Extra Credit Assignment #2

Extra Credit Assignment #2: City of God

            When thinking about a different culture to look at, the movie City of God immediately stood out right away for me.  The film starts out in a small slum on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro that is named the City of God.  There is a certain group of unruly children who own guns, smoke, steal, and swear.  The beginning of the film shows the boys robbing a gas truck.  Afterwards, they go play with a ball and shoot it down in mid-air.  That was a clear sign where this movie was going to go.  From there on, they decide to steal more and earn more money.  The movie chronicles one of the boys’ goals to become a photographer.  Rocket has grown up in the city and knows the group.  As they get older, they start stealing more; their primary goal is to get to the top and rule the City of God.  By the end of the film there are two different gangs running the whole town and it leads to an all out war.  Because of what has happened, it propels Rocket to become the photographer that he has always wanted to be, and he earns acclaim from all over for the work he has done. 

            One huge concept in this film about their culture is how collectivistic they are.  The whole group of friends sticks together and does everything for each other.  Within their small group of friends, they are all out to help each other.  Everything you do must be for the good of the group.  Before they go kill their rival gang, they all pray together in a circle.  Even within their whole community they all stick together; when the boys rob the gas truck in the beginning of the film they yell for everyone to come get some gas.  All of the town’s people run out to help themselves.  In most societies, when you steal something it is usually kept for the thief all for himself.  There are no individuals in this society.

            Another large concept that goes along with collectivism is the fact that they are a vertical collectivistic society.  Although all members are part of a bigger group/“cause”, all of the members are not seen as equal.  Within the gangs there are different levels of jobs that you can work your way up to.  Everyone is always trying to knock out the leader and get to the top.  The leader also takes out whoever they want that is lower than them.  There always has to be someone at the top or what motivation would anyone have to work their way up?  Unless you have the power, you are nothing.

            Going along with getting to the top, the culture has a high power distance.  The inequalities of the society are expected.  There always has to be someone on top.  The police are the highest power; they are paid off by gangs and can pick off whoever they’d like.  The gang leaders come next.  The rank then just goes down from there.  The less powerful have to be dependent upon the most powerful or else they would never make it. 

            The culture of the City of God is definitely a masculine one.  The men are competitive and assertive.  The culture truly does value everything that is big, strong, and fast.  The women are the supporters of the men, as they are not involved in the gangs.  The women usually try to get their men out of the gangs, yet the men are in charge so they don’t listen until they really want to.  The men are the controllers of everything.  There are clear gender roles in the society.

            One other main concept of their culture is their values.  All they value in this culture is money, power, and being the most feared.  The salience of their values is definitely primary.  The gangs are all willing to die for money and the power.  They really don’t seem to value much of anything else.  Only two of the guys who try to get out actually want to leave and live with their loves and relax for the rest of their lives; yet their hard lives caught up to them and neither of them made it. 

            The movie distorts social reality because I feel that people don’t really act that way – at least not in the American society!  The movie sheds light only partially on real human problems.  There are obvious problems that a lot of people experience – poverty, the desire to support, etc.  Not everyone experiences gang life and struggling to get to the top with guns and whatnot. 

            Overall I definitely got a feeling that this was a very rough society.  Power is the hugest part of their society; unless you have it you won’t make it.  At points in the film, the society is so different and shocking from ours that my jaw hit the floor!  Children are doing inappropriate things that even most adults would never do.  It is definitely a culture that forces you to grow up faster than any other.