How do society's labels influence the way you see yourself?
Watch the video and then respond:
What does the title 'the bear that wasn't' mean?
Why didn't the factory officials recognize the Bear for what he was?
Why did it become harder to maintain his identity as he moved through the bureaucracy of the factory?
How does society define one's identity?
Do powerful individuals and groups shape the identity of those with less power and authority?
Why is it difficult to go against the group?
Watch the video and then respond:
What does the title 'the bear that wasn't' mean?
Why didn't the factory officials recognize the Bear for what he was?
Why did it become harder to maintain his identity as he moved through the bureaucracy of the factory?
How does society define one's identity?
Do powerful individuals and groups shape the identity of those with less power and authority?
Why is it difficult to go against the group?
After watching this video I realized how people define other people. The title of this video, The Bear That Wasn't, means the way the people are treating him. They are treating him just like a regular factory worker. They don't see through his actual coat of fur, and they only believe that animals are locked up for the enjoyment of the people. The factory workers don't understand that animals are supposed to live in the wild and not be locked up in cages so when they see an animal outside a cage they just think its a regular human. When winter was coming again the bear went back to his cave, he was caught up in the idea that everyone told him, he wasn't a bear. So as he looked into the cave he decided since he was told he wasn't a bear he couldn't hibernate. This made him very unhappy while he tried to sleep in the cold snow. Society defines ones identity by what other people see them as. Although you could be the richest man alive and decide to live in the street people will see you as a low and filthy person, because of your appearance. Other people decide things for you. It is difficult to go against the group because its you against so many other people. You don't know what people will say when they hear your ideas. But if you did go against the group they could either shut you done completely or listen to the idea you came up with, which may be better than the group idea all together.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that although the bear was certain that he was a bear, people told him that he was a man for so long that even he started to believe it. The way one is viewed by society determines one's confidence in him or herself and makes the person who he or she is. The video is titled "The Bear That Wasn't" because although he's clearly a bear, so many people are fixated on the fact that he's a man that even he views himself that way. The factory officials don't recognize the bear because all of the other bears are locked away, so how could it be possible that there is one at the factory? As he is chastised by more and more people, each with more power than the one before, he himself begins to accept the notion that he is not what he thought he was. Society defines one's identity as how that person is viewed by the majority of the people, no matter how that person may view him or herself. People with more power are able to shape others' identities because they have the ability to manipulate the thoughts and decisions of society members. Once a stereotype or view is placed upon someone, it becomes nearly impossible to avoid because a group is far stronger than an individual.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching this video, it made me realize how judgemental people really are, and how that effects the way a person thinks of their self. Although the bear knew he wasn't a factory worker, hearing other people say he was made him start to actually believe it. I found it interesting that since the factory workers thought bears were only supposed to be in a certain environment, in this case the zoo, that it wasn't possible for the bear to be anywhere else. What the workers didn't realize, is that they can't base an opinion on one by their appearance or what they hear. I think this is one of the many flaws in society that contribute to determining one's identity. I think it was difficult for the bear to go against the group because he might of felt intimidated and outnumbered by them. He also started to feel they were right since they kept continously telling him he was wrong. Most of the time, I think individuals feel different from a group, especially if other's feel their idea is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think that this video did an amazing job of showing societies influence on an individual. "The Bear that Wasn't," although it was a bit extreme, it conveyed what happens to a person when society tells them that they are something that they are not. It could be as small as someone, like your parents, telling you that you are shy, it could be seen as harmless but really has an impact on your life. This cartoon was called "The Bear that Wasn't" because the bear was actually a bear but the forman and the 3rd, 2nd and 1st vice presidents and the president himself told him that he wasn't actually a bear, just a "man that needed a shave wearing a fur coat" and he believed it. At first he started out telling everyone that he was actually a bear, but then he had heard that he was not from a bunch of people, even other bears, and believed it himself. It is very hard for someone to go against what one person perceives of them and especially hard when they have to listen to it from a group of people. The people, and bears truly believed that the bear wasn't a bear because they believed that all beard had been put into zoos and were not willing to accept that fact that they could be wrong. Society's influence on a person has a huge impact on how they perceive themselves. People are willing to listen and believe everything that someone higher in society, or in a students case, more "popular" than they are. Someone who is less "popular" is less likely to be listened to than the most liked girl or boy in school. It is so hard to go against a group because one persons say in something pales in comparison to a group of people. One person is helpless if they have different opinions and ideas than society or the "popular" kids at school.
