Hollywood Movies the Main Aim

¶ … Hollywood Movies

The main aim of this research was to see whether Hollywood movies have an impact on the girls living in the Saudi Diaspora in Paris, France. We also wanted to see how these movies affected the sense of national identity that these girls had. We randomly selected two girls from the Saudi Diaspora and interviewed them about Hollywood movies. They were asked how these movies impact them and how are they affected by these movies. The major conclusion from the research was that Hollywood movies do have an influence on these girls. Due to their education and travel, these girls are able to reduce the influence but that assertion cannot be applied to the all the girls of the Saudi community. Where it influences them, these Hollywood movies also reduce the sense of national identity that these girls have.

Background

The 1997 U.S. Blockbuster movie Titanic had gotten so popular that it was applauded by the president of China, Jiang Zemin, in a speech for the Nation People's Congress of Chin. (McChesney 151) Its spread was so farfetched that when Kate Winslet who is the star of the film made her way to the Himalayas, she was recognized by the locals there. A local there, who didn't know English and couldn't speak the language, said the words "You.Titanic" when he saw her. (Phillips 6) This shows that films that are made in America are seen not only in America but in the entire world. It is true that the quality of movies Hollywood has to offer is amazing and for this reason it goes on to dominate other film industries in the world. (Maisuwong 1) it appears that American films have become a means to show America in a good and friendly light. The kind of life and the kind of stories that Hollywood depicts makes people think that America is the best country in the world. Using media to spread the culture is yet another tactic that the country is using to become superior in the world. Americanism is quite apparent through the spread of different American brands all thorough out the world.

Americanism portrayed through this movies falls under the broad theory of cultural imperialism that is prominent in almost everything around us. Cultural imperialism is basically the creation and maintenance of a cultural dominance. This dominance is created by a culture being promoted and imposed in less potent areas. Thus, it's basically the developed and economically stable countries taking charge of other countries and other countries.

Culture was divided into two different categories at one time. These two categories were merely the truth and beauty. (Williams 38) Today things are quite different. Culture is chosen and thus preferred based on what it is more beautiful and appears more luxurious. Today, countries are working to cash in through their customs and their cultures. Thus, there is no doubt in believing that customs and are merely resources for different countries. (Yudice, 40) Thus intermingling of cultures or mixing of cultures allows the social hierarchies to develop. Culture has such an influence on the person that eventually one such norm goes to regulate and actually structure someone or an entire society's life. (Parekh, 143) it was postulated that in 1996, the sale of the cultural industry which includes films, television, music, journals, and books) went on to beat the sales of things like farming, cars and defense. (Miller, 9)

The culture and the values of the country are being delivered though this medium. Films are chosen because a lot of people prefer and actually like American movies. Regardless of what national identify to they belong to, everyone would have been exposed to n American movie one time or another. Maybe subtly or discreetly, the American culture does influence a person's mind and affects their desires and their feelings. It is quite a simple tactic if one really thinks about it. Audiences receive a message, interpret it and thus start harboring positive emotions for the country. (Maisuwong 1)

This topic is chosen due to the Americanization that is taking place all over the world. Slowly and gradually, people are beginning to lose their sense of national identity. Globalization is good but where would globalization go if everyone in the world started mimicking the American culture? As would be shown by the relevant data collected, Hollywood is making an impact on girls at a small age. The group chosen for this study is the girls in the Saudi community in Paris. These girls belong to a different country, different religion and are nowhere close to the 'American' national identity. Regardless, their ideals and their thoughts have been molded to match what the movies show them. This is harmful for their national identity and for the growth of their own country. American movies have a way of showing that America is better than all the other countries in the world. If such feelings and sentiments are harvested in someone at a tender age, then how can one expect nationalism or patriotism from that person?

The purpose of this study is to further elaborate how Hollywood movies are just another tactic for Americanism. The media exaggerates and shows the country in such an angelic light that everyone wants to live in America and be American. It makes them think that all their problems and their worries would end only if they were American. These movies are distracting people away from their own national identity and pulling them into the dark. A major reason why Hollywood movies are being used for cultural imperialism is because they are more exciting and thrilling than movies of other countries.

Research question

The major research question is how do Hollywood movies influence young female Saudi Diaspora in Paris, France and what are the consequences on national identity? The question is basically to see how Hollywood movies have made an impact on the Arab girls living in Paris. Even though these girls reside in Paris, France they belong to a different country. The culture and the religion they practice aren't similar to the majority showed in France or in the Hollywood movies that they see. Before this question is looked into more details, it deems necessary to define some importance terms first.

Influence: Most of us do know what the word influence means, however in this context the influence discussed is influence on the beliefs and thoughts of the person. The movies that these persons see are all visual. We will later discuss on how things that appeal to the eye, the person wants to mimic them. Thus, Hollywood movies appeal to the international society and thus influence their thoughts, dreams and desires in the long run.

Diaspora: A Diaspora is a Greek term that basically means dispersion or scattering. It is mainly the migration or scattering of people from their own homeland. In simple terms, it means the collection or a community of persons belonging to a different country but residing in a different country. The Diaspora that we will be talking about is the Saudi Diaspora that is present in Paris today.

National identity: National identity is basically a person's identity. It is what that person answers to a simple question like "Where are you from?" Regardless of what race, religion or color a person is, they themselves would decide on their national identity. it's basically a sense of belonging or feeling like a part of a country or a nation. It is an identity or a feeling a person develops regardless of their citizenship status of the country.

Rationale for method use

Regardless of method we use, our major objective is to answer the question that we are asking. In this research, the method used is qualitative research. It is seen that qualitative research seems most appropriate for deep and meaningful questions. It allows for the researcher to attain an in-depth approach to whatever phenomenon he or she is studying. (Nicholls, 1)

Qualitative research methods can also go on to give the bigger picture about a situation or an issue. They work to give details about a question in a more accessible way. The qualitative research interview thus goes on to tell about the meanings of central aspects in the life. These interviews are conducted so the interview not only attains answers but also understands what the respondent is saying. (Kvale)

Furthermore, a qualitative research method like an interview covers both not only facts but also opinions and meanings. In this research, the interviewer had to get information about how Hollywood movies make an impact on the researcher. The task majorly was to find out what these movies mean to them and how they make a difference. Such an in-depth question requires more than a table or a statistical data. An interview thus gives the researcher with a lot of answers that he or she will analyze to ultimately reach the final conclusion.

Qualitative research methods also help in describing the story of experience of the respondent. It gives a good idea about what the respondent feels and is thinking. (McNamara) Another major advantage of a qualitative research method is that it can be directed at a smaller group. 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 her love for these movies developed majorly because she was not exposed to other movies that often. 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 more like Americans, dress more like Americans, eat more like Americans and even alter their lifestyle to resemble that of an American. (Maisuwong 11)

In the Muslim religion, a girl is told to dress modestly and in such a way that the shape of her body is not visible. The media in Hollywood has always given a lot of importance to body images and the shape of a woman's body. This means that it has to be perfect, slim, beautiful and sexy. Grogan and Wainwright (p 668) state that girls of less than eight have been made into thinking that slim is the ideal body type and they should not be fat. This culture not only promotes showing off the body but also places emphasis on what a perfect body is. This was just an example how the beliefs of a Muslim woman and the beliefs portrayed by the media are so different. Thus the major basis of discussion is how the culture and norms that the American media portrays is quite different from the Saudi culture.