Medium or message? : implications on the use of literature to promulgate national integration

Abstract

Literary texts are cultural artefacts that present "the interplay of discourses, the web of social meanings, operating in the time and place in which the text was written" (Tyson 1999,288). Since colonial times, literature in Malaysia had functioned as the conduit of ideologies such as anti-colonialism, nationalism and patriotism. Malay intelligentsia, who promulgated Malay literature as national literature, has always dominated the history of Malaysian literary thought. But findings from an IRPA research on the role of language and literature in the development of a nation-state reveals that the medium i.e. language is not a key factor. As long as the literature concerns Malaysia and Malaysians, the respondents are receptive towards using literature as a tool in promoting national integration; what is more pertinent is the content and message embedded. This paper will discuss the implications of these findings by analysing the responses from one particular segment of the research sample i.e. the 16-25 age group, who represent the decision-makers of tomorrow.