Sociology

Mean Girls Culture

Mr. Ring

Name: _Nick Thompson_______________________ Period: _3_______ Date:

_9/13/15______________
While watching the film Mean Girls, please follow your assigned character and answer the
following questions during the film. At the end of each class I will collect these sheets.
Your Character: _Regina George________________________________
1. Explain 4 examples of your character using Material Culture.
1.Regina has certain rules on how to dress at school/in public.
2.Regina has to have a certain body type to be popular or liked by others.
3.Regina also needs the best facial features in the school (hair, eyes, etc.).
4.Regina even uses people as material culture like a boyfriend, or her group of friends.
2. Explain 2 examples of your character using Nonmaterial Culture.
1.Gossip/ rumors are used by Regina all the time since she wants people to think of her as
the best.
2.The need to be the most popular/ ruler of the school.
3. Identify and explain examples of your character interacting with the 5 components of
culture.
Technology Regina uses a cell phone to talk with her friends (gossip).
Norms Regina can only talk to certain people a certain way to avoid rumors about her.
Values To be a plastic and the most popular is a value of Regina.
Symbols Having a boyfriend and a group of friends is a symbol to other people.
Language Regina constantly uses gossip and rumors to help her own social status.
4. Explain your characters cultural breakdown. (show the relationship)
Cultural Pattern The way Regina spends her time (shopping/parties) is based off her
culture.
Cultural Complexity Her cultural complexity consists talking, looking, eating, dressing,
and acting a certain way.
Cultural Trait Believing that social status between her and others is important for school.
5. Give an example of a counterculture shown in the film and please explain why it
qualifies as a counterculture.
Regina shows counterculture through social status. She uses and shares several traits with
her friend group which rejects people that dont look or act the same way. Their group
believes they are the most important people in the school and they reject people that go
against them, by using gossip/ rumors. To be in the group you must have certain traits,
otherwise you will be rejected.

Sociology

Mean Girls Culture

Mr. Ring

Name: _Nick Thompson_______________________ Period: _3_______ Date:

_9/13/15______________
6. Give an example of a subculture shown in the film and please explain why it qualifies as
a subculture.
Regina and her group focus on how other people think about them, and believe that its
most important to be seen as the best rather than to be seen as a normal person. Their
clique even has to make sacrifices and risks to maintain their own personal status with the
people around them.