Social Life Studies: Analyzing Mowgli's Social and Cultural Adaptation

This essay delves into the social and cultural adaptation of Mowgli, the protagonist from Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book." It examines how Mowgli, raised in a jungle environment among animals, develops a unique cultural identity and social behavior. The essay explores his interactions with both animal and human groups, analyzing concepts such as in-group and out-group dynamics, cultural relativism, and the influence of his environment on his self-image. It discusses how Mowgli's status and role are defined within the context of the jungle, contrasting his animal instincts with his human origins. The essay also touches upon the exchange theory, examining Mowgli's relationships and the values he embraces, supported by relevant sociological concepts and academic references. The analysis highlights the complexities of Mowgli's identity, his adaptation to the jungle, and his ultimate understanding of his place in the world.

Running head: SOCIAL LIFE STUDIES
Social life studies
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1SOCIAL LIFE STUDIES
The essay contains some of the major social issues that are related to the cultural and
social behavior of an individual with another individual. The essay concentrates on the
reaction of the individual with the environment. The essay concentrates on the specific
character named Mowgli from the book named Jungle book written by Rudyard Kipling. The
essay focuses on the significant culture and the institution that shaped the character of
Mowgli. It further analyses the factors that influences his self-image. The reciprocation of
Mowgli towards his society and the values and the experiences has been put emphasis on.
While discussing such topic it is worth mentioning that Mowgli was a human being and he
was brought up in the jungle in between the wild animals rather under the parentage of the
wild animals. It is interesting to learn about the cultural and the social relationship they share.
Rudyard Kipling placed the protagonist of the story amidst the animals in a jungle. He
portrayed the protagonist of the fiction as an animal lover who had fascination for animals
and he loved to interact with the animals more than the human beings.
Answer one
Mowgli was brought up in a completely different culture compared to other human
beings. He followed the norms of a jungle. He followed the rules and the culture of the
animals. It was an interaction between the humans and the animals. There were certain rules
that were maintained by the animals in the jungle. The lion is the king of the jungle. They
follow the protocol of gathering together twice in a day and sing the song of unity. Mowgli
followed the same rule. He was adapted to the way of living of the animals than the human
beings. His role model was the animals who nurtured him and he was given the motherly love
by a wolf. He was brought up by a wolf family. The reference group in which he was
accustomed to was the group of animals. He thought himself to be safe in the company of the
animals. He did not learn the ways of human living. Precisely it can be stated that his

2SOCIAL LIFE STUDIES
personality was shaped by the animals. He learned to play with them and to eat, sleep, drink
and even to talk like them. The animals of the jungle played a large role in shaping their
personality. The case of Mowgli is an exceptional one. He could identify himself more with
the animals than the human beings. The status of being a human being was secondary to him.
The primary status that he shared was the status of being an animal. The animal instinct was
always primary and the human instinct was secondary to him. He shared a beautiful bond
with the animals than the human beings. Mowgli could identify himself more with the
animals than with the humans. His self-image was more with the animals than the humans.
The animals had a large influence on building a self-image of Mowgli. He learned the way of
living of the animals. He had strong interaction with the animals and was comfortable in
interacting with the animals than the humans. He interacted with the animals in their own
language. Being a human being Mowgli is expected to do whatever a human does for living
and for sustenance. He does that but not in the ways of human being. He does that in the way
of animals. Therefore, there is no role-exit that occurred in the case of Mowgli. He shares the
status of human being but he performed his role towards the animals who according to him
was his family. The boy in the fiction of Rudyard Kipling is untoward towards the interaction
with the outside world. The exchange theory actually is the theory of exchange of the social
roles and the interaction. The primary relationship for Mowgli is the relationship and the
bond that he shares with the animals of the jungle. The interaction with the strangers is
secondary to him. It is because of the cultural relativism and the exchange theory. The
interaction with the outside world has been limited to him. He has interacted only with the
animals and the animals are believed to get afraid of human beings. This is the reason there
was an exchange theory that happened and he could not respond to the cultural shock with
ethnocentrism.

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Answer two
Mowgli himself being a human being did not interact with the human beings and
therefore he performed differently with the group of animals and the group of human beings.
The human beings are out-groups for him and he reacts differently to that group. The status
of Mowgli has changed from the day he started living in the jungle. Being a human being the
role of Mowgli is to survive like a human being but he is surviving like an animal. On the
other according to the understanding of the difference between status and role this can be
well said that he fulfilled the role of being a good human being. This is the first and foremost
role that he needs to play. The status is something that an individual plays in the society and
that an individual has in the society. Role is something that a person plays in the society as
well in the house that is in the family. In this case the boy justifies his role of being a caring
person by caring for his family. He was adopted by a family of wolf and he cared for them.
This was evident when he fought against the villain of the fiction who a tiger was named Sher
Khan. The role of being a good family member was justified by him.
Answer three
The in –group and out-group was created in the jungle. Mowgli was able to realte
himself to the groups with whom who could interact. The villain of the jungle, the Tiger was
a part of out-group in this case. He was close with the group of few animals in the jungle
among which one was a black panther who was his best friend in the jungle. He was not
comfortable with the groups with which he played with and with the group which was there
in his community. The animals like the Tiger and the snakes where harmful according to him
as it is portrayed in the fiction. They were out-group for him. This was the close association
with some other social group that made him detached with the other group.

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Answer four
The concept of wealth and power is not that highlighted in this case but there is
certainly a complex that was experienced by him in the fiction. Towards the end of the fiction
there has been a situation where Mowgli experienced the dilemma of being a human being.
He explored the use of fire in the end, the use of which was not known to the animals of the
jungle. For a moment they thought him to be dangerous but soon this misunderstanding was
made clear. The Stereotypical role of human beings has been defended in this fiction.
Therefore, the status of Mowgli has been justifies in the work and in the jungle as well as in
the novel he was able to achieve the desired status and defend the stereotypical thought
regarding human beings.

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