Section 1
Three times in the movie, I felt ethnocentric about how different cultures were displayed. It was all about displaying superiority among cultures and why some communities are more developed than the other. The child from the African community has been displayed as lacking the necessities of life and being brought up by ignorant guardians. They appear to care less about the health well being of the child and hence exposing them to various risks and dangers.
On the other hand, the child from the Asian community has been displayed to live a relatively average life. Even though the living conditions are not up to standard, the guardians are putting in more effort to ensure that their child is safe. There is a good co-existence between families and nature, of which, even though the conditions are a little bit tough, the children are able to survive and co-exist.
In the third scenario, we are exposed to the life of a child in United States, which is one of the developed nations of the world. The child grows up in favourable conditions where she has no lack, be it in healthcare, food, clothing and even toys to play with. The guardians seem to care much about the welfare of the children considering the attention accorded to them. We are exposed to families who understand much about healthcare and hygiene as they do all they could to ensure the children are well taken care of. Looking at how children from the three communities are brought up, we understand the attitudes that have been held against them over the years.
Section 2
However, a critical analysis of the issue basing on cultural relativism, I realise the movie was not about superiority of cultures but rather a comparison of the same. Children are trained from a young age to adopt and survive in particular environments. I realised that despite the fact that the children were not exposed to similar treatment; it did not tamper with their growth procedures. The rate of their growth was almost the same and they appeared to enjoy and appreciate their environment. The foundations that were laid by their parents is also significant in helping them adopt to their latter life. The guardians of the children had no otherwise but to impart unto them what was imparted to them when they were young.
A person viewing the video may think that children and families from the African communities are disadvantaged compared to those in united states, due to the life they are exposed to. However, looking at it in the eyes of culture, there is no problem with either of the communities. The parents of the children have no regret about how the satiation is because that is how they have been brought up to understand. Despite the fact that the African and Asian child have been exposed to lesser hygienic conditions with limited healthcare, we have not observed a scenario where the children have been sick or even died. As they grow in such conditions, their bodies also adapt to the environment and hence developing the necessary immune and defensive mechanisms to survive. The difference is only felt when a third party compares their lives, not thinking about the environment and culture they were brought up in.
