I Am Alive Documentary Essay

Tags: conformity culture deviance film life religion

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1. Deviance is relative, and refers to behavioral deviation from established social norms within a specific community (Schaefer, 2016). Therefore, what is deviant in one period of time will become normative in another and vice-versa. Likewise, what is deviant in one culture may not be considered deviant in another. Although deviance is typically framed as maladaptive behavior that either leads to or is categorized as criminal, deviance can also be constructive, productive, and “positive,” (Hughes & Coakley, 1991, p. 307). In fact, athletes engage in what is known as “positive deviance,” in that their behaviors constitute a cohesive “sport ethic” that includes taking risks, pushing past personal limits, and making sacrifices for the greater good of the game (Hughes & Coakley, 1991, p. 307). The 2010 documentary I Am Alive is about the Uruguayan rugby team’s remarkable survival in the Andes, and is a perfect example of positive deviance in action. They take innumerable risks that entail pushing past their physical and mental limits, most notably the decision by Nando and Roberto to trek through the mountains against all odds of survival. They also do so for the good of the team rather than just to save their own lives.

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Of all the behaviors exhibited by the men in the film, the one that is most universally deviant would be anthropophagy—consuming human flesh. Although a few small cultures have practiced ritual cannibalism in some form, eating the flesh of human beings is considered deviant in almost all contexts (Osborne, 2010). The survivors use a variety of methods to justify their deviant behavior including using the Eucharist as an analogy and most importantly, convincing themselves that anthropophagy is critical to their own survival. Although anthropophagy is deviant, it is just as deviant to give up on life, or to turn down the opportunity to survive when there is a clear and rational solution to the problem of starvation.



2. Conformity and obedience are not overt themes of I Am Alive, but the film does show how conformity and obedience helped the survivors maintain unity and collaborate on their strategies. The type of leadership exhibited in I Am Alive is collaborative. Although Nando Parrado does emerge as the strongest natural leader, he defers to other members of the group for their areas of specialization, as when Roy demonstrates he is a radio expert (Osborne,.....

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References

Hughes, R. & Coakley, J. (1991). Positive deviance among athletes. Sociology of Sport Journal 8(4): 307-325.

Osborne, B. (Director) (2010). I Am Alive. [Feature Documentary]. AMS Pictures.

Schaefer, R.T. (2016). Sociology: A Brief Introduction. McGraw-Hill.

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