Documentary Analysis: Recurring Behaviors

A)Patterns of Behavior/ pg 11- Recurring behavior or events.

In the documentary multiple families were followed. Each one of these families had something in common. They were all immigrants. They were people living in America, but they were foreigners by nature. As the documentary progressed a reoccurring trend began to form. Each family was stuck to what sociologists call patterns of behavior. These families picked fruits or vegetables as a living. They worked fourteen hour days, seven days a week. They did the same routine every season. Most of them would move four to five times a year to follow where the work was. Yet, there was no way out of it. They had no other way to provide for themselves. The life of these immigrants was filled with

This unity is not seen in the world around the family, but within it. They value the idea of family dynamic. The parents teach their children exactly what they were taught, and it is ground into the minds of the children from the day they are born until they grow old. This fact ties into the heart of what the documentary has to say. The idea of social integration can seem very board, but when applied to the story of ‘The Harvest’ it complements the story very well. Even though each family within the community was different, they all shared so much in common. The children who were followed in the documentary were all divergent in their own way, but they all had a desire to help their own family. There was a boy who was interviewed in the documentary who shared his thoughts about why he goes out into the field’s every day to pick crops. He shared that he felt compelled to help his family. Even though he should be in school with all the other kids his age he knew that his family was struggling financially, so he stepped up and volunteered to help. Social integration talks about the social bond between a group. These kids are a part of that social cohesion. They are tied to their social group which is their family. Not only were there kids and parents but there were also grandparents as well. This displays the connection that is shared between the families throughout the generations of immigrants. Everyone

The documentary states: “In some countries, there are no laws protecting the children who pick crops. The United States of America is one of those countries.” The point of view that America seems to have is that choosing to ignore this huge problem is easier than doing anything to fix it. If America really cared about the children living within these communities, then there would be something done about this abuse. Maybe what is happening with our society is that our leaders aren’t looking at the broader picture. It’s easy to focus on all the kids who have the luxury of being in school. Who don’t have to get jobs until they’re sixteen or seventeen. But the children who need the most attention are the ones in the fields working to help provide for their family. These children are to busy working for their voice to be heard. The work load that they’re under is simply abuse. These children should be in school like every other child that is twelve or thirteen. The issue is not the sociological perspective of the immigrant in the documentary. It is the unseen people upholding the law that should be examined. The Immigrants are simply doing the only thing they’ve ever known how to do. This issue is not publicly known, however it is something that needs to be addressed by the government. This can no longer be something that is overlooked. The government knows about the issue. They understand the problem and