Isabel Martinez
Sociology 101
Essay 1 - Culture
The film “The Gods must be crazy” emphasizes the abrupt distinction between the culture of the Bushman’s and modern society. The distinction of cultures in the character’s attitudes and actions are evident. Culture is a crucial concept of society, “Indeed it is an essential part of the very definition of society” (Croteau, Hoynes 59). Undoubtedly, this film does an excellent job in exposing the difference between human cultures.
The film starts by showing the village where Xi, the main character lives. This community lives in great harmony, believing that the gods provide everything necessary for them to survive. The first evidence of the characters experiencing culture shock is when the harmony in which they live is threatened by a bottle of coke an aviator drops from the sky. Xi introduces the bottle to his community and this becomes an object of curiosity. Despite the lack of knowledge on the object’s purpose, their cultural and religious beliefs allows them to think of the object as a gift from the gods. However, it soon triggers a series of disputes over it, caused by everyone’s desire to posses the bottle. Even though, the community makes efforts to incorporate this object into their culture, they soon realize that it does not belong and must get rid of it.
Modern society as showed in the film differs greatly from the harmony in which the Bushman’s live. Modern culture has a meaning for every single thing, our life is timed and our lives revolves around work, and god for many has no relevance in their lives. The second example of cultural shock is when Xi, in his journey to the end of the world to return “the gift” to the gods, encounters a man who had left his riffle unattended. Xi as Bushman has profound respect for human and non-human life. When a Bushman shoots a tranquilizer to an animal, they wait for the animal to go to sleep and then apologizes and explains the reason why their life is...