현대 말레이시아의 말레이 민족정체성의 문화적 의미

Abstract

Debates on the nature of ethnicity or ethnic identity have been engaged by scholars of two distinct theoretical orientations: primordialism and circumstantialism. This paper attempts to overcome the weakness of both approaches and to suggest an alternative one, that is, to analyse the processes in which conflicting ethnic groups utilize political, economic and cultural resources to enhance their group interests against others.

From this viewpoint, the writer explains the formation and change of Malay ethnic identity in the context of contemporary Malay society. Firstly, he explains what constitutes the Malay ethnic identity. Secondly, he explains how Islamic rituals observed by the Malays are related to the Malay ethnic identity. Thirdly, he investgates in what contexts, and why Islamic revival movement and the creation of the image of traditional Malay culture, have recently occurred when the Malay society has experienced the rapid economic development and urbanization.

The writer concludes that these phenomena are first of all the symptoms and mechanisms of the formation of distinct ethnic identity of the Malay who want to differentiate them from other ethnic groups in Malaysia and, thus, achieve a dominant position politically and economically.