Koh Choon Eiow’s Chronology on Death and Transculturation in Taiwan

本研究旨在於探討馬來西亞華裔留學生的文化認同對其在馬涵化策略和來台再華化策略之影響。本研究採問卷調查法，以目前在台灣唸書的馬來西亞籍華裔留學生作為研究對象，實得有效樣本324人。調查工具為「馬來西亞華裔留學生社會與文化認同調查問卷」，包括基本資料、馬來社會與文化認同、馬華社會與文化認同與台灣社會與文化認同等四個部份。依調查所得資料，以描述性統計、獨立樣本t檢定、單因子變異數分析、Pearson積差相關和交叉表等方法，進行各項考驗分析。本研究結果發現如下： 一、具有國民中學、馬來西亞國立大學求學背景的馬來文化認同較高。 二、研究生的台灣文化認同比大學生和博士生高。 三、來台灣五年以上的台灣文化認同較高。 四、馬來、馬華、台灣文化認同呈中度正相關。 五、在馬國和在台灣，多數選擇整合型。 六、自覺被馬來、台灣文化接納程度高，其馬來、馬華、台灣文化認同也較高。 七、自覺被馬來文化接納程度低的馬國留學生會選擇邊緣型和隔離型。 八、自覺被台灣文化接納程度低的馬國留學生會選擇邊緣型。 九、在馬來西亞選擇隔離型的較多，而在台灣選擇整合型的較多。 十、在馬選擇高度認同馬華文化的涵化策略，來台亦會選擇高度認同馬華文化的再華化策略。 十一、在馬選擇低度認同馬華文化的涵化策略，來台亦會選擇低度認同馬華文化的再華化策略。

This article presents a theoretical framework on discursive nation-building processes in the Chinese and Taiwanese contexts by drawing on key notions in the discourse-theoretical account about identity construction, hegemonic articulation and myth-building, as proposed by prominent scholars of Discourse Theory, like Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe (1985). The framework is based on existing literature as well as findings from two case studies about discourses belonging to two different epochs in Chinese history: (1) Chinese and Taiwanese media narratives about the 1997 Hong Kong handover, published between mid-June and mid-July 1997 and (2) Lectures on Nationalism, presented in 1924 by dr. Sun Yat-sen, an early proponent of Chinese nationalism.

Being produced in the multiethnic, multicultural, and multireligious environment of contemporary Malaysia, Sinophone Malaysian fiction often deals with issues related to identity and the interaction between the Chinese Malaysian self and the ethnic other (including Malay, Indian, and Orang Asli). Such identity concerns and ethnic relations are further complicated by religious issues in the case of Chinese Muslim converts. Although the phenomenon of Chinese Malaysians converting to Islam has been explored from a historical and social perspective, this article delves into the issue from a new, literary standpoint. By focusing on specific examples drawn from two Sinophone Malaysian short stories, Ho Sok Fong’s “Bie zai tiqi” and Ng Kim Chew’s “Wo de pengyou Yadula,” this article explores the literary ways in which Chinese converts are represented and scrutinizes how social interaction with non-Muslims of their own ethnic background and integration within the Muslim community take place. The analysis of the two short stories corroborates the idea that conversion to Islam in the Chinese Malaysian context involves crossing more than just religious boundaries and demonstrates that, by presenting conversion as an opportunistic choice, the two texts express the view of many Chinese Malaysians on their ethnic fellows who embrace Islam.

This article examines the formation of Chinese young people’s political subjectivity through exploring their everyday online political participation. Drawing on qualitative data collected from 31 Chinese young people, it identifies three dispositions apparent in their online participatory activities in different circumstances: ‘angry youth’, ‘powerless cynics’, and ‘realistic idealists’. Reflecting their accounts of these participatory activities, these dispositions as manifestations of subjectivities are shaped by the contingent participatory circumstances of the young people and are connected to their previous history of participation. Their online political participation serves as a vehicle for the formation of their subjectivity in the distinctively Chinese context. In this way, the internet facilitates the formation of the subjectivities of young people by providing a space for them to interact with other collective subjectivities, enabling a new form of engagement within which the formation of new subjectivities can develop.

