Cool Runnings Essay

354 Words2 Pages
“Cool Runnings” did a great job illustrating many cultural aspects that are important to be aware of. The movie is about 4 boys who decide to compete in the Olympics bobsled event. All 4 boys are Jamaican; Junior specifically is in a higher social class making him in another subculture. Regardless, they are share the Jamaican culture and want to be in the Olympics. A particular Jamaican culture characteristic was shown at the beginning of the film, that of Sanka participating in a boxcar race. Those watching displayed a lot of enthusiasm and enjoyment. Throughout their journey, they are exposed to different cultures. For example, the German bobsled team had specific chant when starting to push their bobsled. Derice participated in assimilation and diffusion when he adopted their chant and tried to bond with his teammates the way he saw the Germans doing so. Sanka had to remind him that they were not German. Sanka embraced his Jamaican in him and reminded Derice of his culture. The team became innovative when they created their own chant and truly felt Jamaican pride. By doing this, others in the Olympic environment went through enculturation: they wore the Jamaican colors to support them and as a result were integrating all cultures. Before there was acceptance of the Jamaicans, there was a great deal of ethnocentrism from everyone. They judged them even though they didn’t know them. The Jamaicans were different than everyone else and that seemed to make people nervous and or angry. The Jamaicans experienced rejection from everyone around them. They marginalized them by making them feel powerless and unwanted there. In the end, the Jamaican bobsled team ended up crashing due to loose screws on the bobsled. Derice modernized the history, actions, and ideas of past Jamaican teams and with his team, carried the bobsled to the finish line. He displayed the true
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