In the movie Bend it like Beckham the traditional Indian family is portrayed through a young woman by the name of Jesminder aka 'Jess '. Jess is trying to please her family and her culture while pursuing a soccer career. Within the Indian culture there are expectations for tradition/religion, gender and growing up/friendship. Jess’s character breaks all these norms. Jess essentially plays two roles. For her family she has to be “the perfect” Indian daughter and for her social life she breaks through tradition and becomes a soccer player/friend/girlfriend with her peers. She secretly goes to soccer practice, dresses in soccer clothing attire, and after practice changes back into the acceptable clothing that her parents approve. “Jess’s family
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She is encouraged by her family to cook traditional Indian food and to go to a University to pursue a career in law. “Jesminder (known as Jess) is a Sikh teenager living in Hounslow, who loves to play football. Her parents disapprove, wanting her to settle down, get a job as a lawyer and marry a nice Indian boy.” (Chadha 2, 2002) Jess resists this pressure and pursues her independency unlike the traditional gender socialization built into Indian women. “There is no doubt that many Indian women accept their traditional role and the accompanying notions of sacrifice and duty to family, and these traditional notions (role demands) continue to influence their lives (Mitter, 1991)”. (Dhawan 82. 2005) In the Indian culture boys and girls are treated differently. While growing up in India girls have different pressures than the sons, and this is demonstrated in the film. Bend it Like Beckham gives a realistic take on the rigid lifestyles that these Indian girls are faced with. According to Sivakumar, author of “Gender Discrimination and Women’s Development in India” “Gender discrimination takes many forms. Many social practices seen as normal from a religious or cultural point of view (which may have deep historical roots) have women out of the economic mainstream. These social practices may have profound economic consequences because they do not allow society to take advantage of the …show more content…
The film is an excellent portrayal of blending the tight knight Indian culture with the progressive social outlets that teenagers explore. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the traditional setting of this culture, this movie gives an informative depiction of the reality that these teenage girls are faced with. The challenge is keeping the values of their family at the same time exploring the social norms of an adolescent. Since playing soccer goes against many of the Indian culture traditions Jess’s parents letting her play in the nationals in America shows two things, one that social norms are changing, and two that it was the father’s ultimate decision. The latter of these two is significant to gender roles because in this culture the family is primarily patriarchal. “It is clear throughout the film that when difficult decisions must be made, they must be made by a man. This message, like the reassertions of feminine gender norms off the pitch and masculine norms on it, serves to undermine the progressive messages of the film.” (Abdel-Shehid 150.
She is encouraged by her family to cook traditional Indian food and to go to a University to pursue a career in law. “Jesminder (known as Jess) is a Sikh teenager living in Hounslow, who loves to play football. Her parents disapprove, wanting her to settle down, get a job as a lawyer and marry a nice Indian boy.” (Chadha 2, 2002) Jess resists this pressure and pursues her independency unlike the traditional gender socialization built into Indian women. “There is no doubt that many Indian women accept their traditional role and the accompanying notions of sacrifice and duty to family, and these traditional notions (role demands) continue to influence their lives (Mitter, 1991)”. (Dhawan 82. 2005) In the Indian culture boys and girls are treated differently. While growing up in India girls have different pressures than the sons, and this is demonstrated in the film. Bend it Like Beckham gives a realistic take on the rigid lifestyles that these Indian girls are faced with. According to Sivakumar, author of “Gender Discrimination and Women’s Development in India” “Gender discrimination takes many forms. Many social practices seen as normal from a religious or cultural point of view (which may have deep historical roots) have women out of the economic mainstream. These social practices may have profound economic consequences because they do not allow society to take advantage of the …show more content…
The film is an excellent portrayal of blending the tight knight Indian culture with the progressive social outlets that teenagers explore. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the traditional setting of this culture, this movie gives an informative depiction of the reality that these teenage girls are faced with. The challenge is keeping the values of their family at the same time exploring the social norms of an adolescent. Since playing soccer goes against many of the Indian culture traditions Jess’s parents letting her play in the nationals in America shows two things, one that social norms are changing, and two that it was the father’s ultimate decision. The latter of these two is significant to gender roles because in this culture the family is primarily patriarchal. “It is clear throughout the film that when difficult decisions must be made, they must be made by a man. This message, like the reassertions of feminine gender norms off the pitch and masculine norms on it, serves to undermine the progressive messages of the film.” (Abdel-Shehid 150.