Princess And The Frog Cultural Differences
Cultural Differences
COM360
December 23, 2013
Cultural Differences
This paper will examine the differences in culture within the aspect of the film The Princess and the Frog. The cultural aspects of this film will be examined using Hall’s perspective of culture as a screen and Hofstede’s five dimensions. This paper will evaluate both cultural identity and culture bias in the film. It will explain the concept of cultural patterns and show what types of cultural patterns are present in the film. This paper will also illustrate examples of both verbal and nonverbal intercultural communication in the film. It will show how these relate to Hall’s theory of cultural high context or low context societies. The first aspect we will …show more content…
look at will be cultural identity and cultural bias within the film.
Cultural Identity and Cultural Bias
In the movie the Princess and the Frog we look at three different cultures interacting within the film. The first cultural identity is the economically advantaged, well educated, high-born aspect of the Prince. His cultural bias includes a feeling of superiority that others are beneath him, that others will see to his needs as befits his station in life. The second cultural identity is the princess a low-born, economically disadvantaged, publically educated, working class woman. Her cultural bias is that high-born, non-working class people are incapable of taking care of themselves or caring for others in a practical way. The third cultural identity within this movie is the animals. The animals are a natural culture seeing that things will be as they are meant to be and everything happens for a reason, a very mellow and trusting group. The cultural bias is that humans judge them without really knowing them and it is unfair judgment as they are only as nature intended them to be. Next we will discuss cultural patterns what that means and what they are specific to each character within the film.
Cultural Patterns
What exactly is a cultural pattern?
A cultural pattern is anything that is reflected within a specific groups practice such as religion, land use, economic activity, education, or attitude towards gender among other things. It is something that a group shares in common with the rest of the group. We will begin with the Prince in this film. His cultural pattern is to be educated in the best schools, to eat at the best restaurants and in general have the best of everything in life. He shares his culture with the elite in life a very small percentage who are born into a family of wealth and advantage never knowing what it is to either want or work. The Princess however was born into a working class life always wanting to better her, never knowing a life of ease, educated with the rest of the children in her area at a public school and sometimes going without. She has a culture that can improve themselves or not as they chose depending on their work ethic and luck. Last we have the animals who share the culture of the relaxed attitude believing that life will provide what they need and that they never really want anything but what they have with no desire to change the land, education, or anything else about their life. It is a seemingly fatalistic attitude believing they are born into, will live in and die within the same social setting. All of these three cultural patterns are very different and specific almost as if the writer chose the three most different cultural patterns available to show to the watcher. Next we look at examples of verbal and nonverbal interaction in the film and Hall and Hofstede’s
Theories.
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
A great example of verbal and nonverbal communication within the movie The Princess and the Frog what the scene where the Prince is a Frog trying to convince the Princess that the story is real and to kiss him. In this scene she says she doesn’t believe him and that it is only a fairytale but you can see on her face she is wondering and communicates that through facial expressions and eventually she picks up the frog and does kiss him. This shows the direct opposition from her actions which is the nonverbal communication to the verbal which was her stating that she didn’t believe the frog when he told her he was a prince. These are consistent with Edward Hall and his high context low context theory. The Prince comes from a low context culture where words are believe and the setting or nonverbal clues are mainly ignored or little emphasis is placed on them while the Princess is from a high-context culture where emphasis is placed on the nonverbal language and clues that pass within a conversation. Each is communicating within their own area of comfort and what we see is each using their own cultural methods to communicate to the other in this scene. Using Hall’s perspective of culture as a screen the Princess was viewing the frog’s actions against what her won would be when they were stuck in the middle of the swamp together and tired and hungry. The princess being from a working class background sought to make something with what was at hand including wild foods that grew there. The Prince in the same scenario