Why do people matter? This is a question that no one really thinks about. Each of us is a vital part in the world, regardless of whether we are a baby who has just screamed for the first time or an elderly person who is taking his last breath; they are all imperatives in the construction of the social world. In Bend It like Beckham, by Gurinder Chadha, the two main characters Jesminder 'Jess' Kaur Bhamra and Juliette 'Jules' Paxton, go through trials of wanting to become professional football players. Also, in Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourse, by Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Why Race, Class, and Gender Still Matter, by Margret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins; they discuss how race and gender play a role in people's daily lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Race, class, and gender matter to society because, even today, it continues to structure society so that every person is a valued member and what they do in the world effects even the smallest thing. Even today there are minorities and superiorities: some have more opportunities than others. Race, class, and gender discussed in Anderson shows its importance by discussing how different people create the foundation for systems in the world. Despite inequality, the world appears to be making progress in closing the gap between the rich and people living on the streets. “Fundamentally, race, class, and gender are categories of experience that intersect and influence all aspects of human life; therefore, they simultaneously structure the experiences of everyone in society. (Andersen)This quote from Andersen discusses how race, class, and gender intersect throughout life and create people's experiences, although different, but sometimes similar. This quote refers to the scenes in Bend where Jules is nervous about the American scout arriving at the final game, and Jess can't play because it's the same day as her sister's wedding and she has family obligations, not to mention the her family who disapproves of her played football. The reason Jules is nervous is because ever since Jess started on the team, she and Jules have been "two peas in a pod" and have worked very well with each other. Jules is afraid that since she knows a scout will be there, and Jess isn't, she'll have a bad time. These two areas in the lyrics are similar in that Andersen and Bend both discuss how different people who come from different walks of life shape each other and sometimes enhance each other's experiences. Another way they are similar is that they both discuss how different people from different backgrounds influence each other's lives and how these people build on each other, even without realizing it sometimes. An example from Andersen, of how most Americans think they don't discriminate, but are the main culprits, "...if you ask Americans whether they support non-discriminatory policies, the vast majority will say, 'Yes.'" This quote refers to the scenes in Bend, when Jules and Jess talk about playing for the American women's soccer team. There are several scenes where Jess and Jules discuss how they want to play professional soccer, but since they live in London and aren't there. they are women's soccer teams, they are not given the opportunity to be a part of it. This is another way in which the principles of equality that Andersen talks about are complicated. In the United States there seem to be many more opportunities for minorities than anywhere else part of the world, but this is only what appears on the surfacesome immigrants who arrive in the United States think that they will have equal opportunities and that there will be no discrimination. This couldn't be further from the truth. For example, even though in the years 1954-68 the African-American civil rights movement was still very widespread towards African-Americans. The world has moved further towards accepting minorities, but even today, if you look at high-paying jobs, the people you'll see in those positions are white, wealthy males. Today, and in most cases, daily progress represents a small but successful step towards greater equality for those who have had little or no opportunities. women – in different, but related ways. Likewise, the study of racial and ethnic groups begins with learning about the diverse histories and experiences of these groups.” (Andersen)This quote from Andersen is a reflection on how men and women are treated and do different things. This quote also refers to a quote from Bend:Jess: ...It's not fair that the kids never have to come home to help. If I got an arranged marriage, would I find someone who would let me play football whenever I want? (Chadha) This quote from Bend is significant because Jess, being the youngest daughter in the family and of 'marriageable age' for an Indian girl, is in her mother's eyes a disgrace because she has never even had a boyfriend and is not interested in learning how to cook Indian dishes. In this quote Jess expresses his jealousy of how easy it is to be a boy. Since Jess is a woman, she believes that boys don't have to do much and that they are very respected, also because of her culture and the way she was raised. These two quotes connect in how Jess doesn't think boys have to do much, in an Indian family, and how in Andersen the topic is about the differences between men and women. “The United States is a nation where people should rise above their origins… the nation is founded on the principle of equality.” (Andersen) This quote is significant because Andersen and Collins' theory is that race, class and gender are structurally very important to everyone's lives, for example in Bend It Like Beckham, by Gurinder Chadha, Jess's dad (Mr. Bhamra) was "one of the best" bowlers when he was younger. fast, where he came from, but when he and his family moved to London he wasn't allowed to play, and was shunned when he tried anything because of his turban and being Indian: Mr. Bhamra: ... when I was a teenager in Nairobi, I was the best fast bowler in our school. Our team even won the East African Cup. But when I came to this country, nothing of their clubs made fun of my turban and sent me away! (Chadha)This quote and Andersen's are contrasting opinions. This is because, since the film Bend is presented in London, Andersen is presented in a Western setting, in the United States. London and the United States are very different in that politically things are seen differently and the English think based on their own opinions and not others. However, these two places are similar in that today they are developed in similar ways and are allies. This quote from Mr. Bhamra contradicts Andersen's point of view with the words “The United States… is founded on the principle of equality.” These contradict each other as far as Western views are concerned. Since Bend is based in London, even though they have similar views, as in America, not all races are considered equal, regardless of what Americans say. At the startin Bend, Jules and Jess' parents don't want them to. play football, but for different reasons. Jules' mother doesn't want her to play