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Research question # 2
How did forum participants verbalize cognitive interaction in relation
to the Muslim cultural issues portrayed in the brazilian telenovela “El
Clon”?
The analysis and categorization of the messages according to the
parasocial sub-dimension cognitive interaction, is based on the
messages expressions of reflection about a character’s behavior,
or considerations about the educational content of the novela, more
specifically, when reflecting about “El Clon” portrayal
of the Muslim culture.
By definition and due to the method of selecting the messages, practically
all of the messages can be categorized in this sub-dimension. To
select the sample that is utilized in this research, the search
is conducted with the word Muslim in the subject of the messages.
However, as previously emphasized, the messages reflect a layer
of sub-dimensions that are interconnected and interrelated. This
means that other sub-dimensions are also expressed in the posts.
The messages are then categorized according to their strongest expression
of a given category. In the 310 messages analyzed, 51% (160) are
categorized as cognitive interaction. It makes sense, since in one
way or another in the sample the posters are talking about Muslim
culture and characters. However, the intricacies of the messages
and the expressions of the sub-dimensions can only be appreciated
through a qualitative analysis of their content.
The participants that are knowledgeable about Muslim culture enrich
the discussion of the cultural issues presented by the telenovela.
Some of them are born into the religion some are converts. In many
instances the forum participants recognize their valuable contribution
to the discussion.
“El Clon” has Morocco and Brazil as the background for
the telenovela. In the following posts we can see some of the reactions
and thoughts of the Moroccan board participants towards the portrayal
of their country in the telenovela and the response by other Muslims
and non-Muslims participants. For this example, most of the posts
in the thread are presented here in an attempt to follow the dialogue
without interrupting the flow of thought or the discussion. As previously
discussed, these messages also show the intricacies of the sub-dimensions
of parasocial interaction. The examples shown are messages that
might have been classified as having referential or critical involvement
as their strongest characteristic for the purposes of this study,
however, for the sake of congruency; the researcher is including
them in the example bellow in order to not interrupt the discussion.
It is also important to recall that all the messages reflect the
poster’s cognitive understandings of the portrayal of Morocco
and Muslims by the novela. These posts are all part of the thread
in response to the previously analyzed message “some more
misconceptions to clear up”:
Re: some more misconceptions to clear up
I'm confused.
Are you saying the misconceptions are in real life or in this novela?
You said this novela twists everything. It seems to me this novela
shows people as people. Some are loving and some are not. There's
nothing twisted, biased, mistaken or misconceived about that.
When you consider what's been in the news every day over the
past two and a half years, I think that "El Clon" has
put Islam and Arabic/Moroccan culture in a better light than any
other medium anywhere else. We have learned more about all the positive
aspects of these cultures than we possibly could have otherwise.
Be happy for that.
.
Re: some more misconceptions to clear up
T, just because El Clon overall portrays Muslims/Morroccans in a
bitter light than any other medium, does not, mean that it is enough.
F has the right to expect more, this is 2004 after all.
F, I,.. you are not the only muslin..
on this board.I'm a born Muslim and I don't see anything wrong or
twisted in this novela this is A NOVELA.a fiction based on some
research by the a very good author..she has taken differnt aspects
of Islamic life and added her own imagination and made a novela..a
beautiful one at that..
the charaters in this novela are fictional what they say or do are
based on the truth but not the whole TRUTH..you can't deny that..
there are some things that ARE exaggerated,but then that is the
whole concept of the novela that's why we are enjoying it so much..they
are not insulting any Muslim countries,or muslim people & their
believes..they are using Islamic costumes and believes and adding
teir own imagination .
I haven't been participating in this forum that much..but I can't
help but notice that some posters don't like the way they are showing
Islam in El Clon.
then why watch something that in your opinion is twisted or offensive?
regards.
M.
thanks guys don’t get me wrong…..
i love the novela. and it is true that they portray muslims much
better than any other show. i do love that about the novela. i am
moroccan and when i watch the show i see alot of things that arent
remotely having to do with moroccan culture. i know that it is a
fictional story but for alot of people who have never been to morocco
or ever been exposed to moroccan culture, this is moroccan culture
to them. when i watch a movie or show about a foreign country that
i dont know alot about i assume that the country is like its portrayed
in the movie. i just thought id tell people how moroccan culture
really is. i appreciate all your opinions on what i said. once again
i wasnt being offensive or anything, el clone is my favorite show
on tv :-)
Re: some more misconceptions to clear up
I'm Moroccan. And i do HATE the way they portray the culture and
everything sometimes, but I get over it. The people on this phorum
are intelligent, but numerous people have asked me silly questions
about Morocco because they believe the novela word for word and
then I get pissed, because I feel like they're misinforming. And
they are. But whatever, everyone does it anyway. I got over it.
And they do show positive stuff too, so.
And they did it all for the sake of the story. Because if they say
that Said has to have Khadija, then that's a good storyline. If
they portrayed it for real, then there goes the whole Jade/Khadija
story. They do that in all movies.
But it's just anoying because people who were feeling animosity
towards muslims cuz of 9/11 anyway, got to go around screaming:
"muslim women can't take their kids after divorce!"
-I
Re: some more misconceptions to clear up
Funny, I haven't heard anyone going around "screaming"
that Muslim women can't take their kids after divorce.
You're making assumptions about other people, I, that may be
at the core of your problem with defensiveness and over-sensitivity
to the "stupid" questions that people ask in their desire
to learn.
In fact, no question is stupid. Questions show that people
want to learn. Questions show that people want to clear up their
own confusion or misconceptions. Questions show that people are
NOT making assumptions or swallowing everything they hear or see.
Think about it.
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