relaxed and complained of being hungry because his cultural background would normally have a servant seeing to his needs. The princess thus viewing his actions sees him as lazy and useless. The Prince viewing the princess through his cultural screen sees the princess as innovative and amazing because she has the knowledge and ability to take care of things herself using only what is immediately available to her. He sees the ability to adapt that her culture has taught her as something marvelous because he is used to adapting his environment to himself. Now viewing things with Hofstede’s five dimensions things look about the same. Point one in Hofstede’s dimensions is Power/Distance showing the level of inequality that is socially acceptable in culture. The Prince has a high PD score with strict hierarchy while the princess does as well. The animals however show a low PD score considering each other equals no matter the species. Point 2 shows an individualism score this being is the culture about community or self. The humans being the prince and Princess show again high scores in this category being about themselves rather than community while the animals are low scoring being more about community. Point 3 is masculinity and how the culture deals with traditional male and female roles. In this the roles have somewhat shifted so the prince and animals are agreed on a high masculinity score showing traditional roles while the princess is a low score showing equality for women. Point 4 in the Hofstede dimensions is uncertainty or avoidance and how the culture deals with these things in situations. The humans being the prince and princess are again united on point four showing high scores proving they are more comfortable with rules and the expected planning with clear concise communication. The animals are low scoring showing a relaxed almost uncaring attitude towards any kind of planning or rules. And finally point five is long term orientation showing how the culture is about long term tradition verses modern or present day rules. The humans score high in this field again showing entrenched traditional orientation rather than modern relaxed day by day living. The animals show the exact opposite scoring low and reveling in the day to day lifestyle with only a nod to tradition such as the funeral of the firefly scene in this movie. In both Edward Hall and Hofstede’s Theories the Humans scored more alike than the animals because while they were at the opposite end of the traditional hierarchy scale they were on the same scale while the animal’s culture refused to even acknowledge the scale seeing it as counterproductive. The humans meaning the prince and princess scored opposite on the high context low context cultural scale of Hall while the animals show sometimes one way and sometime another.
Conclusion
This paper has shown the cultural identity and cultural bias of all three cultures within the movie The Princess and the Frog. It has explained the meaning of cultural patterns and what each cultural pattern was related to the three distinct cultures within the movie. These being the Prince who was high-born, and well educated and within the elite of society, the princess who was from a working class background, publically educated and economically disadvantaged, and the animals who are more of a natural influence with equality and fatalistic attitude. We have shown examples of verbal and nonverbal communication represented by the kiss scene at the beginning of the movie when the frog meets the princess and the swamp scene where the princess uses what is available around them to make stew for the complaining prince. We have shown how these related to Hall’s theory of high cultural context and low cultural context from the vantage of each group in the film. We have shown how all three groups scored on all five points of Hofstede’s five dimensions. The prince and princess scored high on point one power and distance which stands for the level of inequality that a culture will accept. The animals scored low on point one. The prince and princess scored high on point two as well which is individualism. This point speaks to if the person is more about an individual attitude or community attitude. The animals scored low on point two as well showing a community spirit the humans were lacking. Point three masculinity shows how well traditional male and female gender roles are tolerated. This point shows a split in the humans with the prince scoring high in support of traditional gender roles while the princess and animals are low scoring supporting more of a balanced an equal view of male and female abilities. Point four is the uncertainty and avoidance factor of how a culture handles unknown situations. The prince and princess are again aligned on this scoring high showing they value rules with clear concise directions and communication with long term planning as a must have while the animals have a more relaxed day to day attitude towards living and planning. Point five also shows the prince and princess scoring high for long term orientation with a healthy respect for tradition while the animals give only a nod to tradition as shown in the funeral scene of the firefly.
