Ivf Based Movies And Their Effects Sociology Essay
It has been a fact that one of the most exciting features movies posses is that they can boost motivation. They tend to act as a catalyst as some movies brought up the subject that drives the motivation one needs in life. Since the beginning of cinema and films it has been investigated that how the films or cinema affect the audiences by bringing inconspicuous changes in cultures, values and behavioral patterns in a society. It has been quested for years that how effectively a movie can convey a message. Several theories have also been developed and it has been contemplated that movies does leave an impact on the minds of audiences. The study of the effects of motion pictures or cinema has been one of the profound areas of research in the field of mass media. There is a lot more to movies besides the entertainment factor, it can create awareness, motivation or it can give you an incentive to follow. One way or the other, movies do influence our minds.
Keeping in view the above mentioned concern this study deals with the, “Effects of the movies based on IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) or ART (Assisted Reproductive Technique) on married couples”. There has been a unique trend seen in movies released during the past decade that rather than showing glamour, romance and shinning love stories, film makers are more interested in producing movies upon subjects that are closely related to actual reality or social taboos that are actually at hand in our society. There had been a great fillip to the subjects shown in movies recently and one of them is studied by the researcher that is the IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) based movies. Watching different kind of movies can enhance our understanding, and can provide us information and increase our awareness level.
There have been concerns since the beginning of media research that whether motion pictures do have direct and indirect effects on the minds of the viewers according to their needs and desires. And yet there has been such movies which carries a specific subject that targets the special audiences and have the desired influences. Any kind of visual stimulation unique to film provokes an emotive response that has therapeutic properties (S C Noah, 2005-14). Films are considered as a powerful tool in educating the audiences. “What is seeing is believing.” and movies are the one powerful medium that tell stories we understand.
Many a time’s people began to identify themselves as the part of movies and imagine the situation as it is happening to them. That is why one burst into tears sometimes. The conclusion of such movies can give them a lesson or such information they are looking for. IVF based movies have given hundreds of people either infertile couples or sperm donors a way to overcome their disability or a way to make money. Medical director of Delhi IVF and Fertility Research Centre also confirms that due to media attention and handful of movies based on IVF people are more aware of this technology now.
Infertility is a wide spread phenomena but with the technological advancements, medical treatments and techniques have been introduced such as the IVF or ART, most commonly known as the test tube babies. But people were not aware of this process until media gave attention to these subjects. A couple of movies have been released on this subject that spurt the interest of the audiences. Doctor Shahnaz Nadir Lakhani also confirms in an interview with a prestigious newspaper of Pakistan that media has played a vital role in changing the opinion and thinking of people towards IVF treatment as with more awareness people tends to develop faith to overcome their disability (Ilyas, 2009). The researcher here deals with the effects about the information disseminated by these movies particularly among the married couples. A women going through IVF treatment to overcome her infertility admits that she has come to know about this treatment from certain media programs (Ilyas, 2009).
In a Muslim country like Pakistan, where religious reserves and guidelines are put forth before going for any kind of reproductive treatment, confirmed by the global survey in which 26 Muslim countries including Pakistan strictly prohibits any kind of sperm Donation in IVF or gamete transfer (Marcia C Inhorn, 2005). Nevertheless IVF clinics flourished under private institutions and infertile couples consider this treatment as “marriage savior”. Dr Samrina Hashmi, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) general-secretary remarked that this is important to bring private institutions under some regulations as the private institutions work only under their own ethical codes and government is under the influence of some quarters due to religious reserves.
During the past decade media and films have given this phenomenon a recognition, and awareness among people and different societies. The researcher through this study examines that what is the opinion of married couples after watching IVF based movies with respect to the level of awareness and acceptance of this IVF process.
Statement of Problem
Many research studies have been conducted to examine the impact of motion pictures or cinema on the society. There is an intense relationship between the motion pictures and the change of attitude and behaviors of the audiences (Fearing, 1947). F C Berlet confirms in his study entitled, remembering: A study of experimental and social psychology, that individuals respond to the situation which cognize with his remembering, perceiving and imagining about the situation. And motion pictures have their desired influences upon individuals because they let one to cognize with his world (Fearing, 1947). The idea or subject shown in movies does have a direct and indirect effect on the change of behavior in the audiences. Movies affect your brain in various undetected ways (Braff, 2011).
