Zombies Approach to the Society

ZOMBIES APPROACH TO SOCIETY

A Research Paper Presented to

The English Resource Center

School of Multimedia Arts

Asia Pacific College

Magallanes, Makati

In Partial Fulfilment

of the Requirements for the Course

ERESWRT – Research Writing

Steven Ramos

April 2014

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the study

        Zombies have influenced our culture and our society. It can be seen in different media and entertainment such as television shows, movies and music. It even dominated its influence in games, toys and cartoons that resulted to children’s addiction to zombies. Moreover, talking about the beliefs of other people, zombies influence created two kinds of believers—the believers and non-believers. They are already countless articles, especially on the internet, debating the real existence of zombies.

        Tracy V. Wilson, wrote an article entitled, "How Zombies Work." According to it, that people tend to get addicted to zombies because of the thrill it give to its audience. It then put "Shaun of The Dead", a zombie-comedy movie, as an example of a film that makes zombies more interesting to watch. It then created a worlwide demand to create more zombie movies with new concept such as "28 Days Later" which is a movie that introduces faster zombies.

        Wilson says, "In some portrayals, zombism is contagious, and people bitten by zombies become zombies themselves. In others, people die from the bite and are reanimated by the same force that created the other zombies. In general, this continual spread of zombies leads to a zombie plague in which the undead vastly outnumber living humans." (http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/zombie3.htm)

        Speaking of movies, there’s also a lot of references of zombies through movies. One of this is the The Night of the Living Dead, which first introduced zombies as reanimated flesh-eating corpse. Later on, more movies dominated the widescreen such as the 28 Days Later (2002), Shaun of the Dead (2004), and I Am Legend (2007). On television, we have seen the recent success of AMC’s The Walking Dead. As a result, with the development of the motion picture, the zombie became an icon of horror, and a popular movie monster.

        A guest blogger, David Paul Strohecker wrote an article entitled, "On the origin of zombies." According to the article, which generally tackles about zombie movies, that what makes zombie unique from other movie monsters is its unique place of origin. It has a very distinguishable diversion among its predecessors like Frankenstein, Dracula and Wolfman, who originated from Gothic literature. It also explains that movies played a big part in introducing the flesh eating reanimated coprse zombies.

        Strohecker writes, "As we can see, the zombie has a unique cultural history and serves as a powerful metaphor for social anxieties. This movie monster might have come out of the Caribbean, but it became a powerful representation of modern fears when it met the silver screen." (http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/02/17/guest-post-on-the-origin-of-zombies/)

        On the other hand, zombies have been a part of gaming for almost 30 years. As the games’ technology is improving, the presence of zombies in games has become more universal than ever. Game designers are often using zombies in games for it is the most demanding game concept in the market. In addition, game designers think that games are meant to be pure escapism, for the most part, and zombies provide the perfect release valve.

        Ryan Lambie wrote an article entitled, "What's with all the zombies in video games?" According to that article, the reason why zombies are so popular in games is because they’re just smart enough to provide us with a challenge, but not so smart that they become an irritation. They’re a recognizable enemy, rather than an amorphous alien blob of teeth and tentacles, which makes them a satisfying prey.

        Lambie says, "Most of us don’t want our enemies to be too smart. We don’t necessarily want them to be so clever that they can outsmart us at every turn. We wouldn’t want to face a pang of guilt if they tried to surrender, or begged for mercy when we trained our guns on them." (http://www.denofgeek.com/games/zombies/26055/what%E2%80%99s-with-all-the-zombies-in-videogames).

        Zombies are very fascinating subject and very interesting topic to talk about. However, the researcher observes that there are effects and similarities of zombies to the society, as well to the modern pop culture we have today. Among these are our social structure between the government and the community and its influence especially to entertainment industry.

        As zombies are becoming widespread phenomena, it had crossed to the researcher’s mind that zombies are not just mythical creatures who eat flesh but they can be a representation and symbol to something particularly to the society. In addition, the researcher also took an observation of how it already affecting us, as it can already been seen everywhere.

        Having background knowledge about zombies will change the reader's perspective that they are not just creature who eats flesh and turn their victim as their own kind but this so-called creatures can also be a representation to something particularly on the society.

        Aside from citing examples of the influence and effects of zombies to the modern pop culture, this paper’s purpose is also to explain the real representation and symbolism of zombies to the society.


B. Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer this question:

        1. What is the real representation and symbolism of zombies to the society?


C. Significance of the study

        College students of Psychology. This research paper would be able to help students in college who are taking up courses such as Psychology and Sociology because as this paper is about the approach of zombies to modern pop culture, it basically focuses on sociological and psychological effects of zombies.

        Sociologist. Since this paper aims to explain the meaning of zombies to the society, sociologist would benefit a lot to this research. It can help them to understand how similar the zombies are to our social structure.

        Scientists. Scientist would benefit from this study because zombies are not just mythological creatures but also can be a scientific basis. They can use this paper as a reference for their research regarding the further studies of zombies.

        Film Makers. The effects of zombies are now widespread phenomena even in movies. This study would benefit them because they would be able to make use of the information as reference if they going to create a zombie movie in the future.

        Future Researchers. This study can help the future researchers especially if they were studying the same topic of this paper. It will also help the future researchers to relate this topic to psychology since this paper’s main focus is about the psychological effect of the zombies to modern pop culture.

D. Scope and Delimitation

        This study focuses on the real representation of zombies to the society. Zombies have been considered a monstrous flesh eating creatures since the release of the movie Night of the Living Dead that created a big influence especially on the society.

        This study will no longer focus on the history and origin of zombies. It will focus mainly to the meaning and representation of zombies to the society. Due to the approximate number of references of zombies in movies, books, and internet, even in toys and television, the researcher found it very important to study this matter in order to know how it already affected our lives.


E. Materials and Methods

        The sources of data that will be used in this research are mostly gathered articles from the internet the generally tackles about zombies.

        It will be analyzed by pointing out the similarities of zombies to our social structure. This will be observed in the view of sociological and psychological perspective. In addition, the researcher will be going to discuss examples and situations regarding to zombies.

F. Definition of Terms 

1. Zombies. A dead person who is able to move because of magic according to some religions and in stories, movies, etc. (Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zombie)

2. Pop Culture. The cultural phenomenon that facilitates the definition of words on the internet. Pop Culture simply denotes a widely accepted group of practices or customs. (Source: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pop%20culture)

3. Social Structure. The organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together compose society. Social structures are not immediately visible to the untrained observer, however they are present and affect all dimensions of human experience in society. (Source: http://sociology.about.com/od/S_Index/g/Social-Structure.htm)

CHAPTER 2

DISCUSSION

         What is the real representation and symbolism of zombies to the society?

I. Definition and Myth of Zombies 

         Zombies are often classified as reanimated flesh eating corpses. This concept had started after the film, “The Night of the Living Dead” directed by George Romero. It first introduced zombies as monster that doesn’t just eat flesh, but they can also infect someone they have bitten. Later on, the bite will become widespread, infecting more and more victim, until the tiny bite will become an apocalyptic disaster. In result to this concept, zombies have been stereotyped from the society. There are already a lot of people who are trying to avoid them and even trying not to open them in any topic.

         However, in an article entitled “Zombies: The Real Stories of the Undead,” written by Benjamin Radford, explains that zombies are not originally a flesh-eating monster, but rather a controlled slave that started from the Haitian region.

         In addition to the article, zombies are made through voodoo doctors or bokors. They control and make the "zombified" human being to work for them that can last for years, before they return to their original state. To turn their victim as one of these things, they use specialized powdered formula made from dried leaves and ground animals. And right after the victim dies; the bokors start their ritual until the zombification process is done (http://www.livescience.com/23892-zombies-real-facts.html).

         However, when the first zombie movie came out of the theaters, the real story and definition of zombies started to fade out. Most people, especially those who are unknowledgeable of what real zombies are, are often defining them as monsters.

          “Thus the stories of the real-life Haitian zombies arose like a corpse from the grave, and eventually fell like a zombie shot in the head” (Radford, 2012).

         But the questions about the existence of zombies started to become a mainstream especially when Science decided to step in. In another article entitled "How Zombies Work" by Tracy V. Wilson, around year 1980, a man named Clairvius Narcisse claimed that he was been "zombified" after he was been reported dead on May 2, 1962 in Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles. He can even recall the doctor covering his face with a sheet and since the hospital has all the documented proof of his death and illness, scientists started what they called, the "Zombie Project" led by an ethnobotanist and anthropologist, Dr. Wade Davis.

         According to Wilson, “These zombies are mindless slaves. They are not self-aware and are not particularly dangerous unless fed salt, which restores their senses” (http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/zombie.htm).