References
Culture at Work Communicating Across Cultures. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.culture-at-work.com/highlow.html
Hofstede 's Cultural Dimensions Understanding Workplace Values Around the World. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm
Wilson/ University of Calgary, G. a. E. (n.d.). Communication and Culture: A Collection of Observations. Retrieved from http://www.sv.ntnu.no/psy/bjarne.fjeldsenden/Articles/99/cultcom499.html
COM360
December 23, 2013
Cultural Differences
This paper will examine the differences in culture within the aspect of the film The Princess and the Frog. The cultural aspects of this film will be examined using Hall’s perspective of culture as a screen and Hofstede’s five dimensions. This paper will evaluate both cultural identity and culture bias in the film. It will explain the concept of cultural patterns and show what types of cultural patterns are present in the film. This paper will also illustrate examples of both verbal and nonverbal intercultural communication in the film. It will show how these relate to Hall’s theory of cultural high context or low context societies. The first aspect we will …show more content…
look at will be cultural identity and cultural bias within the film.
Cultural Identity and Cultural Bias
In the movie the Princess and the Frog we look at three different cultures interacting within the film. The first cultural identity is the economically advantaged, well educated, high-born aspect of the Prince. His cultural bias includes a feeling of superiority that others are beneath him, that others will see to his needs as befits his station in life. The second cultural identity is the princess a low-born, economically disadvantaged, publically educated, working class woman. Her cultural bias is that high-born, non-working class people are incapable of taking care of themselves or caring for others in a practical way. The third cultural identity within this movie is the animals. The animals are a natural culture seeing that things will be as they are meant to be and everything happens for a reason, a very mellow and trusting group. The cultural bias is that humans judge them without really knowing them and it is unfair judgment as they are only as nature intended them to be. Next we will discuss cultural patterns what that means and what they are specific to each character within the film.
Cultural Patterns
What exactly is a cultural pattern?
A cultural pattern is anything that is reflected within a specific groups practice such as religion, land use, economic activity, education, or attitude towards gender among other things. It is something that a group shares in common with the rest of the group. We will begin with the Prince in this film. His cultural pattern is to be educated in the best schools, to eat at the best restaurants and in general have the best of everything in life. He shares his culture with the elite in life a very small percentage who are born into a family of wealth and advantage never knowing what it is to either want or work. The Princess however was born into a working class life always wanting to better her, never knowing a life of ease, educated with the rest of the children in her area at a public school and sometimes going without. She has a culture that can improve themselves or not as they chose depending on their work ethic and luck. Last we have the animals who share the culture of the relaxed attitude believing that life will provide what they need and that they never really want anything but what they have with no desire to change the land, education, or anything else about their life. It is a seemingly fatalistic attitude believing they are born into, will live in and die within the same social setting. All of these three cultural patterns are very different and specific almost as if the writer chose the three most different cultural patterns available to show to the watcher. Next we look at examples of verbal and nonverbal interaction in the film and Hall and Hofstede’s
Theories.
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
A great example of verbal and nonverbal communication within the movie The Princess and the Frog what the scene where the Prince is a Frog trying to convince the Princess that the story is real and to kiss him. In this scene she says she doesn’t believe him and that it is only a fairytale but you can see on her face she is wondering and communicates that through facial expressions and eventually she picks up the frog and does kiss him. This shows the direct opposition from her actions which is the nonverbal communication to the verbal which was her stating that she didn’t believe the frog when he told her he was a prince. These are consistent with Edward Hall and his high context low context theory. The Prince comes from a low context culture where words are believe and the setting or nonverbal clues are mainly ignored or little emphasis is placed on them while the Princess is from a high-context culture where emphasis is placed on the nonverbal language and clues that pass within a conversation. Each is communicating within their own area of comfort and what we see is each using their own cultural methods to communicate to the other in this scene. Using Hall’s perspective of culture as a screen the Princess was viewing the frog’s actions against what her won would be when they were stuck in the middle of the swamp together and tired and hungry. The princess being from a working class background sought to make something with what was at hand including wild foods that grew there. The Prince in the same scenario relaxed and complained of being