CULTURAL VALUES FOUND IN THE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

MOVIE AND ITS’ CONTRIBUTION TO CROSS CULTURAL

UNDERSTANDING TEACHING

Yuliono Nurokhim

Abstract: The objectives of the study are: to find out the cultural value
presented in the “Slumdog Millionaire movie”., cultural values in “Slumdog
Millionaire” movie and its’ contribution to Cross Cultural Understanding
teaching. This study is categorized as descriptive qualitative. The movie entitled
“slumdog millionaire” is primary object in this final project. The data are words
subtitle English-Bahasa in the movie entitled “slumdog millionaire”. To make it
more effective the writer uses several steps. First, the writer watch the movie
repeatly to understand the cultural value that carry on the movie. Then the writer
find out the expression, verbal language, body language which shows in the
movie. After that the researcher clasifiying the expressions used in the movie
dialogue to determine the kind of cultural value. The last steps is interprete the
expression that is used in the movie “entitled slumdog millionaire”. In this final
project, the writer uses literary books, Dictionary, internet and E-Book as
references and sources of the theories in finishing this study. In contribution Cross
Cultural Understanding Teaching, this study can be used as a source of teaching
materials. There is useful cultural value found in the movie entitled “slumdog
millionaire” which could be used to improve the students knowledge about
culture. It is useful to the reader who is conducting a such research. In the process
of analysis, the writer found that the movie tells us to be tough guy, never give up
and hard work to achieve the turning point of life, from slumdog into a
millionaire. Friendship issues can be found almost in all scenes. Great bonds
between Jamal and Salim, and how they help each other.

Key words: cultural value found in the movie, Slumdog Millionaire movie , Cross
Cultural Understanding teaching
INTRODUCTION

Language is the most important thing in our life. It used to

communicate and delivering express through both in writen and spoken. In

the whole live, people communicate through language which Keraf in

Smarapradhipa (2005:1), providing two language understanding. The first,

language as stated means of communication between members of the public

in the form of a symbol of the sound produced by means of said human.

Second, language is a communication system that uses vocal symbols (speech

sound). Poetry, novel, comic, soap opera, electronic literature, graphic novel,

and film or movie are “language”. Movie as another kind of language use

projected moving images with sound, graphic, plastic, spatial, and narrative

finally accepted in educational circles suitable for study analysis, research in

institution of higher learning. As a media in education “Film study is not to be

confused because it is a kind of audio-visual instructional technology”

(Deighton, 2011:1).

To make this study understandable to the readers, this study presents

the definition of key terms, as follows:

A. Culture

Culture is inseparable from human life, everything in our life from

how we dress to what we eat, from what we speak to what we think, is

culture. The statement of Julia T Wood also make it clear that “a culture is

made up of structures, primarily institutions, and practices that reflect and

uphold and particular social order” (2012:2)

 According to Bennett (2008) culture is usually remembered with the

debates over globalization’s effects, diversity and multicultural societies. Just

like the example given by shaules that “Cultural differences are such as “US

American culture is more characterized by individualism than is Japanese

culture, which is more collectivist” (Shaules, 2007: 33).

Generally, culture is defined as what people learn to do and say, and

how they act to the people around since they are born. There are many

interesting differences found among cultures that are presented in many

research studies and academic sources. Moreover, the media, whether films,

soap operas or TV shows, is one main method through which people can learn

about cultural attitudes and norms.

B. Value

Values is a part which related to the norms of a culture, when there is

culture, there are values inside. Value are more general and abstract than

norms. Norms are rules for behavior in specific situation, while values

identify what should be judged as good or evil. For example, flying the

national flag on a holiday is a norm, but it reflects the value of patriotism.

Values are the rules by which we make decisions about right and

wrong, should and shouldn't, good and bad. They also tell us which are more

or less important, which is useful when we have to trade off meeting one

value over another.

 Value is guide or qualify your personal conduct and interaction with

others. They help you to find what is right from what is wrong and inform

you on how you can conduct your life.

