essay

If there were no Malays, who would the Semai be?

Pluralism in Malaysia: myth and reality (7)Published In 1975 • Pages: 50-64

By: Dentan, Robert Knox.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
The central consideration of this source is ”how Semai come to include some of their fellows as sen'oi hii' (“we people”) and to exclude others as mai (“they”)” (p. 50). In analyzing this question the author makes reference to the Semai grammar and counting systems and contends that a tripartite classification underlying these systems also underlies Semai world view and notions of ethnicity. The author concludes that Semai notions of “we people” are describable as a three-tiered extension of ego's self identity.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Identification
Behavior processes and personality
Population
Composition of population
Acculturation and culture contact
Cultural identity and pride
Settlement patterns
Interpersonal relations
Kin relationships
Behavior toward non-relatives
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Semai
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2012
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Asia
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Southeast Asia
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Gerald Reid; 1989
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1962-1963
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1962-1963
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Perak and Pahang, Malaysia
NotesAdditional notes
Robert Knox Dentan
Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-64)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
76366575
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Senoi (Southeast Asian people)