Team Film and Video Case Reports
This paper lights on the achievements and challenges of the hidden figures of society building on the “Hidden Figures” movie that is based on the three pioneering women who contributed to the success of space programs during the time period of Space Race and Cold War although their efforts and achievements remained undervalued for decades. The paper also relates to Northouse’s “Leadership Theory and Practice” and Alice Eagly and Linda L. Carli’s article “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership” to represent the complex and varied challenges women encounter throughout their careers and life despite their talents and extraordinary abilities.
“Hidden Figures”
Context of the Film
The true story of “Hidden Figures” is set against the backdrop of significant historical events that happened during the mid-twentieth century in the United States. “Hidden Figures” is set during the Cold War era which is also known as the Space Race, particularly focusing on the intense competition between the Soviet Union and the United States to achieve spaceflight supremacy during the 1960s. This period is marked by a series of exploratory and technological milestones by the Soviet Union to launch Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, and the subsequent push by the United States of America to send astronauts to the moon and space. The film also highlights the discrimination and racial discrimination against the women known as “human computers” who worked at NASA during the 1960s. The film underscores the challenges as well as the achievements of African-American women in the fields of technology, mathematics, engineering, and science. It also underscores the challenges of African-American women working in a racially segregated unit of NASA known as the West Area Computers despite their immense talent, contributions, and triumphs in the space programs. The “Hidden Figures” brings to light the era that was a time of social upheaval with professional and personal struggles in the lives of women for equality and justice. The struggles intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement working towards ending discrimination and racial segregation against women who were instrumental in some of NASA’s great achievements during the pivotal period of the Cold War and the Space Race in US history (Melfi, 2016).
Significance of the Relationships Between the Key Figures of the Film
The three pioneering African-American women including Mary, Dorothy, and Katherine whose calculations for NASA were integral to specific space missions had significant relationships with each other as they faced several personal and professional challenges due to racial segregation and gender bias against African-American women during the 1960s. The relationship between them highlights the importance of support systems especially in challenging environments as the “hidden figures” of women at NASA needed encouragement and emotional strength to succeed in their careers. The challenges Mary, Katherine, and Dorothy face as portrayed in the film underscore the idea that behind every triumph and achievement, there is often a support system and a network of beloved people who believe in one’s abilities which subsequently contributes to one’s success. This relationship matters because it serves to humanize the characters in the film making their challenges and triumphs more relatable to the audience. These relationships among the key figures form the backbone of the characters’ determination and resilience to achieve their goals and overcome obstacles.
Leadership Style of the Key Figures in the Film “Hidden Figures”
The film suggests to its audience that every character in the movie has their own distinctive leadership style. NASA’s first Black female engineer, Mary Jackson, was known for her optimistic spirit and enthusiasm in her leadership style. She was also assertive which helped her advance in her career and her pioneering leadership skills helped her to advocate for gender equality in the sciences. Katherine Johnson who was a Black woman in a predominantly white male-dominated American society had exceptional abilities in mathematics which led her to a collaborative leadership style in her workforce while overcoming the barriers. The character of Dorothy Vaughan displays a visionary leadership style as her style was characterized by support, encouragement, and fostering a nurturing work environment. She learned FORTRAN to anticipate the impact of electronic computers on computation jobs ensuring that concepts and technicalities related to computers remained employable and relevant to her colleagues.
Furthermore, Al Harrison’s character, based on Robert C. Gilruth, displays an egalitarian leadership style as he grew in his department understanding and revolting against racial segregation and gender bias. Al Harrison was goal-oriented and focused on his mission regarding space programs. Mrs. Mitchell reflects the views and attitudes of white women in managerial roles as her character does not represent any actual historical representation. In the film, the character of Mrs. Mitchell reflects a leadership style that is reflective of the societal norms of that area. Lastly, the character of John Glenn depicts a leadership style marked by humility, courage, and service as the first US astronaut to orbit Earth. Although his leadership style is not discussed in detail in the film, he was known for valuing his colleagues’ contributions.
Moreover, the film suggests that Al Harrison became aware of the extent of the discrimination within his department only after Katherine’s confrontation because of the reason that discrimination and bias become invisible to those sometimes who do not experience an extent of them directly. It may take a significant event or direct confrontation as Katherine Johnson’s confrontation that led to bring such discriminatory acts to light which in the film led to Al Harrison taking action to address discrimination in his department. This highlights the importance of advocacy and effective communication in bringing about change. The authors in the article also argue that a more nuanced understanding of the journey of expected and unexpected as well as twists and turns for appropriate interventions are crucial to achieving leadership quality and equity (Eagly & Carli, 2018). Northouse describes the invisible barrier also mentioned by the authors, Eagly and Linda, through the metaphor “glass ceiling” that prevents women from ascending into top leadership positions because they are “disproportionately concentrated in lower-level and lower-authority leadership positions compared to men” (Northouse, 2021).
Transformation in the Storyline in the “Hidden Figures”
The movie “Hidden Figures” depicts characters undergoing significant transformations as they confront the troubles and overcome the societal and racial prejudices of 1960s American society. The central theme of the film is the significant transformation journey of each character that they faced and overcame due to sexism and racism within NASA which helped every key figure in the film to grow personally and professionally. Dorothy Vaughan learned the team’s relevance in the evolving space race for which she learnt IBM programming. Katherine Johnson demands to be present in every male meeting while Mary Jackson asserts her right to challenge the segregated education system in order to become an engineer. However, the film does not mainly focus on the characters who transform but actively infer the roles and characters that are more static serving as the backdrop against which the transformation journeys of protagonists unfold in terms of their views on race and gender equality. The characters in the film do not accept their limiting situations passively as several characters support other characters who represent the status quo of the era but they also engage with the reality as Al Harrison supports Katherine Johnson once she confronts the discrimination. They also identify opportunities for action within the constraints imposed upon them that lead to their transformation. Overall, the three pioneering female characters are the ones who got better careers and changed in the “Hidden Figures”.
The Story of the Hidden Figures in “Hidden Figures”
The movie “Hidden Figures” refers to the three pioneer hidden figure females who worked at NASA during the period of the Space Race and made significant contributions to the success of the space programs. The three African-American women including Mary Jackson, Katherine Goble Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan made their name despite troubles and challenges due to racial segregation and gender bias yet their stories remained largely unrecognized counting them as ‘hidden figures’ for decades. In contemporary society, hidden figures most probably include people of color, women, and people with disabilities who make substantial contributions to society but remain undervalued because they often face barriers and systemic bias that hinder their ways to success.
The article “Women and Labyrinth of Leadership” also describes a similar experience as the authors use the metaphor of the “glass ceiling” to describe the obstacles women face in advancing to leadership roles throughout their careers. Women face issues of leadership style, family responsibilities, and prejudice to their gender which impact women’s ability to accumulate and network social capital (Eagly & Carli, 2018). It is the dilemma of the recent as well as contemporary societies that we cannot see hidden figures because of historical biases such as bias against Black people, societal norms, and lack of representation in mainstream narratives such as women’s transformative roles in the success of various programs for their countries. Efforts to identify such hidden figures in society are crucial for creating an equitable society where everyone’s contributions are valued and acknowledged irrespective of societal norms, racial segregation, color bias, and national discrimination.
References
Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2018). Women and the labyrinth of leadership. In Contemporary issues in leadership (pp. 147–162). Routledge.
Melfi, T. (2016). Hidden Figures. Twentieth Century Fox.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
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