________________
Both my male and female respondents were selected from different social, economic,
professional and religious backgrounds. I have used pseudonyms to conceal the identity
of my subjects (interviewees). However, I have revealed the identity of scholars and
experts in Jainism from my interviews.
Besides these two methodologies, I also conducted a sociological survey. The
survey was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, attitudes and behavior of
Anuvratis and non-Anuvratis as a measurement to determine the effectiveness of the
movement. It took me three months to collect the data, starting from May 2012 through
July 2012. More than 200 Indians filled out the survey questionnaire consisting of 30
multiple-choice questions.
Continuing with my fieldwork among the Jain diaspora, I primarily focused on
the ethnographic method and conducted nine interviews - six in Miami and three in Los
Angeles. The interviewees were laity, professors and scholars of Jainism. Besides these
interviews in Miami, I attended monthly Jain study meetings, temple ceremonies, some
discourses by the Samanis (liberal-ascetic) and lectures by Jain scholars from India.
Significance of the Study
In the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in Jainism as a
significant area of study in religious academic discipline. Some texts of world religions
which in the past only covered Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam
have now added Jainism as a world religion, because of its global spread as well as its
great influence on other major religions, especially Asian religions. As a result, there is a
* See appendices for a sample survey questionnaire.
