Interviews
I conducted a series of in-depth interviews with 11 people, including three family members that live in the Chaoshan area and people in my social network that live in different places in China. These conversations became significantly important when moving on to making formatting decisions. After interviewing people, I realised that there are a lot of interesting and unique stories behind people’s farewell moments and people sometimes struggle when expressing their emotions. Even in the crucial moments of parting, many are still unable to express their true feelings; they do not know how to deal with their sadness or how to face the reality of loss. Some of those interviewed changed their attitudes towards Confucianism after the interviews from being supportive to becoming neutral.
I also found that openness to emotional expression was also related to the personality, cultural background and education of the interviewees, as well as their age. The openness of different people also reflected their approval, criticism or reflection on some of the theories within Confucianism."...this is the Confucian idea of trying not to use one's despair and suffering to influence others.""...even at the time of the wedding, I felt a little embarrassed to shed tears. So, I had to hold back the tears...""...It's important to be harmonious and not talk too much. Family and everything lead to prosperity..."