Cultural Formation of Identity

Interweaving of Nationality and Ethnicity inBen Di Chuang Zuo, a Chinese Malaysian Musical Movement

Bibliographic Data

ID3635485
AuthorsHuck Ying Ch''Ng, Huck Ying Ch'Ng, Huck Ying Ch’ng (0000-0003-3969-4858, Ningbo Dahongying University, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume35
Issue6
Pages604-620
Publication date2014-11-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Intercultural Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0725-6868 • E-ISSN: 1469-9540
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/07256868.2014.963529
OpenAlexW2059434588
LanguageEN
References cited19

This article discusses the cultural formation of identity reflected in a musical movement in Malaysia called Ben Di Chuang Zuo (meaning, ‘locally composed’) among young Malaysian Chinese. Analysis of the lyrics from this movement reveals evidence of an interweaving of ‘Malaysian’ national identity and ‘Chinese’ ethnic identity in these cultural productions. A local genre has been created: the young artists are keen to emphasise both their Malaysian and Chinese identities in their music, and the songs demonstrate that these two are not contradictory or binary but two aspects of the identity of these artists and their large audience. The development of these two identities is to a large extent the result of historical ethnic influences and the political history of Malaysia and official discourse of the Malaysian Government, such as the pro-Malay national cultural policy of the 1970s onwards. The discussion suggests the importance of situating our understanding of identity formation within multiple political, social, historical and cultural contexts, and the importance of cultural production in identity formation. This study has implications for the analysis of cultural identity formation within increasingly dynamic and complex global migration and cultural flows

Aesthetics · Art · Cultural identity · Ethnic group · Identity formation · Linguistics · Literature · Malay · Musical · Political science · Politics · Self-concept · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Asian Studies and History · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Socioeconomic Development in Asia

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub