized as second class group and being denied to have access in many things. In case of Katherine, she have to fight the prejudice against blacks, against women. Black and Latina women also being mistaken for janitors. That implies when Katherine first day reported to the department office, one of the staff hand over to her a full dustbin to be cleared. On the other hand, all the handworks for the calculation were made by her, but her supervisor won’t recognize it and did not like when she put her name as the co-author the work. Secondly, as she did all the hard works, she need the every latest information for her analysis which only being discussed in a Pentagon briefing. There she fights for her to get into the circle and successfully get her job done.

Deep play and the ‘colored’ fight as described by Geertz how the Balinese use the fighting between two roosters to play out some significant tensions from their society related to hierarchy. The same social setting occurs in the Hidden Figures. The deep play symbolizes the inaudible fight between the white and colored group in Virginia. The colored groups are having in their own fight to get the same right at least not being secluded in having their peaceful life in their own country. The white on the other hand were fighting for them having a high and prestige as compared to colored. For the white, the same treatment will bring the mean of they are not special anymore. In Balinese cockfight, it is more than just individuals pitting one animal against another, there is symbolic meaning to actions of the participants. However the fight, according to Geertz, is not between individuals but is rather a simulation of the social structure of kinship and social groups. In Hidden Figures, same thing applied to the fight between colored group and white group. The struggles simulated the social structure and stratification in the American society at that time. The white people have the superior position in compared to colored group. Thus, they enjoy more privileges and rank in higher class. In Balinese cockfight, people never bet against a cock from their own reference group. Fighting always takes place from opposing social groups which manifest of social rivalry. Hidden Figures shows the harmonious social cohesion in each group but not between them. The black community was having their own harmonious Sunday church morning rituals, having community barbeque, and celebrating birthday party. All those events were only secluded within their society. The same environment almost impossible to take place with the merging of those two society. The situation implies the silent fight ongoing between white and colored group. In Hidden Figures, the fight between white and colored group sometimes portrayed in a physical fight and some of them were shown in an indirect way. The omission is no accident; it’s set up by dramatic contrast with the angry insistence of Mary’s husband, Levi, a civil-rights activist, that she not bother pursuing a job as an engineer: “You can’t apply for freedom. It’s got to be demanded, taken.” Mary says that there’s “more than one way” to get opportunities. Katherine fight to get acknowledge for her work was not just for herself. Dorothy’s fight for the supervisor position also not just for herself. Mary’s fight to get the court permission for classes in Hampton High School also not just for herself. All of the fights portrayed how they are fighting for right and freedom in an independent country and their voice can also be heard.

Conclusion

Hidden Figures sparkles with deference for sisterhood and the communistic spirit, the film bestows a significant appreciation for what was achieved in history’s shadows. Every member of the society have their own role in nation development, either what color skin you are. More importantly, the racial harmony can be a huge contributor to speed up the development. Willingness to accept one another and celebrate the difference thus the society can live in unity and harmony. Through deep play by Clifford Geertz, social tensions are represented through the cockfight. In Hidden Figures, the deep play represented the individual and social fight to the indifference and segregation labeled by the society during that time. The race label in Hidden Figures not just represent the mere label, but carried also the social tension of the fight. Every lady in Hidden Figures was shown to have their own fight, but their fight itself brings to the similar objective. To get an equal right for they life.