Movies based on the subject of IVF or ART treatment; most commonly known as the sperm donation or test tube babies has brought a spurt into audiences. People were not so well aware of this treatment or term IVF in the past few years or say five years before. But due to the media attention and movies being produced on such stories have brought awareness among the people that what it actually is (Mahajan, 2012). The Hollywood and Bollywood movies based on IVF depicts the increasing level of awareness and acceptance among their societies. But the question arises here is that no study previously has been conducted to examine the effects of these movies upon our society that what is the level of awareness and acceptance about the concerned issue and IVF treatment specifically on married couples. This research study investigates the effects of IVF based movies on married couples.
IVF treatment has been in practice in Pakistan since 1985 but most people do not have the knowledge of what is the actual treatment about and how it is undertaken. Due to religious reserves and high rate of illiteracy, most people were unaware and against the treatment. Unlike other countries of UK, USA and even India where this treatment is legalized under laws, Pakistan has no law stating this treatment as legal.
This treatment is practiced under private hospitals and IVF centers but government has not paid any attention towards this phenomenon while formulating their health policies. But the movies based on IVF have increased the awareness level to a good extent. A gynecologist and infertility specialist Kamini Rao confirms that there has been 30% increase in the queries about the treatment. However the researcher’s concern is carried from here that to what extent these movies have affected the married couples in Lahore Pakistan.
As mentioned above, it has been in practice in Pakistan from a long time as well but unlike some other certain countries there is no legal law under which it is practiced in private institutions. Few years before the terms of sperm donation and In Vitro Fertilization technique was not a common phenomenon. Most people were unaware of the process and even they do not know what sperm donation is or they were unaware and against any medical treatment for infertility and reproduction. In the past decade, there has been seen a growing trend in Hollywood and Bollywood movies to stimulate social taboos surrounding societies. There were produced message oriented movies on medical disorders and disseminated information on certain subjects that were not mostly spoken of, for instance, In Vitro Fertilization process.
Where in certain countries like USA, UK and India this technique of overcoming infertility or becoming single mothers has been a normal practice but in Pakistan where females are not as independent to take decisions in this regard, adding to this, infertile females are more likely to be seen as a victim of socio-cultural factors (Chandra, 2009; pg 228) and also keeping in mind the religious reserves and low literacy level of 40.3% (est. 2009, CIA), both male and female as married couples have been taken as a focus of this study in context of the society exist in Lahore Pakistan. Therefore, researcher has undertaken this study to determine that whether these movies have any effect in our society analyzing both females and males as married couples.
Objectives
Objectives are the focus of any study. They provide a definite aim to follow through the study. They offer a framework upon which the whole study is laid. The researcher has been studying the effects of IVF based movies on married couples. The researcher has been keen to observe that how the issues discussed in the IVF based movies have been affecting upon them.
Keeping in mind the above cited concerns, the researcher laid the following objectives to determine the frame work of the research study.
To analyze the level of awareness IVF movies are creating among married couples. (Knowing, understanding, sensitivity, alertness)
To explore the level of acceptance about the IVF technique among married couples after watching IVF movies. ( recognition, approval, endorsement, consent, support)
To analyze the opinion of married couples about IVF movies. ( view, outlook, attitude, belief)
Research Questions
Research questions provide a focused framework for a researcher to conduct the study. These questions define the whole process. For this purpose research questions were designed to set a focus for this study as:
Q1. Do the movies based on IVF are increasing the general level of awareness among the married couples?
Q2. To what extent these movies have impact upon the acceptance level among married couples?
Q3. Do these movies form the opinion of married couples regarding IVF treatment?
Q4. Do these movies change the opinion of married couples regarding IVF treatment?
Q5. Do these movies boost motivation among married couples?
Hypothesis:
The hypothesis designed for the study is as follows:
(A) Major Hypothesis
Greater exposure to movies based on IVF issues has increased the level of awareness among married couples
The major aim of this study is to dig out the effects of movies based on IVF on married couples. The researcher is keen to observe the level of awareness these movies based on IVF are creating specifically among females and males as married couples. Infertility has been a cause of mental distress and anxiety due to the socio cultural factors of a society, and females are more likely to fell as a victim of social blames and they want escape from these factors and social blames at any cost but in our present society without males it cannot be possible . And as cited before that motion pictures are a one of the major way to motivate or create awareness among the audiences. Therefore, the media attentions given in movies based on IVF are disseminating information that most people are not so well aware of. The researcher through this study wants to examine the effects of IVF based movies on married couples in Lahore Pakistan to investigate the level of awareness these movies are creating and to what extent.