hungry because his cultural background would normally have a servant seeing to his needs. The princess thus viewing his actions sees him as lazy and useless. The Prince viewing the princess through his cultural screen sees the princess as innovative and amazing because she has the knowledge and ability to take care of things herself using only what is immediately available to her. He sees the ability to adapt that her culture has taught her as something marvelous because he is used to adapting his environment to himself. Now viewing things with Hofstede’s five dimensions things look about the same. Point one in Hofstede’s dimensions is Power/Distance showing the level of inequality that is socially acceptable in culture. The Prince has a high PD score with strict hierarchy while the princess does as well. The animals however show a low PD score considering each other equals no matter the species. Point 2 shows an individualism score this being is the culture about community or self. The humans being the prince and Princess show again high scores in this category being about themselves rather than community while the animals are low scoring being more about community. Point 3 is masculinity and how the culture deals with traditional male and female roles. In this the roles have somewhat shifted so the prince and animals are agreed on a high masculinity score showing traditional roles while the princess is a low score showing equality for women. Point 4 in the Hofstede dimensions is uncertainty or avoidance and how the culture deals with these things in situations. The humans being the prince and princess are again united on point four showing high scores proving they are more comfortable with rules and the expected planning with clear concise communication. The animals are low scoring showing a relaxed almost uncaring attitude towards any kind of planning or rules. And finally point five is long term orientation showing how the culture is about long term tradition verses modern or present day rules. The humans score high in this field again showing entrenched traditional orientation rather than modern relaxed day by day living. The animals show the exact opposite scoring low and reveling in the day to day lifestyle with only a nod to tradition such as the funeral of the firefly scene in this movie. In both Edward Hall and Hofstede’s Theories the Humans scored more alike than the animals because while they were at the opposite end of the traditional hierarchy scale they were on the same scale while the animal’s culture refused to even acknowledge the scale seeing it as counterproductive. The humans meaning the prince and princess scored opposite on the high context low context cultural scale of Hall while the animals show sometimes one way and sometime another.
Conclusion
This paper has shown the cultural identity and cultural bias of all three cultures within the movie The Princess and the Frog. It has explained the meaning of cultural patterns and what each cultural pattern was related to the three distinct cultures within the movie. These being the Prince who was high-born, and well educated and within the elite of society, the princess who was from a working class background, publically educated and economically disadvantaged, and the animals who are more of a natural influence with equality and fatalistic attitude. We have shown examples of verbal and nonverbal communication represented by the kiss scene at the beginning of the movie when the frog meets the princess and the swamp scene where the princess uses what is available around them to make stew for the complaining prince. We have shown how these related to Hall’s theory of high cultural context and low cultural context from the vantage of each group in the film. We have shown how all three groups scored on all five points of Hofstede’s five dimensions. The prince and princess scored high on point one power and distance which stands for the level of inequality that a culture will accept. The animals scored low on point one. The prince and princess scored high on point two as well which is individualism. This point speaks to if the person is more about an individual attitude or community attitude. The animals scored low on point two as well showing a community spirit the humans were lacking. Point three masculinity shows how well traditional male and female gender roles are tolerated. This point shows a split in the humans with the prince scoring high in support of traditional gender roles while the princess and animals are low scoring supporting more of a balanced an equal view of male and female abilities. Point four is the uncertainty and avoidance factor of how a culture handles unknown situations. The prince and princess are again aligned on this scoring high showing they value rules with clear concise directions and communication with long term planning as a must have while the animals have a more relaxed day to day attitude towards living and planning. Point five also shows the prince and princess scoring high for long term orientation with a healthy respect for tradition while the animals give only a nod to tradition as shown in the funeral scene of the firefly.
References
Culture at Work Communicating Across Cultures. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.culture-at-work.com/highlow.html
Hofstede 's Cultural Dimensions Understanding Workplace Values Around the World. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm
Wilson/ University of Calgary, G. a. E. (n.d.). Communication and Culture: A Collection of Observations. Retrieved from http://www.sv.ntnu.no/psy/bjarne.fjeldsenden/Articles/99/cultcom499.html