This study examined gender differences in marital and life satisfaction in a convenience sample of 425 Chinese Malaysian men (41%) and women (59%). Consistent with findings in many Western cultures, gender role theory predictions were supported in this study. While controlling for age and education, MANCOVA tests revealed men reporting higher levels of marital satisfaction than women, whereas gender differences in life satisfaction were not found. Hierarchical regression analyses showed marital satisfaction significantly predicted life satisfaction for both men and women, but the influence was greater for women. Results are discussed with reference to the Chinese Malaysian cultural context.

In an era of rapid globalization and sociocultural transformations, understanding the impact of language dominance on cultural identity is crucial. This study addresses the under-explored area of the attachment of English-dominant Malaysian Chinese (EMC) university students to Malaysian Chinese Culture (MCC). Despite English's growing prominence in Malaysia, there is a paucity of research investigating its effect on EMCs' cultural attachments. Contrasting to the predominantly qualitative methods in the research filed, our research adopts a quantitative approach, offering an objective assessment of EMC students' cultural attachment. The study involved 74 participants, selected through purposive sampling, who completed a 12-item online questionnaire. The questionnaire adapted the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) as the Malaysian Chinese Cultural Identity Measure (MCCIM), validated through a pilot test withthe Cronbach α score of 0.830. The results indicate a positive attachment of these students to MCC, suggesting resilience in cultural identity despite the predominance of English. This research contributes to the broader discourse on cultural identity preservation within the landscape of language shifts, offering a foundation for future studies in similar multicultural and multilingual settings.

This study uses textual analysis of the relevant Chinese and English literature to examine Chinese-language films in Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese-language films have developed over the last 100 years thanks to imports, Chinese investment, the Malayanised Chinese-language film movement, the Malaysian Independent Filmmaking Movement, commercial films, the Chinese film association and film festivals. Moreover, Chinese Malaysians’ cultural identity became a national identity. Chinese-language films also turned from being independent projects to commercial ventures. Although the government has recognised Chinese-language films, the industry still lacks governmental support. Furthermore, filmmakers focus on the multicultural background of Malaysia, hoping that films can resonate among the country’s three ethnic groups. The Malaysian Chinese-language film industry needs to face the challenges of brain drain and limited audiences. From the perspective of communication strategy, filmmakers should cooperate with film companies from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for co-production, in addition to pushing Malaysian Chinese-language films into the international market.

This research explores the question: How do English-dominant Malaysian Chinese (EMC) university students in Malaysia negotiate their cultural identities within an English-dominated environment? Employing qualitative methods, data were collected from 30 participants through open-ended questionnaires, and 4 participants, selected from the initial questionnaire respondents, took part in a focus group discussion. The study reveals that societal factors, personal experiences, and traditional Chinese cultural upbringing significantly influence their cultural identity negotiation. Some of the major issues are government policy, Malaysia's multicultualism, western influence and culture, and perception towards the use of English. Participants adopt strategies like embracing multiculturalism, blending languages, and selectively incorporating English elements to balance their Malaysian Chinese heritage with English influences. This study adds to the literature on multiculturalism and fluidity of identity, especially in the context of Malaysian Chinese and the need for constant cultural adaptation and learning.

Cantonese is the carrier of Chinese cultural memory and nostalgia. Malaysian Chinese peo-ple have constructed their ethnic cultural identity using Cantonese media. Nevertheless, it remains relatively unclear how Cantonese media affects the construction of Chinese cultural identity in three dimensions (cognition, emotion, and behavior). The present study exam-ined the relationship between Cantonese media use and Chinese cultural identity among Malaysian Chinese in these three dimensions. Based on a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews with ethnic Chinese in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the analyses yielded three main findings. First, media exposure and the perceived recreational, cultural, and instrumental value of Cantonese media use had a significant positive impact on Chinese cultural cogni-tion. Second, the perceived recreational and cultural value of Cantonese media had a signif-icant positive impact on Chinese cultural emotion. Third, the perceived recreational and in-strumental value of Cantonese media had a significant positive impact on Chinese cultural behavior. We highlight the importance of perceived recreational, cultural, and instrumental value and exposure to Cantonese media in shaping three dimensions of Chinese cultural identity and suggest attaching importance to and supporting the development of native lan-guage media for the diaspora to realize the integrated development of cultural globalization and diversification.

