Collin Jerome | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) (original) (raw)
Papers by Collin Jerome
Indonesia and the Malay World, 2013
Gema Online Journal of Language Studies
This paper explores the construction of sexual identities of fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan&... more This paper explores the construction of sexual identities of fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan's short stories Go East and Neighbours. It begins with a discussion on the complexity and fluidity of male sexuality and how it is mediated through the absence and presence of homosexuality, men's articulation of sexuality in the public and private realms and men's fear and insecurity in developing intimate relationship with each other. The paper then presents a brief overview of the depictions of male sexuality in Malaysian literature in English, which is followed by discussions on the absence and presence of homosexuality in Go East and the transgression of male sexuality in Neighbours. The paper concludes that fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan's short narratives not only transgress the concept of male sexuality but also the socio-cultural and religious norms and boundaries, offering alternative insights into mainstream ideas about sexuality and sexual identity in the...
Breaking up a relationship is not easy. Those on the verge of breaking up with their spouses may ... more Breaking up a relationship is not easy. Those on the verge of breaking up with their spouses may use different verbal and non-verbal means to express their desire to end the relationship. The following poems attempt to tell the complex processes of, and the mediums used for, relationship breakups.
Gema Online Journal of Language Studies
Malay identity has been an important area of research in the field of Malay studies. Many scholar... more Malay identity has been an important area of research in the field of Malay studies. Many scholars have argued that Malay identity is a product of a complex interplay of various identity markers and a dynamic adoption of diverse identity strategies. While most studies have focussed on examining Malay language, culture and religion as dominant identity markers of Malays in Malaysia, there is still a need for more research on other identity markers in the production of Malay identity. This paper explores the complexity of Malay Muslim identity, particularly queer Malay Muslims who are featured in Dina Zaman‟s I am Muslim. Using the theories and research relating to ethnic, racial, and sexual identity, the paper analyses the markers and strategies employed by queer Malay Muslims in constructing their identities as well as the tensions and conflicts they experience in formulating a Malay Muslim identity marked by queerness. The results show that queer Malays in Dina‟s work adopt varied ...
Gender has been an important area of research in the field of popular music studies. Numerous sch... more Gender has been an important area of research in the field of popular music studies. Numerous scholars have found that contemporary popular music functions as a locus of diverse constructions and expressions of gender. While most studies focus on content analyses of popular music, there is still a need for more research on audience’s perception of popular music’s messages. This study examined adult Malay listeners’ perceptions of gender messages in contemporary Malay songs. A total of 16 contemporary Malay songs were analysed using Fairclough’s (1992) method of text analysis. The content of the songs that conveyed messages about gender were the basis for analysis. The results showed that the messages revolve mainly around socially constructed gender roles and expectations in romantic relationships. Gender stereotypes are also used in the songs to reinforce men’s and women’s roles in romantic relationships. The results also showed that, while listeners acknowledge the songs’ messages...
Numerous studies have examined the complex relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and... more Numerous studies have examined the complex relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices particularly the ways in which these practices do not always converge with teachers’ beliefs and the plethora of factors that govern such relationship (see Borg, 2003; Breen et al., 2001; Farrell & Lim, 2005; Gatbonton, 2008). The research presented in this paper seeks to examine this complexity by investigating the extent of convergence and divergence in a Malaysian ESL teacher’s pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices, and the contributing factors to the phenomenon. A case study of a novice female secondary school teacher teaching English to low-intermediate level learners in two lessons was conducted. The teacher’s beliefs about language learning and teaching were obtained via a questionnaire using Likert-scale, while the classroom practices were analysed from video recordings of the two lessons. The questionnaire analysis showed that the teacher’s beliefs not...
