Problem
In the video, "A Poor Man Shames us All," differing understandings of wealth and status in three different cultures are explored. Answer the following questions based on the video, in about one paragraph for each question.
A. In the Weyewa tribe of Sumba, the notions of wealth and affluence are very different from those that are dominant in the West. Describe the tribal chief's understanding of wealth, which lead to his giving away all his material possessions. How can "moving the stone," on which a great deal of time and effort was expended, be seen as an economic act?
B. In the segment of the video about the Gabra culture of Kenya, the narrator's father tells him that "a poor man shames us all." What does he mean by this statement? How can the seemingly charitable decision to donate a camel to the "stranger" be seen as a rational economic act?
C. Do you agree with the claim made in the video that "things have become more important than people in our culture?" What, according to the narrator of the video, has led to this phenomenon?