Search

This study aimed to examine the perceived effects of media exposure of body slimming advertisements on body dissatisfaction and the tendency for eating disorders in a sample of adult women in Malaysia. This study examined two aspects: (a) the level of media exposure to slimming advertisements (media exposure), and (b) the tendency of respondents to make body comparisons with models in slimming advertisements (media body comparisons). Participants were 419 young women (18 – 39 years old) living in Kuala Lumpur. Correlation coefficients showed that media exposure and media body comparisons were positively associated with body dissatisfaction and eating disorders tendency. The findings suggest that mass media play a role by providing slim images that young women in Kuala Lumpur tend to emulate and adopt western cultural ideals of body image and the desire for a thinner body type.

This study is aimed to explore the influence of Korean dramas on behavioural intentions toward South Korea among youth. A total of 547 samples were collected from Malaysian youth via online survey through social media. The results suggest that youth’s behavioural intentions toward South Korea is positively influenced by the viewing, likings of Korean dramas and attitude toward South Korea. The viewing and positive feelings toward Korean dramas are able to yield positive attitude toward South Korea. Furthermore, attitude toward South Korea is found out to be a partial mediator in the indirect effect of viewing and likings of Korean dramas. Implications of the study findings are discussed in this study.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose and develop a distinct perspective from the consumer culture theory in the context of Muslim consumers, marketing and the feminist theory. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a critical review of the literature for insights into the consumer culture theory in the context of Muslim consumers, Islamic marketing paradigm and the feminist theory. Findings The study suggests that scholars in the area of marketing may consider drawing on the theory of Islamic consumer culture, film and feminist theory. This theory can be used as a platform to understand the Muslim mind and the related cultural traits to create greater engagement and interest in Malaysian horror genres among local and international audience. The Malaysian local horror genres currently have an interesting blend of Islam, local culture and gender biases addressing the universal concept of good against the evil forces, and this has the potential of offering new experiences to especially international audiences. Research limitations/implications This study is purely theory-based and is aimed at knowledge development in this field of Islamic consumer culture. It also invites academics to engage in scholarly activities toward theory building in this area. Practical implications The study provides directions for areas of possible future research in Islamic marketing, consumer culture and film studies. Social implications This study intends to broaden the research efforts in Islamic consumer culture marketing in terms of innovative ways to serve this growing Muslim market. Originality/value This study contributes to the discipline by providing new perspectives in Islamic consumer culture inquiry in the context of film studies.

Violent video games have been linked to being one of the causes for increased aggressive behaviour and juvenile crimes in many developed and developing societies. This exploratory study investigates the effects of high income and gender on playing violent video games in Malaysia, and how it results in poor academic performance amongst secondary school children. This is a case study for other middle income nations in Southeast Asia, which also have strong Eastern cultural and religious beliefs. Contrary to earlier findings, the results indicated that boys from higher income backgrounds had a higher propensity for playing violent video games than adolescents from lower income backgrounds. The same effect though, is not manifested on adolescent girls. Nevertheless, playing violent video games was positively related to trait aggressive and negatively to academic performance in both the sexes. Our findings shed new light on socio-economic and demographic factors influencing violent video gaming, offering insights to both policy-makers and theoreticians in researching gaming effects.

This paper’s purpose is to link the Western concept of motivation and the Hindu principles of purushartha. We first examine how the Western model works and controversies surrounding it. We ...

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) came to the forefront when it submitted a memorandum to the British Government asserting its rights 1 , and subsequently organized a rally to submit its petition to the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The demonstration by 20,000 2 ethnic Indians from all walks of life was the first of its kind to be organized by Malaysian Indians. The rally shook the nation which later led to the electoral defeat of the Malaysian Indian Congress in the 12 th General Election of 8 March 2008, and subsequently none the better in the 13 th General Election held on May 20 2013. The mainstream Malay news media (Utusan Malaysia) owned by UMNO 3 , and considered a government propaganda tool had perceived the HINDRAF movement to be a threat to the nation. The objective of this paper is to discuss the stand taken by Utusan Malaysia in its objectivity in reporting Hindraf’s demonstration. This analysis is important as it was later admitted by the Malaysian government that Hindraf’s claims were valid.

KEYWORDS Herbal Benefit. Plant Extract. Tropical. Nutrient. Alternative Drug ABSTRACT Malaysian Indian plantation workers are economically deprived and suffer from malnutrition. This can be altered by consuming medicinal and nutritional herbs found aplenty in tropical Malaysia. The herb acalypha indica linn, or Indian nettle, which has high antioxidants, is of particular interest for Indian estate workers. Antioxidants in the plant help retard toxic free radicals found in the body. Considered an indigenous form of healthcare, consuming this plant on a regular basis has the potential to rejuvenate the health of the under-nourished Indian plantation worker.

KEYWORDS Social Behavior. Children. Women Divergent Thoughts. Mistreatment ABSTRACT What is deviant behavior? From a sociological perspective it is behavior that goes against the grain of social norms in society. It can be argued that a child which has seen domestic violence at home, or may have been abused may result in the child's deviant behavior when the child develops into a youngster. In that sense the study of communication takes into account this individualistic approach that characterizes the socio-psychological customs people possess. Although theoretical approaches have their own views, what is more important is the notion that they share a similar concern for behavior and for the personality traits and thinking processes that produce those behaviors. It can then be argued unequivocally a popular part of socio-psychological approach in the study of communication is with regards to character traits, which identifies personality variables and communicator inclinations that affect how individuals act and react. This leads us to the development of social learning in explaining deviant behavior, violence.