Theory of value is third part of philosophy, knowledge theory,

essence theory and values theory. Value means cost, something has value

because it is valuable. In commonly, people said that value ties on things and

never tie out of things. In other side, some people said that value is out of

things (Juhaya, 1997:41).

C. Movie as Media in Education .

Sadiman in his book (2009:16-17) says that the functions of media in

education are as follow:

1. To make the massage not always verbal (not form oral or write).
2. As problem solving limited room and time.
3. As problem solving when the children is passive.

D. Contribution Of Slumdog Millionaire Movie To Cross Cultural

Understanding.

The researcher finds through analyzing the cultural value found in the

slumdog millionaire movie, the students can have a chance to learn and

understand the cultural value that carry on by the movie. The students are

brought to more lively example of the cross cultural phenomenon possibly

found in the real life. Morover the media is enjoyable. Through watching the

movie, the students analyze the cultural value gets from the main caharater on

the movie.
 Movie as screen educators helps the students perceive, understand and

appreciate the unique visual and aural language of film and the role of this

language in human communication. “By developing skill in response to these

visual-aural languages, student can increase their understanding of themselves

and others and explore the communicative and artistic potential of film as a

medium of expression” (Deighton; 2011:3).

Movie is displayed through electronic media. Message displayed by

the electronic media is more interesting because there are many of sound

effect, computer effects and good act, this part on the movie are more

educating, and entertaining. “Message contribution will be received more

quickly because the nature of audiovisual” (Darwanto; 2007:44-45).

Generally, audiovisual is very helpful in teaching and learning,

because with these tools students can do observations more closely, and

through observation will give the impression of depth that will improve

memory (Darwanto; 2007:108)

METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH

The writer used descriptive qualitative research in designing this study

because this study needs the researcher’s knowledge, comprehension, and

experience to solve the research problems. Furthermore, the data of this study

is arranged based on the writer’s point of view.

While Somekh argues, the development of self-understanding is

important in action research, as it is in other forms of qualitative research,

 because of the extent to which the analysis of data and the interpretative

process of developing meanings involves the self as a research instrument

(2006:8).

Generally this final project is a qualitative analysis, which the

researcher describes data to finish the literary. Bogdan and Taylor in

(Moleong, 1988:3) defined a qualitative analysis “a procedure of

investigation which result in description data, namely writen or spoken words

and observable attitude”. This analysis the evidence of cultural value in

slumdog millionaire. The method used in preparing the data related to the

subject of this research is documentation method because the researcher

collect the data from a movie. The data were collected by using the following

steps:

1. Library research

2. Watching the movie repeatly is important

3. Collecting references relevant to the analysis of the movie
4. Selecting the relevant data
5. Identifying the culture values in the movie
6. Identifying the styles of the culture values in the movie

RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

According Koentjaraningrat (2000:181) the word culture

comes from the cultural basis sansekerta "buddhayah", ie the

plural of buddhi, which means "kindness" or "reasonable". So

Koentjaraningrat defines culture as "the power of the mind" in

the form of copyrights, wills and taste, while culture is the

result of creativity, initiative and sense of it, morover

Koentjaraningrat state that “a whole system of ideas, actions

and results of human work in the framework of community

life which belongs to self-made man with learning."

Koentjaraningrat (2000:181).
Concerning the elements of culture in his introduction

book “ pengantar Ilmu Antropologi”, suggests that there are

seven elements of culture that can be found in all the nations

of the world came to be called the elements of universal

culture, they are: Languages, Knowledge System, Social

Organization And Kinship Syste, Equipment And

Technology System Life, Livelihood System, Religion

Systems and Art. .

A. Cultural values found in the Slumdog Millionaire movie:
1. Languages In The Slumdog Millionaire Movie
Verbal or oral communication uses spoken words to communicate a

message. The language used in the movie are verbal language, as the

verbal language they used   Hindi  in   the  conversation,   i.e   the

conversation  between  the   two  police   officers   who   interrogated   and

tortured Jamal. The writer found verbal language in this case Hindi, as

an elements of cultural values. 