II. Representation and symbols of zombies to the society

A. It represents the growing population

         Zombies are not just the typical flesh-eating monsters you see on television and films. There’s something more about them that needed to understand and study. One of them is that because they represent the growing number of population.

         Population, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is the total of individuals occupying an area or making up a whole. It means that whether you are in a classroom with your classmates or in a small place even with just 2 or 3 people, you are already creating a population. Even yourself is a population. As long that there is a total number of individuals, there is a population (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/population).

         If you keep watching zombies on films and television, you will notice that there are always big number of zombies on streets, houses, malls and etc. And even the main characters from these movies and television series kill a lot of them, they not will vanish, but instead they will just grow and grow in numbers.

         Just like zombies, society also has its issues when it comes to population. Since the beginning of time, society already has a big number of population, but not as big as it is today. The world’s population is getting bigger every second, every hour, and every year. And one of the reasons of the growing population is because of early pregnancy especially among teenagers.

         Teenage pregnancy can either be intentional and unintentional. It will become intentional if the person concerned had sex to its opposite partner without using any reproductive health materials. It is very common to teenagers who had experienced molest from their childhood and rebellious teenagers. Sometimes, because of the satisfaction that sex is giving them, they don’t care even though they become pregnant as long as they were happy about what they are doing. On the other hand, unintentional teenage pregnancy is caused from rape or forced sex.

Whether it is intentional or unintentional, both of them still contribute to the growing number of population. 

         Just like teenage pregnancy, the growing number of zombies can also be either intentional or unintentional. Intentional growing numbers of zombies are caused by those people who chose to die rather to live in a traumatic and apocalyptic world. They offer themselves intentionally to the zombies to become like them or because they are already over with their lives. However, unintentional growing numbers of zombies are those people who were accidentally bitten and scratched from these flesh-eating monsters. Even though these people still want to live, they have no choice but to die because of the bite and turn into a monster they used to hate.

         But the best thing that makes zombies represent the growing number of population is because its growth is unstoppable. Same as China, even though they already have a law, “one child policy,” wherein people on their country are just permitted to have one child in the family only, they are still considered the country with the most population. Just like zombies, even though you already shielded yourselves and found a stable place to stay, one day, you’ll all just turn like them in the end. And yourself will contribute to their growing number.

         In an article, “The Cultural Significance of Zombies in Contemporary Society,” author Lore Miner says, “But this is nothing new; the human population has been growing steadily since the end of the Black Death in the fourteenth century, and it has been exploding since the 1950's.  What is new is that we are finally beginning to experience the repercussions of growth: our resources are being rapidly depleted, we are polluting our environment, global temperature is rising and sea levels will soon follow.  And we feel helpless to stop it” (http://seanprobson.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-cultural-significance-of-zombies-in_11.html).

B. It represents conformity

         Conformity, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is a behavior that is the same as the behavior of most other people in a society, group, etc. For example, when joining a fraternity or sorority, it is not enough to undergo in an initiation for you to become a legal member. Most of the time, you are abide to follow their laws and rules whether you like it or not (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conformity).

         In an article entitled “Zombie Love: Why Are We So Obsessed with Things That Want to Eat Our Brains?” V Renée states, “We all like to be considered individuals, right? However, a lot of aspects of our life uniform us into a collection, or horde, of similar entities” (http://nofilmschool.com/2013/06/zombie-love-obsessed-eat-brains/).

         Renée statement is all true. Even though people want to consider themselves as individuals, they don’t have a choice but to follow a certain order and protocol. Sometimes, they are unaware that they are already in a conformity. For instance is following the traffic lights. When driving on a road with hundreds of cars and vehicles, once the traffic lights goes red all cars will stop together. When it’s green, then they will continue to drive. Same goes if it turns orange where they will all slow down their cars. Even though they are just driving their cars, to be on a road with other drivers and cars are already an act of conformity—following the traffic lights.

         Another example is going to school and work. School and work maybe in a different situation, but both of them have certain rules to follow. When you’re going to school, especially if you are a student, then you must wear the uniform of that certain school. Another, as a student, you must listen to the teacher and do your homework just as what other students do. When it comes to work, it’s the same thing; you wear the same uniform and work like what other employees/workers do. For short, you don’t have a choice but to follow what is needed to be followed or else you’ll get into trouble.

