Week 7: Video Reactions

The transformation of the culture of that small town was really shocking.  To see how the people viewed themselves before and after the entrance of western culture was a great contrast.  While the people were content with their lives and what they had, they worked hard and all had a place in their society.  There was no rat race, no need or desire for wealth, or any malcontent towards their simple life.  They didn't even view themselves as poor because wealth didn't even exist in their society.  When that changed with the emergence of western culture, you almost felt bad.  I felt like it was my and our culture's fault for transforming these happy and indigenous people into the lower class of our culture, simply by showing them what we have.  When I thought about it, however, the argument can be made that Western culture is a self-sustaining entity.  Western culture gives us these technological marvels and creates the sense of poorness if you don't have the latest and best things.  In the desire to obtain better things, you contribute to the status quo of "wealth" vs. "poor" without meaning to at all.  If Western culture makes you want to climb the proverbial ladder, you are going to leave "rungs" behind you that are also striving for the top.  It really is more divisive than I thought.