1. UKM Learning and Research Repository
2. PHD Thesis / Tesis PHD
3. Institute of Malaysian and International Studies / Institut Kajian Malaysia dan Antarabangsa (IKMAS)

Title:	A study of Telegu identity and community in Teluk Intan and Bagan Datoh, Perak, Malaysia
Authors:	Ramanan Malini (P32867)
Supervisor:	Abdul Rahman Embong, Prof Emeritus Dato
Keywords:	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia-Dissertations Dissertations, Academic -- Malaysia Telugu (Indic people)-Malaysia|zPerak Telugu (Indic people)-Malaysia-Perak-Ethnic identity. Telugu (Indic people)-Malaysia-Perak-History.
Issue Date:	6-Sep-2012
Description:	In order to understand the cultural diversity of Malaysia, scholars have explored the ethnic identities of various minority groups. However, when it comes to a minority within a minority, the trend is to merely mention it in passing or ignore it completely. As in the case of the Telugus who are a minority within the minority Indian community here in Malaysia. The Telugu identity of the Malaysian Telugus is one that has not been examined academically so far. Therefore, guided by identity theories, both social and individual, an ethnographic fieldwork that stretched over 14 months between 2008 and 2011 was undertaken in two locations in Perak, namely Bagan Datoh and Teluk Intan which had a good concentration of Telugus . During this time, twelve families in Bagan Datoh and ten families in Teluk Intan were interviewed. As the intention was to collect complex information, largely opinions, attitudes and experience based responses of the informants in-depth interviews were carried out with twelve key informants in Bagan Datoh and ten in Teluk Intan. The primary objective of this study is to understand the sense of Teluguness from the perspective of the community in Bagan Datoh and Teluk Intan and how this sense of identity has been constructed and reinforced by the different generations in these two locations. Further this research also analysed the role played by the Telugu Association of Malaysia in preserving and maintaining the Telugu culture and its survival/ prospects in a multicultural Malaysian society. During the process of this research four prominent themes have emerged. These themes make it visibly clear that the sense of identity and community in Bagan Datoh and Teluk Intan is largely and positively affected by the following forces namely: the Telugu community living there, the Telugu Association, the Vaishnava temples and the out-migrated Telugu community living in the cities. Although there is widespread apprehension among the Telugu diaspora around world that the Telugu identity would soon fade out with the disappearance of the Telugu language, this thesis demonstrates that Teluguness is alive and well and likely to flourish in Malaysia. And this can be attributed to the forces mentioned above and also the contestations of identities that take place in the pluralistic environment of the multi-cultural Malaysian society. The important contribution of this study is that it leads to better appreciation of the Telugu community, a minority within the broader Malaysian Indian community which comprises several ethnic communities. In turn, this understanding will help informing governmental social policies that enable coping with the management of ethnic and cultural diversity.,Certification of Masters/ Doctorial Thesis" is not available
Pages:	260
Call Number:	DS595.2.T38R338
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Institute of Malaysian and International Studies / Institut Kajian Malaysia dan Antarabangsa (IKMAS)

Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.