Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

“I want myself to become Malaysian” : Political Participation and Identity Construction among Chinese Malaysians

Lindstrand, Ulrika (2016) ACET35
Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
Abstract
This thesis centers the concepts of citizenship and identity. It is an ethnographic case study focusing on well- educated, urban Chinese Malaysians with the aim to discover to what extent political participation, utilizing one’s citizenship rights, affects citizenship identity. Identity has been narrowed down into two categories; national and ethnic identity, based on previous research by Kymlicka and Norman (1994) and Habermas (1994). However, differing from much previous research, this is a qualitative study utilizing interviews as main method for data collection. Through this, it becomes possible to gain an understanding of Chinese Malaysians’ own experiences concerning their identities, also in relation to the Malaysian state’s vision... (More)
This thesis centers the concepts of citizenship and identity. It is an ethnographic case study focusing on well- educated, urban Chinese Malaysians with the aim to discover to what extent political participation, utilizing one’s citizenship rights, affects citizenship identity. Identity has been narrowed down into two categories; national and ethnic identity, based on previous research by Kymlicka and Norman (1994) and Habermas (1994). However, differing from much previous research, this is a qualitative study utilizing interviews as main method for data collection. Through this, it becomes possible to gain an understanding of Chinese Malaysians’ own experiences concerning their identities, also in relation to the Malaysian state’s vision of what Malaysian national and ethnic identity should be. The thesis finds that, in line with previous research on citizenship as a type of belonging, individuals who participate in politics identifies with a multiethnic national identity, which is viewed as a type of ideal identity. Ethnic identity connected to politics is perceived as negative, while continuously being reinforced by the Malaysian government, especially in relation to Bumiputera privileges. National identity is formed on an everyday defined level, while ethnic identity is constructed on an authority defined level. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lindstrand, Ulrika
supervisor
organization
course
ACET35
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
citizenship, rights, political participation, ethnic identity, national identity, nationalism, Malaysia
language
English
id
8886591
date added to LUP
2016-07-04 13:18:26
date last changed
2016-07-04 13:18:26
@misc{8886591,
  abstract     = {{This thesis centers the concepts of citizenship and identity. It is an ethnographic case study focusing on well- educated, urban Chinese Malaysians with the aim to discover to what extent political participation, utilizing one’s citizenship rights, affects citizenship identity. Identity has been narrowed down into two categories; national and ethnic identity, based on previous research by Kymlicka and Norman (1994) and Habermas (1994). However, differing from much previous research, this is a qualitative study utilizing interviews as main method for data collection. Through this, it becomes possible to gain an understanding of Chinese Malaysians’ own experiences concerning their identities, also in relation to the Malaysian state’s vision of what Malaysian national and ethnic identity should be. The thesis finds that, in line with previous research on citizenship as a type of belonging, individuals who participate in politics identifies with a multiethnic national identity, which is viewed as a type of ideal identity. Ethnic identity connected to politics is perceived as negative, while continuously being reinforced by the Malaysian government, especially in relation to Bumiputera privileges. National identity is formed on an everyday defined level, while ethnic identity is constructed on an authority defined level.}},
  author       = {{Lindstrand, Ulrika}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{“I want myself to become Malaysian” : Political Participation and Identity Construction among Chinese Malaysians}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}