For instance, in this project, there were only two girls interviewed. This sort of research method is thus more convenient and is also less expensive.
A disadvantage of a qualitative research method is that the data that is collected can only be applied to the participants that have been chosen for the research. Since this sort of research describes the behavior, thoughts and feelings of the participants, these assumptions cannot be applied to other groups or to a general population.
Method
The method that was employed in this research was only interviews. This method therefore allowed for the researcher to observe not only the response but the facial expressions and the body language of the girls who were giving the interview. Interview is the chosen form of questioning because it allows the respondent to elaborate their answers. The interviews are also completed based solely on what the interview says. They are a lot more personal and the interviewer can work the interviewer. Interviews also give a more accurate idea of the impressions and the opinions of the respondent. The answers to these questions were to be analyzed in depth. For this reason, a questionnaire would have given very subjective questions and ultimately very subjective answers as well.
Our major concern in this research was looking at how Hollywood movies have gone to affect the lives of these girls. In inquiring the influence of these movies, the national identity of the persons also had to be questioned about. The interview questions were thus directed towards and these girls and they went on to attain an in-depth view of how these movies influenced them. The tone of the interview was semi-formal as some of the answers would require the person to go into details about her personal life as well. The format of the interview is semi-structured and was carried out of a total of 50 minutes. Since the interview was recorded at the moment, later the questions and answers were transcribed in a readable format.
The need for ethical consideration is quite crucial in this research since we need to identify how Hollywood movies affect the girls in the Saudi Diaspora. Culture and national identity are quite sensitive areas to anyone regardless of where they belong to. Therefore, this research makes sure that all aspects are looked into and analyzed in detail. Thus, no particular component was left in terms of ethical scrutiny. All the questions that were designed by the researcher made sure that they did not hurt or embarrass any of the samples. The questions were designed in such a way that they could be generalized to all the girls belonging to the Saudi Diaspora.
The research was carried out after attain a very valid permission from the girls taking part in the interview. Anyone who was hesitant in taking part in the interview was not flattered or forced in any way. Thus it has been established that the samples that did take part in the interview, they did so with their own will and consent. The consent of the respondents was therefore taken prior to the commencing the data collection. The data that was collected by them was not distributed, copied, transported or replicated for any other reason apart from the research. The researcher therefore made sure that the security and privacy of the respondent regarding mental, ethical and moral standards were maintained at a decent standard throughout the entire interaction. The name of the interviewee stays anonymous to further ensure their privacy.
The samples taken for this research were from the Saudi community residing in Paris, France. The major purpose of this research is such that the researcher studies the affect of these Hollywood movies on this particular community. For this reason, the samples taken were Saudi females who ranged from ages twenty to twenty-five. The socio-economical background of these girls was the upper class and the upper middle class
Analysis and Findings
As mentioned earlier, the interview questions and answers were transcribed into a readable script. This script was further read and analyzed while keep the major research questions in mind. Since there were two interviews in total, the analysis of both the interviews will be presented differently.
Interview 1
This respondent was a frequent watcher of Hollywood movies and was surely impressed by them. According to her answers, it was apparent that...
She talked about how she used to converse in English and was thought in an international school rather than an Arabic school. The
American culture she was around and the movies she saw thus developed a liking for Hollywood movies in her.
She went on state that she was influenced by the Hollywood movies to quite an extent. This girl that was giving the interview belongs to
religion different than what is seen in the movies. Islam teaches that a Muslim should resist the temptation to the do the things that are forbidden in the religion. The Hollywood movies do show activities and emotions that are forbidden religiously for her but she was inclined towards everything the movies portrayed because that's the kind of influence it had on her. She went onto say that a person is what they see and that person will want to mimic what they see. This means that at some point in her life the girl would have wanted to try out the life or even live the life that these movies showed. This assertion goes on for most of the Saudi girls living in Paris. Even though according to the morals and
norms in Arabic culture, these things are wrong, girls especially are pulled into an illusion that all this will happen to them as well. The
women start building their reality, their expectation, goals and
dreams based on these shows. The respondent stated that she was influenced by these movies to a delusional extent until she got more educated and travelled to different places. Thus, it is true that Hollywood movies had an influence on her. As for national identity, it is apparent that her national identify was not limited to where she resided. This respondent had lived in a lot of places but her national identity was basically molded by her religion and her morals. She seemed quite confident and firm about her national identity and did not feel inclined towards the American culture more than her own.
Interview 2
This respondent was more influenced and affected by Hollywood movies than the previous one. In many instances in the interview, the respondent states that she can relate to the Hollywood movies and the
TV show that she watches. Human is quite an imaginative creature and it will link himself to the kind of person they want to be. The respondent stated that she related herself and her life to the characters in the OC when she was little. Then she talks about
acting and thinking like a
character in a Hollywood
film. Furthermore, she states that she feels she is like Lauren from the Hills. This basically indicates that this person wants to be like those characters and wishes her life was like them. She is starting to believe the morals and the fantasies that these movies are saying. These movies are written by script writers yet she is beginning to relate her problem and her life stories to those of the characters. Even though she belongs to a culture where one does not
play tricks to get boys, she states that she does those acts. This relation and this reality is not just a coincidence but an evidence of how much Hollywood culture is becoming embedded in these girls. It is true that Hollywood portrays American culture as
freedom,
happiness and pleasure. Everyone knows that all that is not true and movies are not a reality. It appears that just like the previous respondent, this one started to be more aware of the
media tactics as she grew older and travelled around more.
The national identity of this respondent has been compromised and altered by Hollywood movies. It is quite apparent that she fell into the trap of the
American dream and felt more alleged towards America and being American as oppose to being Saudi. This shows that she was so impressed by the American culture and way of life that her own culture beginning to appear inferior to her. The girl herself begins to feel inferior to Americans and wanted to be just like them. The confusion between being Turkish and being Saudi is just an end result of the inferiority complex that she has regarding her own national identity.
Discussion
Maisuwong (11) believes that the more people are exposed to Hollywood movies; they are more likely to forget their own culture and their identity. These people absorb the American culture to be part of their own life. This causes the people to talk…
