Anja Zoric Professor Dunlap HMD 302 Homework Assignment #1 The film Miles from Home really reminded

me a lot of Rebecca Carrolls book Sugar in the Raw. Both depicted young people that were dealing with deep-rooted personal and societal issues, but somehow found a way to cope with these problems in order to start a road to recovery or a path to more opportunities. Miles is a fine example of what multiple risk factors can do to an individuals mental and physical well-being. Three theories that we talked about in class that I find to be very relatable to the movie include Rogers Unconditional Positive Regard, Maslows Need-Hierarchy Theory and the Self Fulfilling Prophecy Concept. Rogers Unconditional Positive Regard states that we as humans are capable of accepting and supporting a person regardless that persons actions (Class notes, 2012). This can often times be seen amongst parents and children, with parents often showing their unconditional love towards their children. In Miles from Home however, this unconditional positive regard could be seen between Miles and Natasha. Natasha and Miles were complete strangers to one another not only because they had never met before, but also because theyre lifestyles and upbringings were completely different from one another. Natasha sensed that Miles was living a problematic lifestyle even though he never told her the details. Despite the fact that she knew barely anything about him except that he was struggling, she began accept him unconditionally. On the contrary, Miles new many things about Natashas life and even though he undoubtedly thought she was strange, he began to accept her unconditionally as well. I think that part of the reason they both accepted each other with positive regard was because they subconsciously wanted to be accepted by the other in that way as well. They were both keeping secrets from one another, and by

learning to accept each other unconditionally from the start, their relationship would be unaltered after they were ready to share the truth with one another. The outlook that Natasha and Miles have on life is completely different, and can be represented through Maslows Need-Hierarchy Theory. Maslows belief was that the human life can be characterized into a system of levels that eventually lead one to self-actualization including physiological, safety, love/belonging and esteem (Class notes, 2012). Natasha shows signs that she is well on the way to self-actualization; she has hobbies, faith and is determined in getting a good education. Besides these lifestyle choices, she has a distinct personality that she confident in and does not seem to be fazed by what others might think. She is ready to let love into her life, she shows esteem for herself and others and has a good idea of who she is. Miles however is trapped in the first two phases of the Need-Hierarchy theory. The thought of discovering who he is as a person unfortunately does not even occur to him, since his priorities are still figuring out how to survive. The fact that they are on different levels of this system makes it hard for them to relate to one another. This can be analyzed further by connecting the above ideas to the Self Fulfilling Prophecy Concept. This concept states that when we give meaning to a situation, our actions and behaviors then reflect on that meaning (Class notes, 2012). For Miles, the struggles that he faces have become an everyday reality for him, so much that he does not see any other way of life. In the first scene, Diablo mentions that he has become a burden to society. Miles has internalized the fact that he is a burden, and truly believes that he will never be able to function normally in a society. The connections that he makes on the streets such as Keisha pull him into a distorted reality even further, and convince him that he must continue living the way he does in order to

succeed, whereas this is completely false. Natasha on the other hand has internalized a much more positive reality for herself, due to the positive influences she had while growing up.