How did the movie Jaws change the
Middle East’s perception and views
toward sharks?
Daniya Aldereyaan, 30283
My paper consisted of:
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Abstract
Literature Review
Research Questions/Hypotheses
Methods and instrument
Population of the study
Data Collection
Findings
Abstract:
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This paper looks at how the movie Jaws effects the view and perception of sharks
to the people in the Middle East. People all over the world fear sharks and this fear
can sometimes contribute to the killing of this fish. Studies in the United States imply
a connection between the killing of sharks and Hollywood movies such as, Jaws. Jaws
is mainly about how one 25 foot great white shark hunts and kills people in a very
brutal way. This research will look into the reasons behind the fear of sharks in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and question if the connection between the level of fear
and Hollywood movies such as Jaws. This issue is important because the shark is not
only a predator but it is important for underwater life. The shark is a key-stone
species. Key-stone species are the animals that are necessary to maintain balance in
the underwater world and therefore our ecosystem. The research method being used
to answer the research question is the Qualitative research method. Qualitative
research aims to gather an in-depth understanding of human behaviour and the
reasons that govern such behaviour. This information will give a good base of
comparison to how the Middle East views sharks after these events. The sample is
young Emeriti men and women between the ages of 20-40 who are interested in the
film industry. The population should be aware of the movie Jaws and what it is
about. The sample will be collected through non-random sampling. The population
should be aware of the movie Jaws and what it is about. The research should show a
slight connection between fear of sharks in the Middle East and the movie Jaws. The
movie shows sharks in “evil” perspective that creates and exaggerated fear of sharks
all over the world including the Middle East.
Literature Review
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Perception of people towards sharks
Perception of media towards sharks
Truth about Shark-attacks
Truth about Sharks and their Behaviour
Role of the shark in the Ecosystem
Research Questions/Hypotheses
• Research Question:
 How did the movie Jaws change the Middle East’s
perception and views toward sharks?
• Context:
 The purpose of this research paper is to look in to how
people view sharks in the United Arab Emirates. It would
like to prove that sharks are not as evil as they seem but
in fact they are important for the maintenance of the
underwater world. The research question looks in to if the
movie jaws and asking if the movie affected the way
people view sharks in the Middle East and more
specifically the UAE.
Methods and instrument
• Method used:
▫ Qualitative research method
• Instrument used:
▫ Focus group
Population of the study
• The population for the paper are young Arab
men and women who have lived in the UAE
between the ages of 20-40 who are interested in
the film industry.
Data Collection
• Group who has seen Jaws: (focus group 1)
 Generally speaking what are the facts you know about the
animal and where did you base this information on?
 Do you think the movie Jaws changed the way people view
sharks and do you think the movie lead to the massacre of
sharks all over the world?
• Group who has not seen Jaws: (focus group 2)
 Generally speaking what are the facts you know about the
animal and where did you base this information on?
 When I say the word shark, what is the first thing that pops
in your head?
Findings
• The results that were found show that people in
the UAE who have seen the movie seem to have
a more positive outlook toward sharks and tend
to have more interest in the fish. Moreover, the
people who have not seen the movie have a more
negative aspect toward sharks and have little or
no interest in the animal.
Conclusion
• In order to answer this research question more
accurately a quantitative research paper should
be conducted to show how many people in the
UAE know about sharks and whether or not
their opinion towards them has anything to do
with the movie Jaws.
• Bibliography
• Bright, M. (2000). The Private Life of Sharks, the truth behind the
myth. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books.
• Gilbert, P. W. (1968, Oct). the Shark: Barbarian and Benefactor.
Bio Science, Vol 18, No 10. , 946-950.
• Gilbert, P. W. (1977, Oct). Two Decades of Shark Research: A
Review. BioScience, Vol. 27 , 275-310.
• Hall, S. (2007). The Raw Shark Texts. Edinburgh: Group West.
• Mojetta, A. (1997). Sharks : history and biology of the lords of the
sea. Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press.
• Paully, J. (2001). Shark Conservation. New York: New York
University Press.
• Randall, D. J. (1986). Sharks of Arabia. London: IMMEL.
• Schultz, L. P. (1967). Predation of Sharks on Man. Chesapeake
Science, Vol. * No. 1 , 52-62.
• All pictures are taken from www.discovery.com/sharks
Any Questions?