3. Methodology
3.2 Data collection process
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compare and analyze across groups. This helps determine if researcher has reached
‘saturation’ - the researcher is not getting new information
3.2 Data collection process
How the Pilot focus group was conducted and the primary data had been sourced;
The Pilot focus group session was divided in three parts;
The first part started by the researcher in the role of moderator and helped by one Taiwanese friend to be an active member to stimulate more discussion, the moderator briefly introduced the research topic and purpose of this focus group.
The participants were requested to complete a short questionnaire about age, gender, education, and contact information etc.
And then general questions and discussion about India began, and some data has been captured initially, without first watching the movie, by asking some basic questions about India. Apart from the above mentioned ‘initial data capturing’ about ‘India’s image and sources of those images’,
This section’s questions are cited in the appendix section. (Appendix 2)
The second part of the focus group involved a Bollywood movie session, where the discussion was mainly center on ‘Bollywood movie i.e. ‘The Lunchbox’ and India’s images’
and whether the movie has portrayed ‘real India’ or ‘reel India’.
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In this session, the researcher tried to capture data with stimulation i.e. ‘The Lunchbox’
in order to gauge how the Taiwanese students have perceived this movie and whether the movie infused some kind of perceptions and image in their mind.
And some questions related to the movie had put forward to the participants at the end of this section; the complete list of questions can be accessed in appendix section.
The third part was involved a cultural activity session, here in this section focus group, participants were served Indian snacks, drinks and presented some cultural activities i.e.
‘Henna applying’ ‘Bindi (a dot on forehead for woman) and Tilak (a dot on forehead for
man) etc., which had been done by the participations.(Forehead Markings,2017)
Here in this section the data has been collected about Taiwanese students’ familiarity and unfamiliarity with India’s culture, custom, foods and accessories, and their mediated interaction with India (real or virtual) and Indian people.
Last but not least their past-present experiences with cultural phenomena of India and how these dynamic interactions have shaped and influenced (have been continuously shaping and influencing) India’s image. The complete list of questions can be accessed in appendix section. (Appendix 2)
3.3 “The Lunchbox”
The reason I chose an Indian movie ‘The Lunchbox’ is because of its specific Indian theme, and availability of this movie at ‘Taipei Public Library' (Appendix 3) unlike many other production from India, particularly Bollywood, this movie presented some Indian specific theme apart from the location and other things.
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The Bollywood movies have had important role in defining “standards of beauty and aesthetics…identity — historical and contemporary” (Ahmed, 2011). Barnouw and Krishnaswamy (1963) write of its role in movement of nation building (after the Independence), and its crucial role in helping build an ‘Indian identity’. However authors like Nandy (1995) have a different take on Bollywood, he writes that the often associated plurality with Bollywood is in reality a tamed one. Further, he writes that there is homogenisation in movie and it is “result of the mass element become dominant” (ibid).
In the production of ‘The Lunchbox’ four major international production houses from different countries were involved, the production houses are – DAR motion pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, NFDC (India), ROH Films (Germany), ASAP Films (France), and the Cine Mosaic (United States). The movie was screened at major international movie festivals and was nominated for British Academy Film Awards 2015 and also won Critics Week Viewer’s Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.
Thus, we could say that in the international circle there was certain familiarity and interest with the movie and also this movie is accessible and available in ‘Taipei Public Library’ with public performance rights and hence suitable for the purpose of my focus group.
(See Appendix 3 for details)
Coming to the movie the setting is Mumbai. Mumbai is big Metro and economic capital of India and people from various social, economic and regional backgrounds
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compose its population. The movie describes the characteristics of Indian society and the role of Indian women, even the background is reflection of Indian life.
The movie screening helped an enabling environment where the respondents were able to share their views. Apart from movie the following were used as stimuli to give Indian ambience and cue to focus group members to talk about India:
1. Indian Snacks: As conversation starter for India’s image
2. Henna: Mehndi or henna is a paste that is bought in a cone-shaped tube and is made into designs for men (Garoo, 2016) and women. Mehndi is derived from the Sanskrit word mendhikâ. Practiced mainly in India and Pakistan, mehndi or henna is the application of as a temporary form of skin decoration, popularized in the West by Indian cinema and entertainment industry, the people in Nepal, Bangladesh and the Maldives also use mehndi. Mehndi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are called henna tattoos.
(Appendix 4)
3. Bindi/Tilak (decoration and religious ritual): A Bindi, from Sanskrit bindu, meaning ("point, drop, dot or small particle") is a red dot worn on the centre of the forehead, commonly by Indian women and Tilak by men. (Appendix 4)
Questions which were put to the members of focus group were wide ranging – likes and dislikes about India, image of India (natural, negative), problems India has. Through the questions an attempt was made trace from where the participants got information about India, for example they could be – newspaper, local or International, electronic media, movie, local movie, Bollywood movie, Hollywood movies, parents, friends, teacher. In the
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focus group questions also covered personal or friends, family or acquaintances’
experience(s), if any, of travel to India. The pilot focus group was conducted to find prominent images of India and dimensions to conduct further focus group.