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More handpicked essays just for you.
Culture and human behavior
Culture and human behavior
Culture and human behavior
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An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging. The concept of belonging relates to the idea of being part of something where you are accepted. Finding a place in the world, where individuals can express themselves freely, can often mean facing challenges, yet also taking advantage of opportunities offered. The main character, Scott, in Baz Luhrmann’s film ,“Strictly Ballroom”, is forced to abide by the expectations of the colourful and glamorous world of ballroom dancing. This film is a satirical narrative about the ballroom dancing sub culture and the restrictions placed upon self-expression and individuality. Another text that explores the difficulties of being accepted, …show more content…
Both these texts demonstrate how people interact with each other and the world around them. Belonging is about finding a place in the world and to do this, the individual sometimes has to overcome challenges and learn to take advantage of opportunities that arise. Trying to ‘fit’ into the world causes the individual to have conflicted emotions about who they are and how they interact with the people in their life. The opening scene of Strictly Ballroom presents to the audience a fantasy world with images of dancers in their brilliant costumes, and this is the world that Scott belongs to. However, there is a fear of ‘new steps’ and Scott wants the freedom to express himself more creatively, which is against the ‘rules’. Scott’s need to belong has previously forced him to compromise his own values …show more content…
In Strictly Ballroom, two contrasting perceptions of dance are presented; the world of traditional ballroom dancing as opposed to the passionate, world Spanish Flamenco dancing. Scott’s way of seeing things changes as he is introduced more and more into Fran’s world, allowing him to experience a feeling of belonging that his mother had never provided him with. An individual’s sense of belonging is always changing and this is evident in the text, Feliks Skrzynecki. Feliks Skyrzynecki is a Polish immigrant who has moved from one world to another. Over time the interactions and relationship between father and son changes. Feliks belongs to and has a shared history with other Polish immigrants he socializes with. His son belongs to his new home in Australia where he has grown up. They no longer share the experience of belonging to the place where they each grew up. This division or lack of a shared history makes it hard for his father to see eye to eye with his son. A lack of understanding between the father and son leads to a separation of identity, however, in saying this, it does not diminish the son’s respect for his
Kate's family had rented out a ballroom in a neighborhood country club, and we intended to dance the night away. As I approached the scene, disco lights streamed through the large windows and ran all over the lawn. Music enveloped the parking lot as my adrenaline began to elevate. I sauntered in, waving to my friend...
Ten minutes after lining up, I went inside the nightclub. From the door, I could hear the song and the beat of the bass so loud that my heart could feel it. Inside the nightclub, I saw people were dancing everywhere, on dancing floor, on their own seats, everywhere. They would dance and take a big gulp of their beer. Even the bartenders were dancing too, following the rhythm of the loud funky music. The rainbow rays of light moved through the club to make the mood even more exciting and funky.
Ultimately, belonging is not simply a state of security and acceptance, but also involves fear, insecurity, conflict and exclusion. Through Arthur Miller’s exploration of this paradoxical nature of belonging, we see the importance and necessity of belonging to oneself, even if this means exclusion from the community.
Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, whether it comes from a large
Genuine relationships secure an individual’s worth, identity and connection: People seek belonging to find an identity, relationships, and to learn acceptance and understanding “This morning I woke and I knew where I was going for the next few months — to the Library to McDonalds to the river and home here to the Hilton — a circuit of plans with Caitlin at the centre, and me a badly-dressed satellite spinning crazily in her orbit.’”
He expresses himself through his ‘Dance of Defiance,’ a scene where he displays his genuine talent and strong passion through movement. When Jacky finally discovers Billy dancing ballet, the extreme close-up shot captures their gaze and eye contact to create tension between the father and the son. Here, Billy demonstrates his bravery by dancing aggressively in front of his father, challenging his father’s authority. As his exhilaration increases, the screen lengthens and his whole body comes into view. The strong rhythm of the music played in the background emphasises his passion and pride in dance. This scene is crucial where Jacky acknowledges his son’s strong passion and genuine talent as a dancer. It is his confrontation that Billy and his father grow closer together despite their differences. Thus, his love for dance emboldens him in front of his chauvinistic father and lays down a path into a wider more rewarding
Skrzynecki’s poem, 10 Mary Street provides the reader with insight into the concept of familial bonds and our instinctive choice to belong to a home. As such, what is presented is the idea of belonging to a house and the house belonging to a person. As well, the poem shows the narrator’s sense of belonging to a family and the experiences of identity both cultural and religious, which impacts their individual sense of belonging. As well, Skrynecki shows belonging to a culture and heritage through a given space. That is, the house is not only their connection to their past life in Europe but also, the central space of belonging in an Australian neighborhood community, suburb and school. Through the Pronoun; ‘We’; the persona and his family suggest an intimate relationship and bond through experience and hence the sense of belonging to a family. For example, ‘We departed’, ‘We lived together’, and ‘We became citizens.’ What is more, through the use of symbolism such as; ‘still too-narrow bridge’ ‘the factory that was always burning down’ ‘Inheritors of a key that’ll open no house’ the reader views the personas experiences of belonging and depicting the exclusivity of his belonging. The narrow bridge shows his re...
One of the biggest fears in today's world is the idea of not fitting into society. Evan Hunter's story “On the Sidewalk Bleeding,” explores the theme of the importance of personal identity. This will be shown through an analysis of how external reality plays a critical role in defining who people are, how personal identity is a crucial aspect of how individuals grow and the fact that no matter how hard you try, you can never erase the troubles of your past. One aspect of identity that is evident in Hunter's story is how external reality plays a critical role in defining who people are. While individuals may wish to be many things, the world plays a role in who people are and how people perceive others.
An individual’s identity is determined by how others perceive them and how they perceive themselves. However, its seems as if society’s opinion of an individual has taken precedence over an individual's own judgement. This phenomena has a great effect on the decisions people make. When Olivia mistakenly marries Sebastian and ...
They fit in with each other. Those people that don’t belong? Once again, they fit in with each other. But then, you think, what happens when you don’t fit in with any group?
Belonging is a fluid concept that adapts and shifts within a person’s lifetime. It is subjective and can encourage feelings of security, happiness and acceptance or conversely alienation and dislocation. One's perception of belonging, and therefore identity, is significantly influenced by place and relationships established within one's environment. This is evident in Steven Herrick's free verse novel “The Simple Gift” and the short story “The River that wasn’t ours” by Ashley Reynolds.
Belonging is described as being a member of a particular group or organisation. The feeling of belonging to a country, nation and a community can influences a person’s sense of identity and how they participate in society, especially for people such as migrants. This issue is highlighted in the novel looking for Alibrandi.
In what ways does this text explore the development of belonging through connections to people, places, groups, communities or the larger world?
The story explores many vital concepts accompanied by beautiful illustrations. I felt a strong sense of cultural understanding, spirituality and connection to family and land as though I was on this journey too. I could sense an underlying meaning in each dance, holding great importance to Bertie’s family and a strong connection to their culture. Pryor has attempted to fuse the then and now, by speaking of changes in the land, from a once spiritual gathering place, to a now busy town street where through food, they keep the culture alive (Pryor, 2010).
The young people then educate her on “the style” of the time—which allows ministers and church members to go to “the theatre and the circus” and calls the idea that dancing is sinful “old fogyism” (158, 159). In addition to addressing a generational divide about acceptable conduct in a religious sense, this brief exchange links moral behavior with connection to one’s community, as Ma Smith primary fear is disgrace and the judgment of the church’s board. Though Mrs. Smith is horrified at the thought of dancing at first, the young people convince her that transitioning the business of the sewing circle to a social dance is the best way to