Snap Assignment: The Pacific
Snap Assignment
After watching part of the series the pacific, there were two key concepts that could be used to attempt to explain and understand the marine’s perspectives of the people they encounter in Okinawa. In addition to the brutality presented in the film. The first concept is the ethnocentrism, a perspective that the marines in the film take when they view the people they are fighting Okinawa and their culture. With this view the American marine’s compare the Okinawan people and the island itself to their own people and country, using their culture and country as a sort of unite of measure in what is acceptable and how things should be. During the Second World War, in comparison to other areas the damage to the US was less extensive
and put them in a better economic position, because of this there were probably substantial differences between the US and Okinawa. In addition to the condition each group of people were living, making the marines in the film view the Okinawans as less cultured. Whereas, in reality moral and allegiances issues aside each group of people were doing the same thing; fighting for their country and following orders.
This perspective however, creates a problematic view of the people of Okinawa. Because of the “us versus them” mentality created by the marine’s view the Okinawans. And their idea of them being inferior, the second concept of dehumanization is seen. This process is often seen during acts of violence, where the opposition is demonized in the minds of this case the US marines, in an attempt to make them seem less than human. This can be seen in the language used by the marine’s in the film to describe the Okinawans and their behavior when they encounter them. Further examples of dehumanization can also commonly be found in war propaganda used during World War II.
After watching part of the series the pacific, there were two key concepts that could be used to attempt to explain and understand the marine’s perspectives of the people they encounter in Okinawa. In addition to the brutality presented in the film. The first concept is the ethnocentrism, a perspective that the marines in the film take when they view the people they are fighting Okinawa and their culture. With this view the American marine’s compare the Okinawan people and the island itself to their own people and country, using their culture and country as a sort of unite of measure in what is acceptable and how things should be. During the Second World War, in comparison to other areas the damage to the US was less extensive
and put them in a better economic position, because of this there were probably substantial differences between the US and Okinawa. In addition to the condition each group of people were living, making the marines in the film view the Okinawans as less cultured. Whereas, in reality moral and allegiances issues aside each group of people were doing the same thing; fighting for their country and following orders.
This perspective however, creates a problematic view of the people of Okinawa. Because of the “us versus them” mentality created by the marine’s view the Okinawans. And their idea of them being inferior, the second concept of dehumanization is seen. This process is often seen during acts of violence, where the opposition is demonized in the minds of this case the US marines, in an attempt to make them seem less than human. This can be seen in the language used by the marine’s in the film to describe the Okinawans and their behavior when they encounter them. Further examples of dehumanization can also commonly be found in war propaganda used during World War II.