Bend It Like Beckham Sociology
The movie “Bend it like Beckham” is about a young Indian girl trying to break stereotypes and adventure out to be a great soccer player just like her hero David Beckham. The main character Jesminder Bhamra, nicknamed Jess, wants to play soccer but her parents have a different plan for her. The parents want their daughter to leave sports and focus on finding a husband just like her sister Pinky did, by marrying a nice Indian man and learning how to cook. Jess is trying to fulfill her dreams without damaging her relationship with her parents. Jess has adapted to the western culture, while her parents are more traditional and hold on to their own Punjabi culture.
The movie revolves around Jess pursuing her dream, while maintaining a good relationship …show more content…
Following in the traditions of the Punjabi culture, Jess’s mother want her to find a husband, learn how to cook traditional foods while also pursuing a career in law. Her parents attempt to discourage her from playing soccer by constantly reminding her of their future plans for her and what she ought to do with her life. Furthermore, instead of embracing her child’s success or being proud of her daughter’s accomplishments, Jess’s mother is ashamed that her daughter is wasting her time playing a sport that also requires wearing skimpy shorts. She doesn’t want her daughter to have a bad reputation around the community, she says what man would want a girl that shows her skin and play around with boys. This strongly suggests the patriarchal dominance in Jess’s culture, where a woman’s worth is no more significant than her physical beauty. Jess’s ultra conservative mother believes that showing “too much skin” (i.e. wearing shorts) is unladylike. By pursuing her dreams to become a soccer player, Jess challenges the norms of her parents’ culture, in which women are expected to get married and take care of the household. In addition, the movie draws upon hegemonic views on race. The main reason why Jess’s father does not want her to play soccer is because he does not want her to experience disappointment like he did. When Jess’s father moved to England, he attempted to play on a
The movie revolves around Jess pursuing her dream, while maintaining a good relationship …show more content…
Following in the traditions of the Punjabi culture, Jess’s mother want her to find a husband, learn how to cook traditional foods while also pursuing a career in law. Her parents attempt to discourage her from playing soccer by constantly reminding her of their future plans for her and what she ought to do with her life. Furthermore, instead of embracing her child’s success or being proud of her daughter’s accomplishments, Jess’s mother is ashamed that her daughter is wasting her time playing a sport that also requires wearing skimpy shorts. She doesn’t want her daughter to have a bad reputation around the community, she says what man would want a girl that shows her skin and play around with boys. This strongly suggests the patriarchal dominance in Jess’s culture, where a woman’s worth is no more significant than her physical beauty. Jess’s ultra conservative mother believes that showing “too much skin” (i.e. wearing shorts) is unladylike. By pursuing her dreams to become a soccer player, Jess challenges the norms of her parents’ culture, in which women are expected to get married and take care of the household. In addition, the movie draws upon hegemonic views on race. The main reason why Jess’s father does not want her to play soccer is because he does not want her to experience disappointment like he did. When Jess’s father moved to England, he attempted to play on a