         Conformity, when it comes to social life is not that different to the conformity zombies have. When a person turns into a zombie, they don't have any choice also but to follow their basic protocol—to eat and devour flesh. Much like going to school or work, people all lose their identity if they become zombies. In addition, similarly to a driver or motorist driving on a highway, zombies are also unaware that they are doing and following to same thing and that is to eat.

In the article, the author adds, “But, this all falls on the loss of choice. Zombies don’t have a choice about whether or not they want to be zombies and eat people. They are now one of millions upon millions of mindless and disposable beings” (Renée, 2013).

C. It represents the society for using too much technology

         Technology helps people in different situations. It helps them to do their chores easily and to do their homework accurately. Also, technology evolves from time to time. As more as the technology blooms, the more people become dependent on them. The more they become hi-tech, the more people become reliant on letting them do their human stuff.

         One example is the evolution of cell phones. Even before cell phones become popular as it is today, only those who can afford it can only have them. Furthermore, people can still talk with each other and send letters through traditional mails even cell phones are already emerging from the markets. However, today, where cell phones are already a major trend among all ages, people are now spending most of their time to it, and even consider this gadget as their major source of communication.

         Another example of technology where people put most of our time into it is the computers. Just as cell phones, computers are also considered as a major source of communication especially because it is already accompanied with internet connection. But unlike cell phones, communication through computers is much faster and accurate. Without the means of dialing the person you want to talk to, just as what cell phones do, communication through internet and computers is just one click away.

         Aside from communication, there are still other things that computers can do.  Examples are for gaming and research purposes. People who prefer to use computer as a means of entertainment, plays computer games such as, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) and other online games. For these people, these kinds of games are perfect opposite of themselves for it makes them extraordinary compare to what they are in real life. On the other hand, for the people who use computers for research purposes, tend to consider this technology as the easiest way for doing their assignments and paper works.

         Technology, especially cell phones and computers, may have a lot of advantages especially when it comes to daily chores, are also affecting the ways people live. Unknown to their knowledge, depending too much on technology is already lessening their ability to do human stuff. For short, it makes them a zombie in their own way.

         Zombies are generally known as reanimated corpses without any human ability and personality. Also, from their physical appearances, they are even described to display visible signs of decay on their faces, weak and thin and dehydrated. Same as zombies, by too much usage of technology, people's physical appearances are not that too far away now from what zombie's look. One example are those people who choose to stay up late because of their addiction to cell phones and computers. As a result of this addiction, they don’t even eat which make them into weak, thin and dehydrated look, same as zombies.

         Once again, technology even if you don't admit it, makes you feel like a zombie yourself because it lessens your human ability. Furthermore, an article, “Zombie Love: Why Are We So Obsessed with Things That Want to Eat Our Brains?” supports the idea of how zombie represents the society by using too much technology.

         V Renée, the author of the article states, “Perhaps zombies represent the result of too much technology and not enough humanity — too many Facebook comments and not enough handshakes. The day we become zombies is the day when our human empathy is replaced with mindless musings about pop culture” (http://nofilmschool.com/2013/06/zombie-love-obsessed-eat-brains/).

         By continuing to use too much technology, it will not be impossible for people to turn into a zombie community. Not literally a flesh-eating monster, but a zombie who always relies and depends on advanced technologies. 

D. It represents the society for having too much consumerism

         One characteristic of zombies and the most common thing everyone knows about them, is they eat a lot. They eat like they never ate for how many centuries and generation. Even if they’re full, they still prefer to eat. They don’t care even if their stomachs explode. They will eat whenever and wherever they want.

         Much like zombies, humans are also made to consume. Meaning, everyone has a lot of requirements and demands in order to survive. For example is their being consumerist when it comes to food.

         People don’t literally eat like how zombies do, but they consume a lot of food just like zombies. Today, the society considers foods as a primary need to survive. Without foods, they can’t live for months and years. It is because, foods regain their strength and it also gives them energy. Since humans require to work, their energy drains easily. That is why they consume a lot of foods to regain the energy they had lost. And as a proof that they consume a lot of foods, people become fat and unhealthy.

         Second thing that proofs humans are having too much consumerism is the clothes. Even they admit it or not, they love attention; they love how people notice them the way they look, especially the way they dress. As they love these attentions, they ought to buy a lot of clothes to get more and more attention. It is because it makes us feel like a celebrity in shortest period of time. 

Another reason why humans consume a lot clothes is because they follow the trends. People are known to follow what is new and what is common. It is because following these trends makes them feel they belong to the society. For short, they don’t want to feel outcast from other people. It is also because they believe that once they are now belonged to the society, they will meet a lot of friends and other people who have the same interests as ours.

