Social Work In Global Context: Analysis Of Short Films

Two and Two

Discuss about the Social Work in Global Context.

Two and Two is a short film directed by Babak Anvari.  The authors were Babak Anvari and Gavin Cullen. The film was shot in 2009 in England. The story is about the power of conformity and the injustice promoted in the society. There are different kinds of people in the society who have different perspectives about accepting the truth. Initially, it has been seen that the teacher is teaching 2 + 2 = 5 in the classroom. The teacher is forcing the students to tell the same by frightening them. A student told that 2 + 2 = 4 and tried to convince his classmates. However, no one supported him due to the fear of the teacher (www.youtube.com, 2016). The teacher gave him the last chance, but the student wrote the write answer, 2 + 2 =4. The senior students shot the child with imaginary guns and his blood filed on the board.

The story was based on the dictatorship of one group over the other group who are being oppressed. The social dominance theory would be suitable to understand the social message given in the short film. This theory depicts that intergroup relations should focus on the stability of group-based social hierarchy (Dominelli, 2012). In the story, the teacher was showing dictatorship or autocratic behavior who wants to shape the behavioral attributes as well as the perception of students who are being oppressed. Similarly, in society, people who are being oppressed are at the lower level of social hierarchy and the political power are at the top level of the social hierarchy. These ruler class authorities are trying to dominate common people in the society by forcefully implementing their wrong decision in the society showing their power of authority. However, some people do not show direct disagreement towards the power class, but they are following the truth for survival. At the last seen of the film, according to Aristotle’s actuality of truth, the boy who wrote 2 + 2 =4 instead of five showed that whatever is seen is not always true; people apply the right perception about the situation shown in the society (Dominelli, 2012).

The story or the short film is easily available on YouTube as well as Google search engine. Thus, it was not hard to find. The short film is dedicated to all types of the viewer without discrimination. The universal message is dedicated to all kinds of viewers.

The Land Between

The aim of this film is to make people aware that some autocratic ruler class people are misusing their power to direct the society members towards a wrong direction and whoever wants to raise their concerns against these powered people, are punished. In this context, the author wants to guide viewer’s thinking about that fact that, “if everybody believe about a wrong fact, it does not make a true sense and individual should show that confidence to fight for truth at every stage of life” (Healy, 2008).

There was more than one subject in the film having different perspectives. It has been seen that the senior students were the followers of teacher that is similar to the political leaders in a state who supports the autocratic leadership of the government. The student who protested against the teacher’s thought had different kinds of thought process. However, another kind of people were there who did not presented that they disagree the thought process of ruler class, but they know and implement the right perception of truth in their lives and hope for the day where others would support them. Here, the teacher played the role of ruler class.  

At the end of the story, it was shown that a student still scratched 2 + 2 = 5 and wrote 2 + 2 = 4. Therefore, it indicated that not always, the supporter of truth dies like the student at the gun-point, but students like the last one who was unseen to the teacher would also survive with a true perspective (Dominelli, 2012).

The social workers should gain knowledge about the history of oppression and contemporary issues to serve people and communities. Social workers who are the members of civil society can advocate them about the human rights and their position in the society they can also help them by giving the right direction to reach their goals. For example, the civil activists can go to their place and teach them the ways by which they can improve their lives. They can help them by providing health care community facilities for improving their health status.

‘The land between’ is a film based on the daily lives of Sub-Saharan migrants. The film was developed by David Fedele, who has completed three films about human right issues throughout the word. The documentary has been focused on the abuse of human rights and dignity of Sub-Saharan migrants who were living in Gourougou forest in the north of Morocco (www.youtube.com, 2016).

The Homestretch

The story was made in Morocco, more specifically; the film was shot at the Gourougou mountains in northern Morocco where Sub-Saharan migrants are living with a hope to jump the barrier into Melilla. However, the story was about the universal story of migration. The story highlighted the concerns regarding violence and mistreatment of migrants by both Moroccan and Spanish authorities. In addition, the story also highlighted the terrible lifestyle of the migrants. The author identified that Europe is encouraging and paying Morocco to control the borders and regulate migration for ensuring that migrants could not arrive at Europe (Healy, 2008).

The documentary is easily found while searched in Google search engine. As similar to the previous short film, this documentary is also dedicated to all viewers throughout the world.  Especially, the film can open the eyes of people in Morocco to raise their voice against the inhuman behavior towards migrants (www.youtube.com, 2016). The film has a universal message against migration related violence.

The aim of the story was to make people aware of the inhuman behavior of the national authorities towards migrants as well as the impact of this inhuman and violent behavior upon their lifestyle.

