Sümeyye Sakarya

SOC 101-11

In order to understand how values and norms change from culture to culture,
comparing movie characters from two different cultures (also countries) seems to be a suitable
way: Johan from Saraband by Ingmar Bergman (a Swedish director) and Ahmet from Beyaz
Melek by Mahsun Kırmızıgül (a Turkish director).

The first and the most obvious difference is their life style. While Ahmet in his
seventies lives with his family-children, grandchildren, brothers-, Johan in his eighties lives
alone even though his children and grandchildren are alive. The second one is their perception
of death. While Johan regards death as the most fearful thing, for Ahmet it is normal and
when he is on his deathbed, he gives and receives blessings. The last difference is their
perception of dispute. In Beyaz Melek, two of Ahmet’s guests aren’t speaking to each other
because one of them rebelled against God when his family died and the other one warned him
and angered him. Ahmet tells them off and says “there can not be disputes in my house, even
with God, never”. On the other hand, Johan has been in a dispute with his son for years and
when his son makes an attempt to commit suicide and does not succeed Johan says: He
couldn’t even kill himself!

All of these things are based on traditions, religion and other things influencing
culture. Old people living with their children especially when they are ill is a norm associated
with some values like giving respect to seniors, the importance of father and motherhood etc.
But, although these values are the same for many cultures they are different for others. For
example leaving old Johan to live alone wouldn’t be regarded as a disrespectful action in his
culture because of their conventional life style. Maybe this norm is in a sense related to some
religious acceptances such as this verse: “If either or both of them(your parents) reach old age
before you, utter not even a faint cry to them and chide them not and speak to them the word
of respect.”(Al-Isrâ;23).

Values can change from culture to culture. For instance, while death is considered to
be a part of life by some cultures, for others it is just seen as the termination life. These
acceptances’ impact, indeed create, cultures’ traditions and norms. To illustrate this we can
give the Uyghurs as an example. They believed in the afterlife so they dug their graves in the
shape of a room and put some clothes-belongings in them. Even, some societies buried horses
with their possessors as they were nomadic and warrior societies, and as we can see this
tradition isn’t just connected with religion but it is also connected with their life styles.

In conclusion, even if there are some common elements, values and norms among
societies some can change from culture to culture depending on religion, life style, traditions
and some other things we didn’t mention i.e. geographical location, climate, age etc.