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2. PHD Thesis / Tesis PHD
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Title:	Between Acculturation And Contestation In Melanau Oral Literature: An Investigation Of The Bebayoh Chants
Authors:	Ali Ahmad Seman (P33301)
Supervisor:	Shanthini Pillai a/p Joseph Sandra, Associate Professor Dr.
Keywords:	Acculturation And Contestation In Melanau Oral Literature Acculturation In Melanau Oral Literature Contestation In Melanau Oral Literature Melanau Oral Literature Language and languages in literature
Issue Date:	25-Mar-2013
Description:	The primary focus of this study is on the Sarawak Melanau oral literature in the bebayoh ritual. This study looks into Melanau traditional healing rituals as a sectional literature of the post-colonial Malaysian Literature study. The main objective of this study is two-fold; to conduct a literary-linguistic analysis of the key elements of these healing rituals, and to record the few remaining chants or prayers in order to preserve them as literary artifacts. In analyzing the linguistic and literary elements of the oral texts, the researcher is able to engage with and understand the psyche of the Melanau embedded within the vanishing bebayoh tradition. Images and imagery of a community usually exist within its language. The reveals linguistic exoticism as it exists in the Melanau language because of its widespread diglossia and its many dialects. The diachronic elements in the Bebayoh spells and rituals are analyzed using the Postcolonial theories. The core sources of samples for this study are drawn from the locations of Kampung Paloh, the other small villages of the Pulau Bruit, and Kampung Sok of the Matu-Daro District. These villages were chosen because the availability of some shamans and informed sources residing there. The participant observer approach is used to record the conversations and interviews. This information is transcribed and analysed using the framework of the funnel approach model adapted from Wiersma & Jurs’ model while the research reliability or authenticity is ensured using the triangulation of measures. The findings reveal that the Melanau language undergoes tremendous changes because of new lexical infusion, linguistic mimicry, lexical diffusion leading to the gradual dilution of their language replaced by appropriated linguistic forms and structures. The study also uncovers that physical and spiritual migrations, material developments, liberal social mobilization and modernity had accelerated the demise of this tradition. The research asserts that the advent of research-based Western medicine and zealous spread of Islam through formal and informal education also accelerates the process of transformation. The Melanaus have mediated these cultural changes to their community by appropriating some linguistic and literary forms from their new religion and Bahasa Malaysia while maintaining some of the original forms by retaining the actual tradition in a modified form. This can be seen in the diachronic progress of the ritual’s language from the aesthetics of traditional Melanau to contemporary Malay languages. The significance of this study lies in its diachronic continuum mapping of the Melanau language and literary form in the bebayoh rituals and the reformulation of the Bebayoh ritual as written constructs of the changing community’s language. Being an oral language, the latter contribution is very important. Without proper documentation or efforts to transfer the oral ethnic literature into written work, there is a very strong possibility that it will gradually fade into extinction.,PhD
Pages:	306
Call Number:	PN56.L27 .A435 2013
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan

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