Contemporary Malaysian literature functions as a site of diverse constructions of identity where ... more Contemporary Malaysian literature functions as a site of diverse constructions of identity where local writers construct various identities of their fictional characters and their own identities in the process. Their dilemma in writing about these identities in their works, that is, aligning themselves to certain social identities such as ethnicity, religion, and regional origin or embracing various identities to call themselves " Malaysian " is coming to the fore but not gaining enough recognition because previously literary texts have tended to portray single identity/ies. This paper addresses the diverse constructions of identity in contemporary Malaysian literature using one literary text, Neighbours. Using theories relating to identity formation, the analysis, among others, indicated that the identity of the protagonist that is foregrounded is Malay identity but diverse identities that are backgrounded include gender, sexual and ethno-religious identities. However, th...
There are various ways in which readers respond to literature. This short article discusses how r... more There are various ways in which readers respond to literature. This short article discusses how readers (students in particular) can express their ideas and thoughts about the literary texts they have read through poetry writing. It begins with an overview of reader response theory and the field of literary response research, followed by a discussion of oral and written forms of readers’ responses to literature and a classroom activity that requires students to express their thoughts about literary characters in poetic forms. The article also highlights students’ proficiency, and literacy and literary skills as some of the factors that need to be considered when using poetry writing as a way of responding to literature.
From the ancient to contemporary times, drama has communicated and conveyed the messages as well ... more From the ancient to contemporary times, drama has communicated and conveyed the messages as well as representations of gender and sexuality through the elements such as dialogue and characters. It has constantly (re)defined and (re)constructed the representations of gender and sexuality which has affected readers'/audience's awareness and understanding of their own gender and sexuality. Thus, this study explores readers' views on the representation of gender in drama, and how this representation reflects and affects their awareness and understanding of gender. This takes into account reading drama as a gendered act that engages readers to read from their gendered perspectives. In view of this, the study examines a) readers' views on the representation of characters as gendered beings in selected dramatic texts, b) the effects that this representation has on their awareness and understanding of their own gender, and c) the extent to which reading from a gendered persp...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
frequency of citation and help-seeking strategies, attitudes towards penalties for plagiarism and... more frequency of citation and help-seeking strategies, attitudes towards penalties for plagiarism and rationalisations for omission of citations. Questionnaires were distributed at the beginning and end of an Academic Reading and Writing course at a Malaysian public university. The analysis of 169 pre-and 126 post-questionnaires indicate that after formal instruction on citation conventions, self-f f reports of appropriate citation and help-seeking strategies for assignment completion increased. There were no significant changes in self-f f reports of unethical help-seeking strategies but the respondents reported significantly less use of some unethical citation strategies. Surprisingly, at the end of the semester, fewer students agreed that students caught for plagiarism should fail the assignment, possibly due to heightened awareness of their own assignment completion strategies which run into plagiarism. In the post-questionnaire, fewer respondents justified omission of citations on the grounds of lack of knowledge and non-deduction of marks for omitting citations in assignments. With an increase in appropriate assignment completion strategies and a concomitant decrease in inappropriate strategies, there is a lessened need to resolve the cognitive dissonance arising from inconsistency between maintaining a moral self-f f image and committing academic misconduct.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
Reports in mass media and narratives of people in authority as well as the lay person in the stre... more Reports in mass media and narratives of people in authority as well as the lay person in the street attribute unemployment of graduates to their poor communicative abilities and, in the same breath, poor proficiency in English. This raises questions for ge proficiency and communicative abilities. The specific aspects examined are whether students conceptualise these two constructs as the same, overlapping or different; and whether students think their language proficiency and communicative ability affect their chances of employability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with university students with different English proficiency levels. The preliminary results indicate that students see both English proficiency and communicative ability as important factors affecting their employability but they can tease apart the two constructs. The students view communicative ability as going beyond language proficiency to encompass ability to take account of other viewpoints and clarity in thought patterns during communication. The findings suggest that strategies to improve undergraduate communicative abilities cannot target English proficiency alone.