soccer because she thinks it's too manly and is turning her daughter into a tomboy. Jules' mother: - ...Alan, when will you realize that you have a daughter with breasts, not a son? Jules: Mom! Jules' dad: - Paula, please! Jules' mom: - No boy will want to date a girl who has bigger muscles than him! In turn, Jess' parents don't want her to play soccer because Her mother thinks it's against her to be an Indian girl, but her father doesn't want her to play because when he tried to play he was shunned and forced to stop. He just wants Jess not to have to go through the experience of being insulted in various ways. “All social groups find themselves in a system of power relations in which your social position can shape what you know – and what others know about you.” (Andersen) This quote talks about how, what and how you grow around molds you into who we will all be in life and how successful we will be. For example, in Bend, the way Jess grows up, among all the Indians, in an Indian neighborhood, and the way her parents treat her, shapes the way she behaves and the way she views herself. itself in life. All Jess wants to do is play football, but like the scene where Jess complains to Tony, Jess: ...All I want is not Indian enough for them!...I don't wear makeup or tight clothes like them . - They just don't see all those things! Tony: - Parents never see good things. This scene shows how Jess wants to play football, but his parents don't approve of him because he's not "Indian enough for [them"].” Another example that relates to this Andersen quote is when Jess and Pinkie are in Pinkie's wedding car:Pinky: Jess, don't you want all this? This is the best day of your life, right? Jess: I want more. They offered Jules and me a scholarship to go to America. Pinky: But dad won't let you go to live abroad without getting married first. This scene shows how Indian families are very strict in how they manage their lives. All Jess wants to do is get the scholarship and go to America with Jules, but in Indian culture a woman must be married or engaged to a man (preferably Indian) in order to do the things she wants. Interestingly, in Bend, married women appear to be the dominant forces in the family relationship and make most of the decisions. However, when a woman is not married/engaged, there is not much she can do; it seems like they have to have a man to get things done. This religious theory is also linked to Anderson's quote “…young woman trying to explain her growing feminist perspective to her father who loves her but also wants her to focus only on marriage.” These two perspectives are related in that each parent in the different articles is decided about what they want their children's lives to be like and how they want it to happen. An example of race is at the beginning of the film when Jules and her mother (Paula) are out shopping and Pinkie and Jess are shopping at separate stores. This act shows race because it can be seen through the "Western eyes" that Jules and her mother, since they are white, is normal to see, but with Pinkie and Jess, their mother cooks at home for the family and the two girls. of the house are responsible for carrying out errands for the family. Similarly in the film the two couples go shopping in different areas of London; Pinkie and Jess are in the Indian Village, and Jules and Paula are in the Western Village. “…urgent political need…to form strategic coalitions across class, racial, and national lines.” (Mohanty) Thisquote discusses how people from different areas of the world are viewed (e.g. race and class) compared to how they actually are. In this section of his article he discusses how we in the West assume that we are the "primaries" and that everything else is "the others". It discusses how we think we are inferior to the people around us and the rest of the world, that if someone isn't "Westernized" they aren't right or are living life completely wrong. For example, in Chadha's film Bend It like Beckham, she plays one of the main roles, Jesminder (Jess), as a young Indian woman who loves to play football in her free time, but is also very family oriented. Jess, being Indian, her family doesn't approve of her wanting to play football, no matter how much she loves it. Throughout the film Jess battles her dream and her family, trying to figure out what's best for her, and over the course of the film she meets new people who help her shape and make decisions based on what they would do. “…being “third world” (read: ignorant, poor, educated, tradition-bound, domestic, family-oriented, victimized, etc.)” (Mohanty) This quote talks about how “third world” women are seen by Westerners. Since Mohanty was written in 1984, when Western culture was not as "different" as it is now; it puts a different lens on how the world was seen 32 years ago. A lot happens, too in the span of a year, where the entire world takes a step forward towards equality. “Indian Women” (Mohanty), these two words stood out because they highlight a specific race and culture behind just two words. use of the words “Indian women [/people]” reflects the way a culture is described; this type of terminology is not only used by Westerners, but is not mentioned in the rest of the world. This descriptive series is not discriminatory, it describes something for what is.“…"Woman" – a cultural and ideological composite Other constructed through different representational discourses (scientific, literary, judicial, linguistic, cinematographic, etc.) – and “women” – real and material subjects of their collective stories – are one of the central questions that feminist research practice seeks to address.” (Mohanty) This quote discusses the difference between “woman” and “women” and how they are perceived differently by “Westerners”. Mohanty says a “woman” would be described as “the Other” or different, compared to “women” who are seen as “real” or what every country should be like. This quote connects to how, in Bend, Jess and Jules are seen as different, but the same because they become friends and play very good soccer together. In this case the “woman” would be considered Jess, and the “women” would be considered Jules. Jess would be considered the “woman” in this situation because she is considered a minority, by Western standards, and is “different.” Jules would be considered the “woman” in this scenario because she is white and considered normal to Westerners. , implies a notion of gender or sexual difference or even patriarchy… which can be applied universally and cross-culturally.” (Mohanty) This quote from Mohanty talks about how people see “women” as all the same, regardless. It also shows how, although there are many defining qualities, no one is truly an individual because chances are that what you think makes you different, the person next to you may say the same thing. There will always be someone who is equal to you in something, regardless of what it is. This quote connects to the fact that Jess and Jules' Bend had the same opportunity to play for a professional women's soccer team in America, even though they both come from different ethnic backgrounds. "It is assumed that.