Consuruction of Nationality and Ethnicity in Multi-ethnic State: Indian Diaspora in Malaysia

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03293
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology
• Research Institution: Kaichi International University
• Principal Investigator: KOGA MAYURI 開智国際大学, 国際教養学部, 准教授 (20782345)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: マレーシア / インド系移民 / ヒンドゥー寺院 / タミル語学校 / NGO

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The study on Hindu temples, Tamil Schools, and Indian advocacy NGOs in Malaysia revealed the following matters. Some temples in the estates were demolished and relocated by developers.　This caused the ethnic sense among Hindu communities and caused rival feelings between Muslim Malay and Hindu Indian. Some Tamil School were also demolished and relocated. It is not easy to protect and transmit Hindu culture. Indian activists and NGOs are working to protecting temples and schools to preserve Hindu culture. Malaysia Indian are divided into subgroup according to religion, language, and native place. They have identity as Malaysian Indian as well as particular ethnicity. They have rival feeling each other. To live with other ethnic group in Malaysia, they should unite and protect their culture and keep their ethnic identity as Malaysian Indian.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マレーシアでは1969年の民族対立以降、政府は民族問題を煽る報道を禁じ、「ワン・マレーシア」スローガンを打ち出し、多民族の融和をアピールしてきた。だが少数派のインド系や中国系は、マレー系中心社会で差別感や疎外感を感じ不満を抱いている。マジョリティであるマレー系住民の研究が多い中で、マイノリティのインド系コミュニティ側からの視点でエスニック問題を分析し、イスラーム社会の中でヒンドゥー教徒がいかにして伝統文化を保持し継承しているのかを明らかにした。またマイノリティの権利かまたマジョリティの権利かという公正性の問題点を提示し、自民族間の融合や他民族との文化の共有といった多民族共生の可能性を示唆した。