How Do Values And Beliefs Shape Choices, Identity, And How We Judge Others?
Definition
Values
Values are deeply held beliefs about what is important, right, or desirable.
Definition
Belief System
A connected set of beliefs and assumptions about how the world works (religious, cultural, political, or personal beliefs) that helps someone decide what is right or wrong.
- Every day, people make choices that reveal what matters to them.
- In this course, values and belief systems are especially important because they:
- Influence how characters (and real people) respond to challenging situations
- Shape identity and self-image (for example, seeing yourself as "loyal," "fair," or "brave")
- Affect how others interpret your actions, often leading to quick judgements
- Can be questioned, challenged, or changed through experiences and through texts (films, novels, short stories, articles, TV)
- A useful way to think about it is that a person's internal beliefs are not directly visible, but their choices are.
- Narrative structures often place characters under pressure, creating moments where a decision must be made, and the response reveals character.
How Do Moral And Ethical Dilemmas Reveal What People Stand For?
Definition
Ethical Dilemma
A situation in which a person must choose what to do when different moral principles or responsibilities conflict, and any choice may cause harm or feel wrong.
- A moral dilemma is a situation where a person must choose between competing ideas of what is "right."
- An ethical dilemma is similar, but often emphasises codes of conduct, fairness, and responsibility in a community (school, workplace, society).
- In many narratives, dilemmas create dramatic tension because there is no easy choice, and every option has consequences.
Example
- School-based dilemmas show how quickly values collide in real life:
- If you know who created an offensive website, do you protect friends, tell the truth to authority, or find another solution?
- If you witness bullying daily, do you intervene, report it, or stay silent?
- If a stressed high-achieving student submits work largely produced by a tutor, how do we weigh honesty, pressure, and future consequences?
- These scenarios are powerful because they expose priorities: loyalty vs integrity, safety vs justice, compassion vs rules, short-term benefit vs long-term consequences.
Why Does Perspective Influence Attitudes And Behaviour?
Definition
Perspective
A perspective is a point of view that reflects how an individual perceives and understands the world, based on their beliefs, values, and lived experiences.
- Texts often explore how perspectives form quickly, especially through first impressions.
- When someone seems "different," people may react with discomfort, curiosity, empathy, ridicule, or respect, and those responses usually reflect the responders' belief systems as much as the "different" person.
Tip
This is why considering multiple perspectives tends to create a more informed point of view.
Why Do Narrative Structures And Film Techniques Test Values?
- Writers and directors do not only tell you what a character believes, they design situations that force beliefs into action.
- Key narrative terms that often connect to values and belief systems:
- Chronological storytelling can make moral cause-and-effect feel unavoidable: choice → consequence → fallout.
- Foreboding can push viewers to fear certain outcomes, shaping how they judge a character's options.
- Dramatic tension is often strongest when a character's values are tested (for example, honesty vs self-protection).
Example
- If a character harms someone:
- If it is shown as premeditated, audiences often interpret the character as cruel, calculating, or morally corrupt.
- If it is shown as unwitting, audiences may interpret the character as careless, pressured, misinformed, or tragically human.
- This is the same outcome with a different ethical reading because intention changes how we apply our values.
How Do Judgements Reveal Our Own Values As Much As The Author's?
- When you watch real-world social experiments or read narratives about difficult choices, you often judge characters (and real people) quickly: "brave," "selfish," "cowardly," "kind."
- Those labels may feel objective, but they usually come from your own belief system.
Exam technique
- When writing analysis, use language that shows you understand interpretation:
- "This suggests…",
- "This positions the viewer to…",
- "A reader might infer…".
- It signals awareness that values shape reading.
How To Analyze Values And Belief Systems In A Text
When analyzing a text (film scene, narrative extract, article), focus on how values are shown, not just stated.
- Identify the dilemma and competing values
- Name the conflict clearly: What two (or more) values are pulling in different directions?
- Track the choice and its consequences
- What action is taken, what is avoided, and what immediate and long-term consequences follow?
- Analyze how the text positions the audience
- Consider techniques that influence response:
- What information is revealed or withheld
- Whose perspective is prioritized?
- How tone, connotation, and mood guide judgement
- Consider techniques that influence response:
- Connect to identity and theme
- What does the choice reveal about character identity, community values, or broader themes like justice, loyalty, prejudice, or compassion?
Exam technique
- Use a simple thesis frame in your response:
- "Through [technique/structure], the text presents [value/belief] as [complex/contested/transformative], shown when [key moment], which leads the audience to [judgement/realization] about [identity/theme]."
Self review
- What is the fundamental difference between a person's values and their belief system?
- In a moral dilemma, why is the choice often described as "right vs. right" rather than "right vs. wrong"?
- How does the distinction between premeditated and unwitting actions change how an audience judges a character's identity?
- Why does a reader's judgment of a character often reveal as much about the reader’s values as it does about the author’s?
