Different ethnic groups in the world belong to different cultures, which play essential roles in and exert strong influences on people’s communication as well as behaviours. Due to these cultural differences, it is likely that sometimes people encounter serious obstacles to overcoming difficulties in order to find their true happiness. A prime example of this is the female protagonist’ case in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which presents the power of cultural elements on how they affect her life and marriage. Among those elements, two outstanding concepts in the film that will be analyzed are ethnocentrism and collectivism versus individualism.
In the film, Toula Portokalos is a thirty-year-old Greek-American woman who works in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba's. Her father, Gus, another Greek-American man hopes her to merely get married to a Greek man. However, Toula randomly meets and falls in love with Ian Miller, a non-Greek. She manages to keep their relationship secret for a while …show more content…
Lustig and Koester define it as “a learned belief in cultural superiority” over other cultures in terms of the beliefs, values, norms, and practices. Members of a culture are taught the “preferred” way to perceive their cultural differences; thus, they believe that they own natural and correct cultural values. Ethnocentrism in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is presented through Toula’s Greek family members, especially her father, Gus. He constantly posits that Greeks are the greatest people and Greek men are optimal husbands; therefore, Toula should merely get married to a Greek to breed more Greeks, “things that every Greek woman must do in life: marry Greek boys, make Greek babies”. He states that “There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who wish they were Greek”. His statements show that he takes pride in his homeland people, which are supposed to be superior to those of all other
In the film, Toula Portokalos is a thirty-year-old Greek-American woman who works in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba's. Her father, Gus, another Greek-American man hopes her to merely get married to a Greek man. However, Toula randomly meets and falls in love with Ian Miller, a non-Greek. She manages to keep their relationship secret for a while …show more content…
Lustig and Koester define it as “a learned belief in cultural superiority” over other cultures in terms of the beliefs, values, norms, and practices. Members of a culture are taught the “preferred” way to perceive their cultural differences; thus, they believe that they own natural and correct cultural values. Ethnocentrism in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is presented through Toula’s Greek family members, especially her father, Gus. He constantly posits that Greeks are the greatest people and Greek men are optimal husbands; therefore, Toula should merely get married to a Greek to breed more Greeks, “things that every Greek woman must do in life: marry Greek boys, make Greek babies”. He states that “There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who wish they were Greek”. His statements show that he takes pride in his homeland people, which are supposed to be superior to those of all other