56 Up

The 7 Up series directed by Michale Apted is something I have been revisiting every 7 years for 21 years, when I saw 35 Up in college. The latest installment is 56 Up (2012). It is a fascinating series because it gives people the chance to evaluate their lives every 7 years and it also says so much about race, class, individuals, success, happiness, family, and so much more. Many of the subjects think it is rigged and that Apted gives a preconceived perspective of his subjects. That being said it is amazing how many self-fulfilling prophecies were achieved when these people were young. The concept is from the Jesuit saying that if you give me a child at 7, I will show you the man. It is the idea that people don't really change once their personalities are established as children.

Comments

[Edward]

What tends to happen is that the influence of the family environment wanes as people enter adulthood, when the shared influences of genetics and individual environment (friends, work etc) strengthen.

[MC]

At any rate, I think you should check out the film and then decide what you think about in this context.

[Edward]

I've seen some of the earlier ones, and a fee references were made to it in tutorials last semester. The guy called Neil is quite well known (who became a hermit, and then got back on track), and we were speculating on his developmental pathways.

[MC]

That's interesting to know that pyschologists study the film. Neil was heartbreaking, because he was sucha bright eagar, precocious young thing. It was good to see that he got back on track and found a niche.