2. Social Organizations In The Slumdog Millionaire Movie

 http:

//haribhakt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/varnasystem.jpg
Social Organizations shows in the movie are about caste system, caste

system is a process of placing people in occupational groups. India’s

caste system has four main classes (also called varnas) based originally

on personality, profession, and birth. In descending order, the classes

are as follows:
 Brahmana (now more commonly spelled Brahmin): Consist of

those engaged in scriptural education and teaching, essential for

the continuation of knowledge.

 Kshatriya: Take on all forms of public service, including

administration, maintenance of law and order, and defense.

 Vaishya: Engage in commercial activity as businessmen.
 Shudra: Work as semi-skilled and unskilled laborers.
The highest category of castes are those people called Brahminsin the

Hindu system; they were traditionally priests and intellectuals. Below

them in rank were castes called Ksatriya, including especially warriors

and rulers. Third in rank were the Vaisyas, castes concerned with

trading and land ownership. The fourth-ranking category were the

Sudras, primarily farmers.

3. Livelihood System In The Slumdog Millionaire Movie
The film gave perfect examples of the lives of Dalit children. They are

likely to become beggars, beg for food to survive, forced into child
 prostitution, or be abducted by gangsters where they are permanently

disabled to increase they're chances for tips as beggars.

4. Religion System In The Slumdog Millionaire Movie
The movie shows ethnic violence that erupts occasionally between groups

Hindus and Muslims.

5. Art In The Slumdog Millionaire Movie
The cultural value on the art side also shows by the dancing scenes, the

scenes shows the culture of Indian that they like dancing and singing,

B. The Contributions to Cross Cultural Understanding Teaching

Through watching a movie and understanding the cultural values

of the movie hopefully could motivate the students to learn and uderstand

worlwide culture. The movie will make them understand the materials of

the study more easily especially kinds of cultural values used in the

Slumdog Millionaire movie.

In additions using media as a tool used by teachers help to clarify

the subject matter presented to studentsbecause using to much verbal

would be boring, instead of teaching would be more interesting if the

students delighted in learning the learning activities will be more effective.

Means that the more sensing devices used to receive and process

information, the more likely the information is understandable and can be

maintained in memory.
Thus, students are expected to be able to receive and absorb easily

and good messages in the material presented. Effective learning must

begin from direct experience or experience in the concrete and toward a

more abstract experience. Learning will be more effective if assisted with

the props in teaching than in unassisted with a teaching tool. Conclude

that, the more sensing devices used to receive and process information, the

more likely the information is understandable and can be maintained in

memory.
There are a lot of experts who argue that using media in education

giving more benefits than verbal teaching learning process, the statement

of Deighton and Darwanto on their books also cited. Movie as screen

educators helps the students perceive, understand and appreciate the

unique visual and aural language of film and the role of this language in

human communication. “By developing skill in response to these visual-

aural languages, student can increase their understanding of themselves”

(Deighton; 2011:3). The other supporting citation also comes from

Darwanto “Message contribution will be received more quickly because

the nature of audiovisual” (Darwanto; 2007:44-45). And “The results of

various researches suggest the use of audio-visual teaching and learning

can improve teaching efficiency up to 20%-70%” (darwanto; 2007:100).

The advantages on Learning Indians culture part through the

Slumdog Millionaire movie also give the student experiences about Indian

culture and hopes could minimize misunderstanding and misperception

when the students meet Indians. In addition India has identified the

birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism (Religion Cultural Value ) the third

and fourth largest religions.