k@ta, 2008
This paper explores the concept of being and performing masculinity in Karim Raslan's short story... more This paper explores the concept of being and performing masculinity in Karim Raslan's short story Go East. Torn between being a man in his own terms and performing socially endorsed masculine roles and sexual desires, the protagonist, Mahmud, negotiates and transgresses gender borders, resulting in his inability to sexually perform with women and incapacity for emotional and physical intimacy with men. Yet, he overcomes his impotence through heterosexual intercourse despite imagining making love to men.
k@ta, 2009
This paper discusses qualitative findings from a series of focus group discussions with six adult... more This paper discusses qualitative findings from a series of focus group discussions with six adult Malaysian men, aged 24-34, on the representation of men and masculinity in Men's Folio, a stylish lifestyle men's magazine. It highlights the extent to which the language used in the magazine's editorial content and advertisements that feature musculature images, fashion and style, and feminized grooming products and practices that have diversed impacts on the respondents' notions of a modern male identity.
Ethnic groups may be identified by ethnic group membership, language, regional affiliation, custo... more Ethnic groups may be identified by ethnic group membership, language, regional affiliation, customs and other symbols of ethnicity. The study examined reactions to characterisation of ethnic groups in a leading Sarawak English daily newspaper and a leading national English daily newspaper. The ethnic groups focused on were Malay, Chinese and Sarawak indigenous communities. The specific aspects examined were: (1) portrayal of ethnic groups in newspaper headlines, and (2) reactions to portrayal of ethnic groups by members of the same community. For the study, news reports and feature articles which make explicit mention of the name of the ethnic groups were analysed to identify the collocation of topics with ethnic groups, and subsequently to draw inferences on the discursive construction of ethnic identities by the newspapers. The characterisations of the ethnic groups were presented to members of the same ethnic group to elicit their reactions. Preliminary results indicate that the reactions were on a continuum of agreement to strong disagreement with the constructed identities of ethnic groups in Sarawak as portrayed in the selected English daily newspapers. The study tapped into the latent stereotypes held by various ethnic groups and brings forward a crystallisation of acceptable and unacceptable characterisation of ethnic identities.
Indonesia and the Malay World, 2013
Gema Online Journal of Language Studies
This paper explores the construction of sexual identities of fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan&... more This paper explores the construction of sexual identities of fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan's short stories Go East and Neighbours. It begins with a discussion on the complexity and fluidity of male sexuality and how it is mediated through the absence and presence of homosexuality, men's articulation of sexuality in the public and private realms and men's fear and insecurity in developing intimate relationship with each other. The paper then presents a brief overview of the depictions of male sexuality in Malaysian literature in English, which is followed by discussions on the absence and presence of homosexuality in Go East and the transgression of male sexuality in Neighbours. The paper concludes that fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan's short narratives not only transgress the concept of male sexuality but also the socio-cultural and religious norms and boundaries, offering alternative insights into mainstream ideas about sexuality and sexual identity in the...
Breaking up a relationship is not easy. Those on the verge of breaking up with their spouses may ... more Breaking up a relationship is not easy. Those on the verge of breaking up with their spouses may use different verbal and non-verbal means to express their desire to end the relationship. The following poems attempt to tell the complex processes of, and the mediums used for, relationship breakups.
Gema Online Journal of Language Studies
Malay identity has been an important area of research in the field of Malay studies. Many scholar... more Malay identity has been an important area of research in the field of Malay studies. Many scholars have argued that Malay identity is a product of a complex interplay of various identity markers and a dynamic adoption of diverse identity strategies. While most studies have focussed on examining Malay language, culture and religion as dominant identity markers of Malays in Malaysia, there is still a need for more research on other identity markers in the production of Malay identity. This paper explores the complexity of Malay Muslim identity, particularly queer Malay Muslims who are featured in Dina Zaman‟s I am Muslim. Using the theories and research relating to ethnic, racial, and sexual identity, the paper analyses the markers and strategies employed by queer Malay Muslims in constructing their identities as well as the tensions and conflicts they experience in formulating a Malay Muslim identity marked by queerness. The results show that queer Malays in Dina‟s work adopt varied ...
