Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution Cultural Analysis

In the case of Eastern Germany, the culture is also large-power-distance oriented. As our text states, in large-power-distance countries, teachers are more authoritarian and they and their knowledge should be treated with utmost respect. In the movie "Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution" the teachers are portrayed as having control over their class and being completely in charge of all their students. For example, when Alex expresses her opinion about which type of art she considers to be the best, she is met with harsh criticism from her art teacher. Furthermore, when a child misbehaves in a large-power-distance-countries, the main reason for teachers to meet with the parents is to make the parents ‘set their child straight.' This type of situation is portrayed in the film when Alex's parents are called into school due to her rebellious behavior. In the meeting, both the teacher as well as the principal are clearly in the position of authority. In addition, although the parents do not agree for their daughter to be arrested, they do not challenge the school authority and instead try to bargain with the principal peacefully. …show more content…
In low uncertainty avoidance cultures what is different is considered to be curious and worth exploring. This is why Mr. and Mrs. Ratcliffe are portrayed as being open to moving to another country and assimilating with another culture. Exploring the uncertain is treated as an educational and eye-opening experience by the Ratcliffe family. Another characteristic of low uncertainty avoidance culture is how it perceives education. In such cultures teachers and students are treated equally, and students are encouraged to express their thoughts and opinions freely. In the film, this can be observed in the case of Alex whose art is regarded as unique and original in Great Britain but is perceived as less than perfect by her German teacher and