RABBANI, RANGGI SYA (2026) IDENTITY FORMATION THROUGH STEREOTYPES WITHIN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL IN THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985). Undergraduate thesis, Faculty Of Humanities.

Text 2IDENTITY FORMATION THROUGH STEREOTYPES WITHIN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL IN THE BREAKFAST CLUB.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (3MB)

Abstract

The Breakfast Club (1985) follows five high school students from different social
groups who are brought together during a Saturday detention. Each student carries
a stereotype imposed by their peers, school, and family, which shapes how they
perceive themselves and others. This study examines how these stereotypes
influence identity formation by applying Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory
through a close reading of the film’s narrative and cinematography. The analysis
reveals that the stereotypes portrayed in the film extend beyond superficial labels;
they are reinforced by institutional and familial expectations that pressure the
characters to continually perform predetermined social roles. Throughout the
course of the detention, however, the characters gradually abandon these
performances and engage in honest conversations, allowing them to recognize that
their identities cannot be fully defined by the stereotypes assigned to them. This
study concludes that The Breakfast Club (1985) offers a meaningful representation
of adolescent identity by illustrating how stereotypical labels can restrict selfunderstanding
and create psychological pressure. At the same time, the film
demonstrates that authentic interpersonal communication can challenge these
imposed identities and encourage a more complex and genuine understanding of
oneself and others.
Keywords: identity formation; Social Identity Theory; stereotypes; American high
school; The Breakfast Club; adolescence

Actions (login required)

View Item