Zulkifli, Zulfati Izazi
(2021)
Understanding Colourism Through
Social Media Discourse (Twitter)
Among Malaysians.
PhD thesis, Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut.
Abstract
This research is designed to study the pervasiveness of colourism in Malaysia
through discourses on the subject of skin colour that subsist on social media. Colourism
is essentially defined as a prejudice or discrimination based on skin colour. Principally,
this thesis discovers the commonly subtle act of colourism in the society by
concentrating on the discursive strategies and linguistic devices implemented in their
digital discourse. To accomplish this, a theoretical framework composed of Computer-
Mediated Discourse and Discourse-Historical Approach is formulated. To strengthen
the interpretation of discourse, the analysis is supported by Sociocognitive Approach
and Representation Theory. A method of organising the presentation of data is adapted
from the construction of Thematic Analysis. The composition of data is achieved by
conducting a virtual fieldwork, followed by a convenience sampling method of data
collection performed on a social media site called Twitter. This is a qualitative research
that reveals the underlying ideology through the construction of language in
the discourse of skin colour. The findings from this study suggests that colourism is
evidently present in Malaysia. A number of themes arise from their discourse about
skin colour, predominantly on the subject of beauty, self-esteem, skin bleaching, and
gender bias. Their discourse is realised through discursive strategies such as nomination,
predication, and argumentation, along with constructive linguistic devices such
as deixis, rhetoric, and verbs of feelings
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