A SELF MORE REFINED: REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN IN THE MALAY MAGAZINES OF THE 1950s AND 1960s

Abstract

This exercise examines representations of women in Malay magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. I argue that the creation of stereotypical images of women had its ideologies, which reflected the socio-historical moments of the time. The tumultuous historical developments of the 1950s and 1960s in Malaya such as decolonisation through modernisation had created identity problems for the Malays. This thesis conveys what these moments signified to Malay women whose identity had been defined and redefined by the first and widely read fashion magazine of Malaya, Fashion. Whether they were Malay women, western women or others, the study reveals that women were modernisation's most subjected and most valuable assets. The representations within pages of these magazines made it even more acute for women to emulate them and perpetuate these in reality. On the other hand, representations allowed them to comprehend a present shaped by the dynamics of Malayan politics. Upon hindsight, through careful critique of the texts, the study provides an insightful perspective as to how representations play a potent role in shaping our mothers' social understanding of political struggles.