The Influence Of Catholic Social Teachings In The Help

Every person is unique in what they do, how they think, and above all, what they believe in. This fascinating diversity is attributed to several social factors, taking many forms, with the perhaps most influential being theology. Religion plays a significant role in guiding the individuals of the world to form a moral conscious aimed at helping choose what is perceived to be “right.” For example, the Catholic faith in particular releases numerous documents rooted in scripture to help guide and inform individuals of what is believed to be the intended meanings behind the teachings found in the Bible. However, as the year’s fly by and society advances, many of these documents become difficult to apply and reference when facing contemporary social

These principles, commonly referred to as the Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching, can be found in media that highlights social conflicts of many eras. Weather respected or not, several of these social teachings can be observed in the 2011 film, The Help. One of the most prominent principles of the Catholic social teachings that I have observed in this film is the dignity of the work and rights of workers, which requires respect for the work and the worker and that this respect will help improve the economy as well as society as a whole (74). Viewers of The Help are first introduced to a world absent of this particular principle when Skeeter attends a job interview at the Jackson Journal. As Mr. Blackly, the Jackson Journal’s chief editor, interviews Skeeter, her lists of accomplishments and experience are quickly undermined by Mr. Blackly’s sexism and stereotyping. This is

In essence, this social principle is the foundation of all other principles of Catholic social teaching. In The Help, this principle is both respected and disrespected when Aibileen tells her baby, Mae Mobely, “You is kind. You is special. You is important” (The Help). Aibileen is saying this to Mae Mobely, a toddler, to give her worth, respect, confidence, and love her mother, Mrs. Leefolt, is not. In this unfortunate scenario, Aibileen is respecting the life and dignity of the human person, recognizing the worth and goodness of a child while this child’s own mother fails to do so, seeking higher expectations. The most relevant example of respect for the life and dignity of the human person can be found in preacher Green’s