Michael Jackson Man In The Mirror Meaning

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Pages: 4

When most people hear the phrases “social problem” and “social change,” they have a vague idea about society, its problems, and how it changes over time. For this paper, it seems like a good idea to offer more precise definitions for these phrases. Anna Leon-Guerrero defines a social problem as “a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world” (7). The Oxford Dictionary defines social change as “a change in the customs, institutions, or culture of a society, especially due to ideological or technological factors.” In the following pages, this paper centers its discussion of social change around Michael Jackson’s song “Man in the Mirror.”
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I chose to analyze a song by Michael Jackson because I relate to him on a personal level and I selected “Man in the Mirror” because it concisely states Michael Jackson’s overall message as a rights activist. Particularly, “Man in the Mirror” helps to solve all social problems because it offers a general solution. While it is important for musical artists to spread messages about social issues, these messages do not necessarily offer solutions. Michael Jackson fills this gap by not only offering a solution, but he offers the most effective and general solution. He leaves out a few potentially helpful details about how to more effectively benefit society, but beggars cannot be choosers. Hopefully, it will eventually become standard practice for everybody to recognize social problems and change themselves to stop negatively contributing and start serving as positive examples to those who are not as vigilant or willing to change. Self-reflection links to all positive impacts; once we all start to look at ourselves in the mirror, we can build a better world together – and music can help us get