Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies, sociology and its theories revolving around it play an important role in how the effects of being isolated change the human mind and how it plays out in the interactions between people. A sociological theory that fits well into Lord of the Flies is how culture develops and changes humans when they develop different ideas. Culture is defined by a certain group of people sharing similar beliefs and behaviors. A divide in culture may come from different beliefs or a change in location. This may include material culture, which is when a group of people share the same physical possessions and styles. For example, cultures may have different styles of clothing and food. There is also non-material culture which may include behavior, actions, taboos, religion, and beliefs.
This plays out mainly when the split between Jack and Ralph occurs. Ralph’s group stays what they consider “civilized”, while Jack’s group becomes more “savage”. This split creates two different cultures. Ralph’s group wants to focus on keeping the fire going, while Jack’s group wants focus on hunting. Jack creates another part of his culture by painting their bodies. The groups begin to break apart, and Jack’s group moves to Castle Rock.
This theory of culture also plays out in modern day society as well. One example of this would be the recent close connection of pop culture. With the creation of the internet communication becomes instant, and the world seems to “shrink”. Because of this people become more connected, more connection begins to create a homogenous culture. However, the internet and instant connections are mostly available only to more developed places. Less developed places tend to stick to their own culture, and not mix with the world’s popular culture because of this are almost fully isolated from it.
Citation:
Little, William. "Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition." Chapter 3. Culture | Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition. Creative Commons Attribution, 12 June 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.