Gender has been an important area of research in the field of popular music studies. Numerous sch... more Gender has been an important area of research in the field of popular music studies. Numerous scholars have found that contemporary popular music functions as a locus of diverse constructions and expressions of gender. While most studies focus on content analyses of popular music, there is still a need for more research on audience’s perception of popular music’s messages. This study examined adult Malay listeners’ perceptions of gender messages in contemporary Malay songs. A total of 16 contemporary Malay songs were analysed using Fairclough’s (1992) method of text analysis. The content of the songs that conveyed messages about gender were the basis for analysis. The results showed that the messages revolve mainly around socially constructed gender roles and expectations in romantic relationships. Gender stereotypes are also used in the songs to reinforce men’s and women’s roles in romantic relationships. The results also showed that, while listeners acknowledge the songs’ messages...
Numerous studies have examined the complex relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and... more Numerous studies have examined the complex relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices particularly the ways in which these practices do not always converge with teachers’ beliefs and the plethora of factors that govern such relationship (see Borg, 2003; Breen et al., 2001; Farrell & Lim, 2005; Gatbonton, 2008). The research presented in this paper seeks to examine this complexity by investigating the extent of convergence and divergence in a Malaysian ESL teacher’s pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices, and the contributing factors to the phenomenon. A case study of a novice female secondary school teacher teaching English to low-intermediate level learners in two lessons was conducted. The teacher’s beliefs about language learning and teaching were obtained via a questionnaire using Likert-scale, while the classroom practices were analysed from video recordings of the two lessons. The questionnaire analysis showed that the teacher’s beliefs not...
Contemporary Malaysian literature functions as a site of diverse constructions of identity where ... more Contemporary Malaysian literature functions as a site of diverse constructions of identity where local writers construct various identities of their fictional characters and their own identities in the process. Their dilemma in writing about these identities in their works, that is, aligning themselves to certain social identities such as ethnicity, religion, and regional origin or embracing various identities to call themselves " Malaysian " is coming to the fore but not gaining enough recognition because previously literary texts have tended to portray single identity/ies. This paper addresses the diverse constructions of identity in contemporary Malaysian literature using one literary text, Neighbours. Using theories relating to identity formation, the analysis, among others, indicated that the identity of the protagonist that is foregrounded is Malay identity but diverse identities that are backgrounded include gender, sexual and ethno-religious identities. However, th...
There are various ways in which readers respond to literature. This short article discusses how r... more There are various ways in which readers respond to literature. This short article discusses how readers (students in particular) can express their ideas and thoughts about the literary texts they have read through poetry writing. It begins with an overview of reader response theory and the field of literary response research, followed by a discussion of oral and written forms of readers’ responses to literature and a classroom activity that requires students to express their thoughts about literary characters in poetic forms. The article also highlights students’ proficiency, and literacy and literary skills as some of the factors that need to be considered when using poetry writing as a way of responding to literature.
