THE MALAYALEES OF SINGAPORE : LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND SOCIAL ORGANISATION

Abstract

This Academic Exercise is aimed at studying the changes in the language, religion and social organisation amongst Singaporean Malayalees. The Malayalees are people from the district of Kerala in South India. With the advent of British colonialism, Malayalees traveled far and wide seeking better opportunities in many parts of the world like Africa, Australia, Malaya and Singapore. The geographical displacement of the community has resulted in inevitable changes in the social organisation of the community. This study is intended to look into how the Malayalee community has negotiated its identity and endogamy in urbanised Singapore. The core areas that have been examined arc changes in language patterns, inter-ethnic marriages and the roles of voluntary Malayalee organisations. l have also attempted to examine how the state through its policies in education, housing, and system of social classification has inadvertently been strong factors in reshaping the idea of a sociolinguistic community.