https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV912uiRM_A
The portrayal of street children is varied. As seen in this clip from “Slumdog Millionaire,” sometimes the lives of street children are portrayed as being glamorous, in a way. Though they are brilliant entrepreneurs, learning how to survive on the street with little support, street children face many challenges that are not glamorous in the least. Though accessibility to food is usually not the biggest issue, street children face abuse from adults in the cities they inhabit as a result of stigma towards them. It can be very difficult for them to access medical care and proper treatment from the police force, and because they usually find labor in the informal work sector, street children are at risk of mistreatment from their employers who may pay low wages and force them to work at night. So, although “Slumdog Millionaire” was successful in shining light upon street children’s lives, it doesn’t necessary present an accurate depiction of life as a street child. Either way, it’s difficult to depict a group such as street children without making them out as more glamorous than they really are, or without depicting them as struggling in all aspects of life. Whether it’s in the media or in movies, writers and producers tend to portray such marginalized groups as extremes.
The portrayal of street children is varied. As seen in this clip from “Slumdog Millionaire,” sometimes the lives of street children are portrayed as being glamorous, in a way. Though they are brilliant entrepreneurs, learning how to survive on the street with little support, street children face many challenges that are not glamorous in the least. Though accessibility to food is usually not the biggest issue, street children face abuse from adults in the cities they inhabit as a result of stigma towards them. It can be very difficult for them to access medical care and proper treatment from the police force, and because they usually find labor in the informal work sector, street children are at risk of mistreatment from their employers who may pay low wages and force them to work at night. So, although “Slumdog Millionaire” was successful in shining light upon street children’s lives, it doesn’t necessary present an accurate depiction of life as a street child. Either way, it’s difficult to depict a group such as street children without making them out as more glamorous than they really are, or without depicting them as struggling in all aspects of life. Whether it’s in the media or in movies, writers and producers tend to portray such marginalized groups as extremes.
Thank you for this posting Jessica! I must admit I was dazzled with Slumdog Millionaire the first time I saw it- the adventure, the romance, the danger. However, I had not stopped to think about how accurate the portrayal of urban poverty or the lives of street children were. Although it is a fictional film, I still took its depictions for face value, perhaps because it fit the mold of the stereotyped image of Indian poverty I had painted in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to keep up with fellow GPP students while they embark on their practice experience in a way of vicariously living through them. I hope that by reading blog posts, I can formulate a more realistic vision of what Global Poverty truly is, rather than the depictions that have been painted for us via the media, advertising, stereotypes, etc.