The ethnic Chinese in Malaysia are a significant minority who call for a critical assessment as far as their cultural identity and political positioning are concerned. Appropriating the concept of ‘multicultural citizenship’, this article attempts to dissect various demands and aspirations of the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia’s multiracial hierarchy. It suggests that using the lens of multicultural citizenship can help shed light on Malaysian Chinese as well as the entire nation, where ethnicity and citizenship are gridlocked in historical formation and political hierarchy. In recent times, Malaysian Chinese have articulated their political desires and demands in order to get rid of the disgrace of racial constraints, and also to envisage a more inclusive multicultural citizenship for Malaysia as a nation-state. This article also compares and contrasts three Chinese public figures who have taken disparate stands and approaches with regard to language, culture, race, nation, and party politics.

Humanistic Buddhism is a rather vague term used to label a variety of Buddhist practices and outreach that focus on the present world and challenges of everyday existence. This idiom has been applied interchangeably with expressions like “(socially) engaged Buddhism” and became associated with forms of social activism and political involvement that commenced in Asia in the early 20th century and later expanded to other regions; nonetheless, Humanistic Buddhism and (socially) engaged Buddhism are two types of reform movements that remain quite distant in many of their modus operandi and objectives. Western scholarship has also interpreted Humanistic Buddhism as “Protestant Buddhism,” a label that is questionable as it reads Buddhism through Western (Weberian) categories, and it may even be misleading in specific contexts. Humanistic Buddhism is not an exact synonym of modernization and modern Buddhism either, as they intersect only in certain domains and to a certain extent. Finally, the overlapping between Humanistic Buddhism and Humanitarian Buddhism is also partial, with the latter incorporating only some of the core ideas of the former. Within the Chinese and Taiwanese contexts, Humanistic Buddhism has been used as official translation of the local movements rensheng fojiao人生佛教 (commonly rendered in English as “Human Life Buddhism”) and renjian fojiao人間佛教 (otherwise known in English as “Human Realm Buddhism”) that were theorized, performed, and institutionalized in the early 20th century. Rensheng fojiao and renjian fojiao are not monolithic and static phenomena either; they form a discursive narrative characterized by a shared vocabulary and ideas. For instance, since their inception, rensheng fojiao and renjian fojiao are said to aim at a chushi出世 approach (i.e., a spiritual and otherworldly attitude) to a rushi入世 practice (i.e., a practice focused on problems and questions of the contemporary and actual human world). They also claim to transform according to the situation (qiji契機) while still preserving its core principles (qili契理). These movements of reforms were initiated by Buddhist voices as a reaction (and response) to new social, political, and religious circumstances of the late Qing; at the same time, the affirmation to represent not merely an innovation but also the recovery and revival of the core of the Buddhadharma added a form of doctrinal legitimacy. The genealogy of Humanistic Buddhism in China and Taiwan includes different protagonists not only competing but also influencing each other; some conceived Humanistic Buddhism as the restatement of the classical Mahāyāna Bodhisattva practice, and some turned it into social activism and humanitarian action, while others gave it a political connotation. Scholars have explained Humanistic Buddhism in terms of a practice (xiuxing修行), a Dharma gate (famen法門), and a tradition whose proponents are grouped into distinct lineages (famai法脈) or schools (xuepai學派). The formation of regional and transregional Sangha networks made it possible to export some from the Chinese and Taiwanese forms of Humanistic Buddhism to the rest of Asia and later to other regions, where it merged with local movements and undertook new paths.

Cultural Ideals in Chinese Malaysians’ Discourse of Dissatisfaction - Ee Lin Lee and Bradford J. Hall 365

