Surrogacy and the Concept of Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism, and Gift-Giving

Surrogacy
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Surrogacy
Surrogacy is one of the ways through which people can have a child. It is a legal arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another person or couple. The concept of surrogacy involves various aspects of life that need to be explained better. It is one of the most complicated and confusing concepts that exists in society due to people's perceptions and economic implications. In India, surrogacy is legal but regulated by the government. The film focuses on an Indian woman acting as a surrogate for another couple. It relates to class reading, especially the concept of cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, and the various approaches to economy and gift-giving. The paper will focus on how effectively the film proves these concepts.
The film effectively proves the concept of cultural relativism because it shows how people from different backgrounds perceive a situation differently. For example, the couple in the film is portrayed as wealthy and living in America. They want a baby but cannot do so because of medical problems. In this case, they would need help bearing a child and have settled for a surrogate mother. The idea of a surrogate mother from India indicates the concept of cultural relativism because the couple doesn't consider the possibility of inequality between them and the surrogate mother. Cultural relativism focuses on the idea that all cultures are equal in different aspects of life, such as morality, politics, and law. In this case, cultural relativism reveals itself through the morality of doing the right thing and the laws involved in surrogacy.
Cultural relativism is also revealed through the film's setting. It is set in India, a country where surrogacy is legal. The legal aspect of surrogacy in India applies to the couple, whereby it is also legal for them to hire a surrogate mother. Their relationship unifies culture through the law. The film focuses on the life of an Indian woman who agrees with another couple to carry their child for them. It shows her struggles and challenges, which are significantly different from those faced by the American couple. The differences between the two couples show how culture plays a vital role in shaping people's perceptions about something considered normal elsewhere. For instance, the issue of cultural relativism forces her to hide the concept of surrogacy from those close to her. Some people consider the act shameful and sinful. In this case, they would judge her for the decision to become a surrogate. While cultural relativism advocates for equality in all aspects of life, people have different cultural beliefs, which undermines its implementation in society.
Ethnocentrism is one of the major challenges in overcoming cultural barriers. It is important to understand that some practices are considered normal in one culture, while they may be frowned upon or even illegal in another. While there is nothing wrong with having different values and beliefs, it becomes problematic when people from different cultures impose their ideas on each other (Teman & Berend, 2021). In this case, the woman overcame Ethnocentrism by hiding that she was a surrogate. It is common today as people try to assimilate into other cultures. Cultural assimilation causes many changes in society that some people might not understand. For instance, in this film, the issue of surrogacy is perceived as shameful in Indian culture, but it is a normal activity among Americans. This is why ethnocentrism causes problems. When people cannot understand each other's values and beliefs, they try to impose their ideas.
The film also depicts the concepts of economy and the resulting relationships. It pushes the viewer to think about the relationships which develop through the various economic exchanges (Gunnarsson et al., 2020). For instance, in this case, the economic exchange is between the American couple and the Indian woman. Before agreeing to become a surrogate, the woman lived a poor life. However, surrogacy greatly changed her life because she utilized the money to improve her living conditions. The film also highlights the issue of power dynamics experienced in exchanges involving the economy. The American couple is depicted as having a lot of power in the surrogacy arrangement, while the Indian woman does not have much power in making the decision. The couple can afford to pay for her services and control what happens next. Monetary exchanges can build or break a relationship. In this case, the exchanges played an important role in growing the relationship between the couple and the surrogate mother. Both parties had an obligation to fulfill, and this called for them to maintain a positive relationship. In this case, a negative relationship would have undermined the agreement, thus causing both parties to lose something valuable. For instance, the surrogate would lose the income obtained from her services while the couple would not have a child. The approach to economies gives people a wider view of how exchanges occur and the possible relationships that could result from such activities. The relationship depends on the bond between the involved parties (Skove, 2018). The bond also determines how long the relationship will last. For instance, in this case, the relationship might end as soon as the surrogate mother gives birth. Most couples do not allow the surrogate mother to be a part of the child's life after delivery. They ensure to clear these details with the woman before agreeing to surrogacy. In turn, the woman would know the kind of relationship to expect while enga...