TO ALL MY ETHICAL PEEPS...
GREETINGS!
Give two events from the movie Mississippi Burning that mark the turning points in the story. What two instances clearly show us the existence of Cultural Relativism in its purest form and the realization of Alan Ward that the “feds” were up against something much more than just a simple crime? What changes do these events cause in Ward and Anderson? Why did the people of Jessup County condone such atrocities and violence towards the African Americans? Furthermore, which aspect of Cultural Relativism justifies or supports such behavior and attitude towards fellow human beings and what do you think made them blind to the fact that they were promoting injustice?
Answer the question here on this blog...and remember, do not simply copy what someone has already written...I WANT YOU TO THINK FOR YOURSELF...!
Have a GREAT three-day weekend...CIAO!!!
Mr. A
1 comment:
1. The court trial in which the whites' punishment was suspended really portrayed the existence of cultural relativism as it is driven by their society's belief that whites are superior beings to other races. Ward thought that he could use the law to take care of these people, but the law discriminated blacks and other non-whites.
2.There are many instances where racial discrimination was seen which shocked Ward. The first was in the restaurant where he sat with the colored man and everyone stared at him. The KKK guy's speech also showed Ward that he was up against a complex crime since it displayed their thoughts and their logic to it as well. Another event was the interview of the locals by the media when Ward called in the navy to help search for the body. The locals all shared the same belief that blacks and non-whites were inferior to them and did not have any sympathy towards them.
These events stressed out Ward as he doesn't know how to approach the problem as Ward tends to apply FBI standards and procedures while Anderson is upset that he is unable to use his method because Ward is restricting them from doing so. Anderson is probably used to a society with this much discrimination at least more than Ward is.
The people of Jessup County was able to live with the hatred is because they all believed in it. They were taught it like you were taught a religion or academics. Pell's wife explained how people grow up and believed it in all together.This is clearly Cultural Relativism as everyone believes in the idea so they think that it is morally right and that people from other societies may not judge them because it is their belief.
I think that not only Cultural Relativism, but the idea of Social Darwinism also influenced these people's thoughts as they believed that they are superior to non-whites. They justified themselves by saying that they hate Jews because they are anti-Christian. They believe that anything different from their cultural beliefs is wrong and that they have the right to get rid of them. They are blind to the fact that they are promoting injustice because their belief is so strong that people are not willing to take another point of view and are willing to conform to society's norms. Some people who are not blind to this fact would not act because they are only a minority and it will hurt them if they disagree with the society.
Anuk
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