by Dr Zainurul Aniza Abd Rahman
Cite this – Abd Rahman, ZA (2012). Chronicling Malay/sian identity: An examination of visual print culture and the construction of national identity in Malaysia (1957-2007) (Doctoral dissertation). RMIT University.
Abstract
This PhD dissertation investigates the role of visual print culture and popular printed artifacts in articulating, reflecting, and disseminating dominant notions of national identity in Malaysia during the fifty years following its independence (1957-2007). Through three case studies—print advertisements, the women’s magazine Wanita, and the cartoons of Lat—this research elucidates how these media forms contribute to the construction of Malaysian national identity.
This study does not attempt to define the meaning or essence of Malaysian identity; rather, it emphasizes the constructed nature of national identity in Malaysia. It demonstrates how identity has been shaped and dominated by hegemonic majoritarian cultural discourses across different historical periods while remaining fluid in response to changing socio-political contexts.
Entitled “Chronicling Malay/sian Identity,” the project alludes to the intricate dynamics of racial politics that underlie and define the broader scope of national culture within the country.
The aims of this study are twofold: first, to establish the significance of visual culture and popular print media in the construction of Malaysian national identity; and second, to chronicle an undocumented and under-researched history of Malaysian national identity through the lens of visual print media.
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