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ReplyDeleteIn the case of the bear, the bear was a bear, but so many people denied that fact. The officials didnt recognize the bear because the the silliness of a bear being in a factory, they judged the bear as a human and not as a bear, because bears dont live in factories. As the bear moved through the presidents and managers, more and more people went against him so his initial thought of being a bear was gone, how could it be possible when all these people are against you? Society defines someone because no one wants to be secluded and left out because of ones interests, they want to fit in and make friends. In the case of the bear, the bear was so helpless because of his lack of knowledge in the situation, the factory was able to shape his identity without him even knowing it. Sometimes its so difficult to go against the group because its the harder choice. all these people are saying the bear is a human, and he starts to believe it.
ReplyDeleteThis was somewhat of a different way of expressing how people (or bears) are influenced by the society they are in. In some ways, this phenomenon found in all societies is reminiscant of Stockholm syndrome. The bear got told so many times, and by so many increasingly important people that he was just a silly man that needs a shave wearing a fur coat, that he started to believe it himself. The people in the factory didn't expect to see a bear, so they didn't see a bear. This caused the bear to become the "bear that wasn't." Even though he was actually a bear, he wasn't because people didn't want him to be. As more influential people kept telling him he wasn't a bear, he believed them because of the status and influence of the people.
ReplyDeleteLabeling is what society does best. If ever there is ever a vacuum of self-esteem or any uncertainty as to who one is, then society will do everything possible to get things nice and simple, black and white. As to how one sees themselves, it is up to them. Society will try to label a person and define who they are, but often, one has already chosen what they want to be and society merely accepts that.
ReplyDeleteThen comes the Bear Who Wasn't.
My initial reaction to this story was "Are they serious", accompanied by laughter. However, after truly comprehending the story, my reaction is sadness. The mere fact that the bear would even for ONE SECOND believe that he wasn't himself is appalling. If a someone doesn't now who they are, then what are they? Nothing.
And that is where the title springs from. He was not anything. He "Was Not."
The factory officials were representative of society on a whole. They were applying labels to the bear, regardless of what he truly was. The officials refused to acknowledge that this bear was anything more than a lowly worker. The longer he spent at the factory, the more their opinions influenced him until finally, he became their product. He gave into authority and they defined him merely by first impressions and appearances.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Jack. Society defines people. People much rather go with the established norm rather than being themselves. In society everyone is given a mold to fill, and that's how your perceived. For example, when the bear went to his cave and he wanted to go into his cave and hibernate but he couldn't because he was brainwashed into thinking that he was something other than himself. I agree that the hierarchy's in society shape the way people of lower authority act because people become jealous. They want to be like the hierarchy so they try everything possible to obtain this solace and its extremely difficult to be the odd-man out in a situation when society rejects you for who you are. Example, the bear was trying to be himself and the people around him continued to deny who he was and this had a major impact on him mentally.
ReplyDeleteThe Bear that Wasn't reminded me a lot of Animal Farm. On the outside it seems like a silly children's story about a bear that wakes up in a city. The bear proceeds to be mistaken for a worker and moves up in the hierarchy and even goes to other bears and is still mistaken for a person. Like Animal Farm it also had an underlying meaning. The film uses a simple analogy for society making stereotypes, assumptions, and labels. The factory though that everyone in the factory must be a worker, and it was impossible that he could be a bear. As he moved up, it became more and more futile, as it was some worker's word against those part of the bureaucracy. The other characters made assumptions based on stereotypes, mostly because they were generally right. Society, more importantly the ones with power, defined how the bear should act and who he should be. These things are hard to fight, but the bear realized that it didn't matter and all that mattered was who he thought he was.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Bear That Wasnt" they call a bear a human who works in the factory. I think that they used this title, because no one actually thought he was a bear. I dont think that the factory realized he was a bear because it was so industrialized. THe factory didnt realize that they were interrupting any wildlife, when it was built, and i doubt that the factory would have cared. It became harder for the bear to maintain his identity as he moved through the factory because all of the presidents kept telling him, " your just a silly man who needs a shave and is wearing a fur coat" and soon enough he started to wonder what his identity actually was. Once enough people told him who he was, or who he should be, he started to believe them. I think that powerful individuals and groups do shape who less powerful people are. For example, at the end of the video, the bear thought he was a worker because so many authorities had told him so. It is hard for any single individual to stand againt a large group, or in this case a factory. The bear had trouble holding his side of the argument, because there were so many to disagree with him.
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