The other contribution of the Movie and the Cultural Values inside

to the Cross Cultural Understanding Teaching are:

a. With the media uses in teaching and learning activities to teach the

students, the delivery of the subjects became more standardized

 because the students receive the same message, even though the

teacher explain with different ways.

b. Teaching is more interesting, because the clarity and message

appeal can lead students to analyze and think according their

perspective.
c. The progress of teaching and learning activities more interactive

and interesting, because time teaching requires only a short time in

delivering the lesson and students can absorb many contents in an

optimal learning.
d. With the use of teaching media in teaching and learning activities

means loads of teachers to explain the repeated lessons about the

content can be reduced and even eliminated so that teachers can

concentrate on other important aspects in teaching and learning.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion
Movie is a story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving

images and shown in a theater or on television (motion picture) that

contains a series of photographic images that lead to the illusion of

movement and action in real life. Each film story cannot be separated from

narrative elements and each story certainly has elements such as

characters, problem, conflict, location, time, and other which interesting

and entertaining, and make the audience think. Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog millionaire is a movie directed by Danny Boyle in case to raise

the issues of Dharavi slums, Mumbay, India. The movie took time from

1993 until 2006. The movie also tell us about a tough guy named Jamal

(Makesh Kheddekar and Tannay), which his life fulfilled by

bad and sad experiences. Jamal as the main character are

also represent of the Dharavi’s issues at the moment,

issues about violance, kids exploitation and conflict

between Hindus and Muslims. Slumdog millionaire movie

as the entertaining and intersting movie should be used in

the cross cultural understanding teaching as the sylabus of

learning international culture. The importance of using

movie as the media because through watching a movie and

understanding the cultural values of the movie hopefully could motivated

the students to learn and uderstand worlwide culture. The movie will make

them understand the materials of the study more easily, by understanding

the movie they also can learn good and bad things from the message learnt

through the movie.

Using movie also clarify the subject matter presented to students

would be more interesting because the students delighted in learning the

learning activities. The more sensing devices used to receive and process

information, the more likely the information is understandable and can be

maintained in memory.
There are a lot of experts who argue that using media in education

giving more benefits than verbal teaching learning process, the statement

of Deighton and Darwanto on their books also cited. Movie as screen

educators helps the students perceive, understand and appreciate the

unique visual and aural language of film and the role of this language in

human communication. “By developing skill in response to these visual-

 aural languages, student can increase their understanding of themselves”

(Deighton; 2011:3). The other supporting citation also comes from

Darwanto “Message contribution will be received more quickly because

the nature of audiovisual” (Darwanto; 2007:44-45). And “The results of

various researches suggest the use of audio-visual teaching and learning

can improve teaching efficiency up to 20%-70%” (darwanto; 2007:100).

The advantages on Learning Indians culture part through the

Slumdog Millionaire movie also give the student experiences about Indian

culture and hopes could minimize misunderstanding and misperception

when the students meet Indians.

The cultural values elements which found in the movie aslo shows

the rich of Indian culture which useful to learn in the Cross Culural

Understanding class. Concluded that, slumdog millionaire movie and it’s

contents giving a lot of benefit to teaching learning process, it is

reasonable to say that using movie as media education is a must in the

cross cultural understanding teaching because there are a lot of benefits

could be taken.

B. Suggestion
1. For the students
This final project can be a reference for the student especially for

literature class in English department. This final project is also useful in

solving some problem in analysis of literary work such as analysis of

cultural value, lyric, and analysis of novel.

2. For the lecturer
There are many kinds of methods in teaching some subjects, in this

case literature. Using an attractive and interesting method in teaching is

 very useful to stimulate students’ ability not only understanding the

material, but also exploring the material given by the lecturer. By giving

an interesting movie, students are going to be interested with the material

since it is familiar with students.

3. For the researcher

In writing this final project, there are some parts that may not be

included by the writer, because of the topic limitation. Therefore, the

writer hopes that someday there will be another researcher continues with

the more specific aspect.

Because this film is so fascinating, the writer expects

that everyone who interested in films could do better in

analyzing Slumdog Millionaire movie by using the other

relevant theory and using appropriate references to

support the analysis to be a better one.

By using the other relevant theory, hopefully it can

give more information about the film and give a new

amazing analysis more than what the writer has done.

The last, teaching cultural value in accordance to

show about world wide to the student are also important to

rich the students knowledge about around the world, but

the process should be interesting. Movie as media are also

interesting and let us know more about what its carry.

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