The researcher has reviewed the literature upon these variables and analyzed that infertile couples are more likely to be affected psychologically and socially and they want to go through every process to overcome their inability. Message given in the IVF movies are a way to motivate the audiences and to make them aware of the medical treatment that is becoming popular in the meantime. The researcher wants to examine the effects of IVF based movies upon the married couples of Lahore, Pakistan that whether they get awareness from these movies and to what extent they accept this procedure according to the society we live in.
(B) Sub-Hypothesis
Greater the exposure of married couples to IVF based movies tends to change their acceptance level about the IVF treatment.
The researcher is keen to observe that how the IVF based movies tend to increase the acceptance level among married couples in terms of their family and social interactions. We live in a society of religious reserves and the IVF procedure is not yet legalized under any laws, but it is practiced under private institutions and is acceptable in a limited circle of society. The researcher through this study wants to examine that how the media attention and movies based on the IVF treatment shapes the acceptance level among the married couples of Lahore, Pakistan.
Rationale of the Study
We live in a society where technology has greatly influenced the lives of people. This study is focused to determine the effects of movies based upon the IVF reproductive technology on the married couples. This study is aimed at finding out the effects in terms of awareness and acceptance level and how it has shaped the opinion of married couples of Lahore, Pakistan. This study is important because there have been reserves about the reproductive technologies but media has generated spurt into the audiences through movies. There is not been given much attention previously to this subject in regards of how these movies have affected upon the married couples.
Rationale for selecting movies based on IVF
In words of Marshall McLuhan, movies influence the general understanding of the world as the viewers began to see the world through the prism of images persistently shown in the movies. More evidently films are recognized as the most powerful medium of mass education, entertainment and propaganda and it has great psychological and emotional effects upon the audiences.
People have emotional attachments to certain subjects for instance one that is studied under this research that is IVF reproductive treatment. The powerful visual images enhance the emotional stimulation and affect the minds, opinion and attitude towards a certain phenomena. There have been given much attention to IVF treatment and procedure in the movies of past decade. It has been seen that there has been a rise in the level of awareness due to these movies in different societies but in Pakistan there has not been given much or little attention in this regard to determine the effects upon the society particularly on married couples.
The concern of the researcher drives from here that everywhere in the world media has been able to educate and motivate the audiences, for instance, in Bangalore (India) there has been 30% more increase in the queries about the procedure and treatment after watching Vicky Donor released in 2012. The IVF has been practiced in Pakistan since 1985 under private institutions and has been successfully implemented among a limited circle of a society that has knowledge about the treatment. However during the past five years the movies by bringing up the stories based on IVF treatment and procedure has created a general understanding and awareness among the people.
The researcher through this study analyzes the effects of these movies on married couples of Lahore Pakistan to determine the extent of awareness these movies have created and the level of acceptance that has shaped the opinion of females by watching these IVF based movies.
Rationale for Selecting Married Couples
The study aims at finding out the effects of IVF based movies upon married couples of Lahore, Pakistan. There had been several studies conducted to examine the relation between infertility and females, concluding that females react more strongly to their infertility than the man that is they have a strong desire to have a child (Bergh, T., Boivin, J., & Collins, A , 1999, 78(1):42-48). However, keeping in mind the socio-cultural factors that women belonging to a society like ours where she is not independent to make any decisions regarding reproductive techniques. Therefore, this study aims at determining the effects of IVF based movies on married couples in Lahore Pakistan.
Keeping in mind the religious reserves and misconceptions about the treatment that are high lightened by the movies, this study aims to investigates that whether the married couples are getting awareness from these movies and to what extent and how these movies shape their opinion regarding the acceptance of this treatment in our society.
Significance of the Study
This study is beneficial in terms of examining the present and future scenario of the IVF treatment in Muslim world that how the movies are creating general awareness and increasing the acceptance level among the married couples living in Muslim societies. These movies based on IVF are an excellent tool for social education but in Muslim countries these subjects are sensitive. This phenomenon has its root from the western societies where it has been a common practice to be a single mother or a way to overcome infertility among couples. However, this study will help to explore the level of acceptance in Muslim societies like Pakistan where IVF is not yet legalized but has been under practice privately.
It is important for the readers of international community to note the status of IVF treatment and the media attention given to this subject through movies that how it is influencing Pakistani society particularly married couples that to what degree they are getting general awareness to accept and change their opinion.