From the ancient to contemporary times, drama has communicated and conveyed the messages as well ... more From the ancient to contemporary times, drama has communicated and conveyed the messages as well as representations of gender and sexuality through the elements such as dialogue and characters. It has constantly (re)defined and (re)constructed the representations of gender and sexuality which has affected readers'/audience's awareness and understanding of their own gender and sexuality. Thus, this study explores readers' views on the representation of gender in drama, and how this representation reflects and affects their awareness and understanding of gender. This takes into account reading drama as a gendered act that engages readers to read from their gendered perspectives. In view of this, the study examines a) readers' views on the representation of characters as gendered beings in selected dramatic texts, b) the effects that this representation has on their awareness and understanding of their own gender, and c) the extent to which reading from a gendered persp...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
frequency of citation and help-seeking strategies, attitudes towards penalties for plagiarism and... more frequency of citation and help-seeking strategies, attitudes towards penalties for plagiarism and rationalisations for omission of citations. Questionnaires were distributed at the beginning and end of an Academic Reading and Writing course at a Malaysian public university. The analysis of 169 pre-and 126 post-questionnaires indicate that after formal instruction on citation conventions, self-f f reports of appropriate citation and help-seeking strategies for assignment completion increased. There were no significant changes in self-f f reports of unethical help-seeking strategies but the respondents reported significantly less use of some unethical citation strategies. Surprisingly, at the end of the semester, fewer students agreed that students caught for plagiarism should fail the assignment, possibly due to heightened awareness of their own assignment completion strategies which run into plagiarism. In the post-questionnaire, fewer respondents justified omission of citations on the grounds of lack of knowledge and non-deduction of marks for omitting citations in assignments. With an increase in appropriate assignment completion strategies and a concomitant decrease in inappropriate strategies, there is a lessened need to resolve the cognitive dissonance arising from inconsistency between maintaining a moral self-f f image and committing academic misconduct.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
Reports in mass media and narratives of people in authority as well as the lay person in the stre... more Reports in mass media and narratives of people in authority as well as the lay person in the street attribute unemployment of graduates to their poor communicative abilities and, in the same breath, poor proficiency in English. This raises questions for ge proficiency and communicative abilities. The specific aspects examined are whether students conceptualise these two constructs as the same, overlapping or different; and whether students think their language proficiency and communicative ability affect their chances of employability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with university students with different English proficiency levels. The preliminary results indicate that students see both English proficiency and communicative ability as important factors affecting their employability but they can tease apart the two constructs. The students view communicative ability as going beyond language proficiency to encompass ability to take account of other viewpoints and clarity in thought patterns during communication. The findings suggest that strategies to improve undergraduate communicative abilities cannot target English proficiency alone.
k@ta, 2008
This paper explores the concept of being and performing masculinity in Karim Raslan's short story... more This paper explores the concept of being and performing masculinity in Karim Raslan's short story Go East. Torn between being a man in his own terms and performing socially endorsed masculine roles and sexual desires, the protagonist, Mahmud, negotiates and transgresses gender borders, resulting in his inability to sexually perform with women and incapacity for emotional and physical intimacy with men. Yet, he overcomes his impotence through heterosexual intercourse despite imagining making love to men.
k@ta, 2009
This paper discusses qualitative findings from a series of focus group discussions with six adult... more This paper discusses qualitative findings from a series of focus group discussions with six adult Malaysian men, aged 24-34, on the representation of men and masculinity in Men's Folio, a stylish lifestyle men's magazine. It highlights the extent to which the language used in the magazine's editorial content and advertisements that feature musculature images, fashion and style, and feminized grooming products and practices that have diversed impacts on the respondents' notions of a modern male identity.
Ethnic groups may be identified by ethnic group membership, language, regional affiliation, custo... more Ethnic groups may be identified by ethnic group membership, language, regional affiliation, customs and other symbols of ethnicity. The study examined reactions to characterisation of ethnic groups in a leading Sarawak English daily newspaper and a leading national English daily newspaper. The ethnic groups focused on were Malay, Chinese and Sarawak indigenous communities. The specific aspects examined were: (1) portrayal of ethnic groups in newspaper headlines, and (2) reactions to portrayal of ethnic groups by members of the same community. For the study, news reports and feature articles which make explicit mention of the name of the ethnic groups were analysed to identify the collocation of topics with ethnic groups, and subsequently to draw inferences on the discursive construction of ethnic identities by the newspapers. The characterisations of the ethnic groups were presented to members of the same ethnic group to elicit their reactions. Preliminary results indicate that the reactions were on a continuum of agreement to strong disagreement with the constructed identities of ethnic groups in Sarawak as portrayed in the selected English daily newspapers. The study tapped into the latent stereotypes held by various ethnic groups and brings forward a crystallisation of acceptable and unacceptable characterisation of ethnic identities.