White Mans Burden - A Look into Socioeconomic Conditions

The film 'White Man’s Burden' shows the influence of socioeconomic conditions on people’s lives.

In a turnaround of racial identity, the film white mans burden allow the white viewer to experience life as if in a ‘black dominated’ society and how socioeconomic conditions influence peoples lives. In the film the social heirarchy is reversed – Black is the dominant majority.

The film follows a blue collar worker, who although is in the lower part of the social ladder, has pride and accepts responsibility for his family. But for those on the low socioeconomic end, just above the poverty line, any small change affecting income can lead to dramatic measures, as depicted in the film. After the loss of his job, Louis learns how callous the privaledged are.

The film does a good job defining reasons why crime is especially high in low economic communities and shows the huge divide between social classes. As in the days of slavery, where we had the Master controlling the Slave, racism in today’s society is a way for the dominant class to control the exploited class.

In America there is clearly a 2 class system whereby the white elite control the ‘others’.