Analyzing The Film 'Babies'

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The film “Babies” is a direct depiction of what we have been learning and reading in class. Although there is no narration throughout the movie, its images and visualization relay a strong enough message, which is that our cultures have critical and lasting effects on who we are and who we become in life. The way in which we are raised has a direct effect on how we develop and perceive the childbearing process. Michael Rutter describes the idea of the relationship between nature and nurture and “environmentally mediated causal risk processes” (Rutter 1) in his article titled, “The Interplay of Nature, Nurture, and Developmental Influences.” Rutter recognizes that a child’s development can be comprehended in context of their relationship to their environs and their culture. “Babies” follows the lives of four children—Ponijao from Namibia, Hattie from San Francisco, Mari from Tokyo, and Bayar from Mongolia— which portrays this exact point. Ponijao is shown getting a hair cut with a knife by his mother and freely eating dirt. Hattie’s parents’ tendency to over-control her life inhibits her freedom to explore her surroundings and stunts her ability to comprehend people and society. Mari’s story is similar in that she is guarded by a caregiver and not exposed to the …show more content…

If a child wasn’t well swaddled as an infant, or nurtured as a baby, or had over-controlling parents, these infants will develop the same skills such as talking, walking, and daily activities. Interestingly, babies have the same facial expressions and endure the same emotions as each other because development surpasses cultural forces. Although development is universal, culture still plays a significant role as it has a direct effect on how a child will continue to mature in the long

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