Inside mainland China, some Anglophone social media such as Facebook and Twitter are blocked; as a result, savvy Chinese enterprises have invented alternative versions of these microblogging servicesmthe best known being Weibo. Scholars have suggested that applications such as Weibo have created greater openness, transparency and engagement in the urban public sphere, and have contributed to a much deeper social change, in synergy with reforms in many social areas of contemporary China. This thesis aims to examine the role of microblogging in the following dimensions: (i) the public engagement in civil discourse about particular issues; (ii) the status quo and development of the public sphere within the context; and (iii) the interaction, synergy and reciprocity among the state, the urban public sphere, and civil society. To this end, the issue of how microblogging is involved in every aspect of ordinary Chinese peoplers lives is empirically investigated. Microblogging plays an important role in facilitating people making sense of what is happening in China through engaging in civil discourse about various social issues, and this civil engagement in return may exert profound impact on the countryrs concurrent reforms and democratisation process. Current new-media studies address only some aspects of the new-media use in some parts of the world, due to the strong historical association of the new technology with libertarian discourse, linguistic estrangement, and the reluctance of some Western researchers to learn from developments in other parts of the world. This thesis uses de-Westernised approaches and adopts a non-Western eye to examine the production, distribution and use of new media in a developing country, in an effort to boost intercultural collaboration in this field. The theoretical framework applied in this thesis originates from civil society and Habermasrs conception of the public sphere, but emphatically focuses on its extrapolation to, and innovation in a Chinese context. A wide range of political, cultural and societal perspectives are employed to explain the uniqueness and non-replicability of microbloggingrs impact on the process of constructing an online civil society in contemporary China. This thesis uses two sets of methods: (i) case studies, all three of which involve Sina Weibomone of the many Weibo services as the main platform and (ii) mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative approaches that combines content analysis and media discourse analysis to analyse the data collected in this research. Drawing from the civil discourse practices in the three case studies, the thesis conceptualises three nuanced interactional modes of the Chinese statensociety relations: confrontation, positive interaction and negotiation, and thereby concludes that the statensociety relations should not be confined to a simple, static dichotomy, but rather be looked at in a more dynamic and diversified way. The lplasticityr of Weibo in facilitating an online public sphere provides many explanatory possibilities for subsequent researchers to diversify and expand the empirical data in this research and thus enrich the connotation of Chinese public sphere and civil society theories.

This article proposes resource extraction politics as a lens to analyze the relationship between Malaysian Chinese (or Mahua) literature and the global literary economy. Rather than ascribe Mahua literature to its present national boundaries and diasporic communities, the article locates its formation in inter-imperial nodes of trafficked labor and art production, as well as a global system of colonial plantations. The article revisits Zeng Huading's 曾華丁 (1906–1942) short story (1928) and Ba Ren's 巴人 (1901–1972) historical drama (1949) about the myth of five Chinese coolies and their execution in 1871 for murdering a Dutch foreman in a Deli tobacco plantation in East Sumatra. The Anglo-Dutch migration corridor, or the cross-straits coolie trade between the two imperial jurisdictions of Penang (Straits Settlements) and Medan (East Sumatra), now part of Malaysia and Indonesia respectively, was one Nanyang connection, but these writers have been discussed separately within Mahua and Yinhua 印華 (Indonesian Chinese) contexts. Ba Ren, in particular, is studied as a leftist writer who contributed artistically to the Indonesian and Chinese revolutions in the 1940s and 1950s. Here, the article rethinks Ba Ren's legacy within a Mahua corpus, and Zeng Huading's fiction within a cross-straits history of labor. This ecological reading of their works also highlights their critique of Mahua's peripheralization within a world economy and global literature.

There is now a general acceptance that schools need to prepare students for the realities of a globalised world, which necessitates developing intercultural competence. Such an educational mandate is felt particularly keenly in internationalised schools, where the work of teaching and learning involves the negotiation of diverse cultural assumptions, practices, and identities on a daily basis. Whilst schools are in a position where they need to formulate some kind of understanding of what intercultural competence means and how it is expected to be developed with educational content and pedagogical practices, the notion of intercultural competence is perpetually contested. Critical scholars have critiqued the tendency for theorising on intercultural competence to adhere to “solid” notions of culture and assume that there is an end to the intercultural process at which point an individual will become interculturally competent (e.g., Dervin, 2016; Ferri, 2018). This paper, however, argues that it is important to understand the ways in which solid notions of culture surface in the lived experiences of teachers working in intercultural contexts. The paper draws on findings from a qualitative case study of international teachers’ cross-cultural experiences in an international school in Shanghai, China to highlight the ways in which individuals draw on notions of solid culture as a resource for claiming an identity position in relation to dominant cultural practices in the local context.