         Finally, the usage of too much technology is also a sign of too much consumerism. People use too much technology because they consume them a lot by buying gadgets especially the new trends. However, they consume a lot of technologies and gadgets not just because they want to follow what is new, but because of the satisfaction it gives them. For example, when they are bored, stressed or lonely, they use computers, gaming consoles, mp3 players and other technologies to cease their boredom. Because of this advantage and satisfaction, they become obsess to them. Therefore, their obsession leads us to become consumerist. And as a result, they can’t now live without these gadgets and technologies.

         The concept of malls and stores today emerges because of the unstoppable demand and consumerism of the society. Different brands, products are also emerging which attract human to consume more. Sometimes, when new gadgets, clothes and other stuff just came out of the market, they race each other to buy it first. Just like zombies, wherein, if they saw even just one living flesh roaming around, they race each other to eat it first. Also, their never-ending hunger represents the society's unstoppable demands and consumerism.

         In an article, “Zombie Love: Why Are We So Obsessed with Things That Want to Eat Our Brains?” the author, V Renée says, “I don’t think it’s an accident that zombies are driven by the need to just — consume. It’s everything that they are. The fear that consumerism is stealing our humanity is real, and fits well as a metaphor for zombies” (http://nofilmschool.com/2013/06/zombie-love-obsessed-eat-brains/).

CHAPTER 3
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMARY

         This paper attempted to determine the real representation and symbolism of zombies
to the society.

         The research design used in this study is the descriptive research method wherein data from documents, articles and books found in the internet were used to answer the research question posed. The research findings are the following:

1. Zombies originated from Haiti wherein they were used as slave and they're not really like the usual flesh-eating monster people know from television.

2. The concept of zombies as a flesh-eating monster emerged after the first zombie film, "The Night of the Living Dead" directed by George Romero.

3. Zombies are the metaphor of humanity. This is why other tend to love them because they can relate themselves from zombies.

4 Zombies represents the society in different ways specifically a.) population, b.) conformity, c.) over usage of technology and d.) consumerism of the society.


CONCLUSION

         Based on the finding of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1. There is nothing impossible for people to become zombies; not the usual flesh-eating monster but the dehydrated, weak and thin appearances and less human characteristics as them because of using too much technology.

2. Nowadays, people are trying to escape the conformity of the society, but same as zombies and from what they represent about conformity, they don't have a choice also but to follow the rules and flow of the societies they are living with.

3. People and zombies both have their own demands and craving about a certain thing to meet their satisfaction. And because of this never ending demands, both of them end to too much consumerism.

4. People are unaware of the real representation of zombies to the society. 


RECOMMENDATIONS

         After drawing conclusions of the study, the researcher hereby makes the following suggestions/recommendations:

1. People should lessen their fear about zombies. They should understand and study the zombies' real meaning especially on how it represents the society.

2. People, especially readers, teachers and students should be more aware of how technology and consumerism are affecting them. It is because these things can turn them into a zombie like characteristic person without their knowledge.

3. Scholars and future researchers should research more about how zombies represent the society by comparing how people live to the way zombies live. They should understand that zombies are not just a material to scare people but they can provide concrete comparison on how people live today. Use this study as a basis for a more concrete study in the future regarding or related to the same topic as this study.


REFERENCES

A. Electronic Media

Lambie, R. (2013, June 24). What’s with all the zombies in videogames? Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://www.denofgeek.com/games/zombies/26055/what%E2%80%99s-with-all-the-zombies-in-videogames

Strohecker, D. (2011, February 17). On The Origin of Zombies. Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/02/17/guest-post-on-the-origin-of-zombies/

Renée, V. (2013, June 22). Zombie Love: Why Are We So Obsessed with Things That Want to Eat Our Brains? Retrieved March 30, 2014 from http://nofilmschool.com/2013/06/zombie-love-obsessed-eat-brains/

Wilson, T. (n.d.). How Zombies Work. Retrieved March 30, 2014 from http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/zombie.htm

Raford, B. (2012, October 10). Zombies: The Real Story of the Undead. Retrieved March 30, 2014 from http://www.livescience.com/23892-zombies-real-facts.html


Robson, S. (2013, March 11). The Cultural Significance of Zombies in Contemporary Society. Retrieved March 30, 2014 from http://seanprobson.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-cultural-significance-of-zombies-in_11.html