Migration is one of the most prevalent social issues. In the film, the migration-related issues like poverty, unemployment, lowered lifestyle and powerlessness have been highlighted. The immigrants are suffering from unemployment and poverty and they have uncertain future due to the pressure of national political powers. People are beaten and neglected badly in spite of having their moral human rights. According to highly aggregative theoretical model, the labor market is affected by migration. According to human rights theory, everyone has the moral right to have a good life and employment, but the political power is showing autocratic nature to dominate the immigrants lowering their lives (Healy, 2008).

Here the presenter wanted to highlight the violence done to the migrants who do not even have their shelters. The developed countries are dominating other developing countries to treat migrants negatively which is a humanity related issues which are promoting their poverty and unemployment issues. It is the power issue in this context. However, the film did not highlight government’s view regarding this matter which might be helpful for making the strategy to cope with this situation.

The social work can also contribute to this matter by developing strategies for the Sub-Saharan migrants which could help them to live a better life (Healy & Link, 2012). The social care workers can to access refugee community services and teach them to fight in proper ways. They can help immigrants with their emotional trauma. There are a number of examples of successful social works with Australian migrants.

The Homestretch is an American documentary film published in 2014. The film was produced by Anne de Mare and directed by Kirsten Kelly. The story is about three teens all of which are homeless, Roque, Kasey and Anthony (www.youtube.com, 2016). Some issues are faced for being alone at the early stage of life, but they never lost the hope for being successful by completing their education. An in-depth journey of struggle and triumph of these teens were shown. The film showed scenes beyond high schools, where teens migrate through a long way to find a good place to sleep, to study or to have privacy. The crucial transition after graduation was indicated by the scenes of homelessness, where these three teens attempted to find community supports to survive independently (Healy, 2008). The film was in America and distributed by the Orchard Bullfrig Films.

The film was broadcasted by PBS Independent Lens through their community cinema program and Java films. The film was not hard to find; it is easily available on Google search. The film is mostly viewed by the young generation, i.e. 18-30 years population. The film was produced by Anne De Mare and Kirsten Kelly (Dominelli, 2007).

The aim of this documentary is to show people the haunting and intimate scenes about the struggle of homeless teens and the willingness needed for these teens to become successful in their lives.

Here the power issue is mainly the homelessness. The presenter wants to connect the political issues with the struggles of these teens. In addition, the access to the community services for finding a better place to survive is another power issue that is controlled by the society (Dominelli & Bernard, 2003).  According to the conflict theory, the conflict created by the homeless people are affecting the society and destroying the normal social structure (Dominelli & Bernard, 2003). The homeless people works for survival and struggle while their mindset is being. They do not stay as homeless for a longer period and accepts the constant conflicts of being homeless as the societal norms and make a perception to be the normal part of the society.

One thing was left unsaid in the plot that was the strategies for reducing this social issue.

The social workers can implement strategies for helping homeless teens with the provision of services including employments, shelters and sessions bout how to deal with teenage homelessness crisis. The issue of youth homelessness is crucial in a context of neoliberal capitalism. Homelessness is actually a violation of our human rights.

Social workers should have in-depth awareness about the social issues for improving the social status. The short films imparted messages regarding three important social issues, the dictatorship of political leaders, migration and homelessness which should be addressed with more details by the social workers. Education and raising awareness are needed to empower disadvantaged.  Social workers should offer different opportunities to the victims for engaging them with citizen users, policy makers and the community in such a way that they could be empowered.

Reference List

Dominelli, L. (2012). Green social work: From environmental crises to environmental justice. Polity.

Dominelli, L. (Ed.). (2007). Revitalizing communities in a globalizing world. Ashgate.

Dominelli, L., & Bernard, W. T. (2003). Broadening Horizons: International exchanges in social work. Ashgate Publishing Limited.

Healy, L. M. (2008). International social work: Professional action in an interdependent world. Oxford University Press, USA.

Healy, L. M., & Link, R. J. (2012). Handbook of international social work.Human Rights, Development, and the Global Profession. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

www.youtube.com, (2016). 2+2=5 | Two & Two - [MUST SEE] Nominated as Best Short Film, Bafta Film Awards, 2012. YouTube. Retrieved 7 July 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHAuGA7gqFU

www.youtube.com, (2016). Homestretch | Trailer | Human Rights Watch 2014. YouTube. Retrieved 7 July 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMoCevdGQPs

www.youtube.com, (2016). The land between (78mins/2014) - FULL FILM - [Subs: ENG, FR, SP, ITA, GER, GR, HUN, CHN]. YouTube. Retrieved 7 July 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf4N_lHOWEA