Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is a belief that one culture is higher or more superior then the other one (Ethnocentrism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Ethnocentrism).
It is a human nature to think that their individual culture is more superior to the other cultures. Because of what we used to as we growing up, such as the behavior in our society on what they are accepting (normal) and what they are not also including our language, customs and religion. All of these are elements that mold the way of our thinking as individuals. With that being said automatically we grow accustom with what we think how something’s are supposed to be done and what is acceptable or unacceptable, thus automatically without realizing it we became ethnocentric (beliefs that our own culture is better than the other).
In this assignment we were to watch a foreign movie and compare the culture differences. The movie that I chose to watch was a French movie, it title was Tomboy (2011). In the movie I noticed how over there the children were playing outside back in the woods and play simple games like scarf tag, water bottle war and swimming in the pond. I am not sure if those options still exist here in the States. I have 2 children of my own and sometimes their friends come over or they go over to their friends. From both occasions my children will play outside with their friends they run around chasing each others or swim at their friend’s home; however I know I have never let my children just out by themselves to play in the woods or somewhere near by without adult supervisions such as in the movie. In one of the scene is showed the mom and the sister going to grocery store and leaving the little girl at home by herself (she was 5 years old). While she was alone, she open the door when someone rang the door bell and told the other little girl that she was by herself and no one at home at the moment. When we compare it to American culture I am pretty sure by the time that little girl said she was by herself without any supervision at the tender age of 5 because her mom and sister went to the store, within five minutes there will be police officers and child services department all over her house.
Here in the state of Florida the Department of Children and Family, states that children younger than 12 years old are incapable to watch over themselves (Florida Department of Children and Families - Caregivers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/childwelfare/caregivers/whentoleaveyourkidshomealone.shtml). As Americans have regulations, state laws on how old a child can be to be left by themselves and when they can freely roaming around without adult supervisions. In the movie the children made their own plans and had fun with a simple games, in my opinion I would like to see my kids play outside in the woods or what not as long it was with a group of kids like in the movie. But what do you think would happen if I would allowed my 8 years old son to just walk down the road by himself to go to his friends house without me escorting him? As a matter of fact one time my 10 year old daughter asked if she could just ride her bike to a store 5 minutes from our house. I denied her request because I thought it would be dangerous for her to ride a bike to the store although the store was not even on the main road. Our culture here made me believe that if I let my children wandering around by themselves such as store or to their friends house without my escort I would be a bad mother because they both still under the age of what the law stated that they could be trusted to be left alone by themselves or roaming around to go to the stores or friends house.
Yet In the movie she was freely made an appointment to go out with her friends by just letting her mom know where she will be and what time she will be back. They live more freely the kids were enjoying being kids and