Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others

Representation of the disabled community is often associated with negative stereotypes. This negative connotation, among others, includes the difficulty of having a perfect life, being considered a burden, not having opportunities for romantic relationships, and being dependent on others. In the Mal...

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Main Author: Hani Salwah Yaakup
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2024
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/1/636_644%20764452554851PB.pdf
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author Hani Salwah Yaakup,
author_facet Hani Salwah Yaakup,
author_sort Hani Salwah Yaakup,
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Representation of the disabled community is often associated with negative stereotypes. This negative connotation, among others, includes the difficulty of having a perfect life, being considered a burden, not having opportunities for romantic relationships, and being dependent on others. In the Malaysian context, studies on the representation of disabilities through the media are still not extensive. The representation of these disabled is more prevalent on television programs. While in newspapers, the stereotype is maintained. At the same time, several locally produced films centered on this issue. Taking the problems mentioned as a basis, this study looks at the representation of the disabled in local films. This study uses a close reading method on 5 films which are Redha (Beautiful Pain) (2016), Pekak (2016), Guang (2018), MagiK (2023), and Abang Adik (2023). The findings reveal that while stereotypical representations persist, these films also highlight universal humanitarian issues and the talents and advantages of disabled characters. This new representation challenges existing stereotypes and offers a more nuanced view of disability. The study concludes that although there has been progress in portraying disabled characters in Malaysian films, further efforts are needed to ensure that media representations are inclusive and free from harmful stereotypes.
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:243312024-10-17T14:08:38Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/ Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others Hani Salwah Yaakup, Representation of the disabled community is often associated with negative stereotypes. This negative connotation, among others, includes the difficulty of having a perfect life, being considered a burden, not having opportunities for romantic relationships, and being dependent on others. In the Malaysian context, studies on the representation of disabilities through the media are still not extensive. The representation of these disabled is more prevalent on television programs. While in newspapers, the stereotype is maintained. At the same time, several locally produced films centered on this issue. Taking the problems mentioned as a basis, this study looks at the representation of the disabled in local films. This study uses a close reading method on 5 films which are Redha (Beautiful Pain) (2016), Pekak (2016), Guang (2018), MagiK (2023), and Abang Adik (2023). The findings reveal that while stereotypical representations persist, these films also highlight universal humanitarian issues and the talents and advantages of disabled characters. This new representation challenges existing stereotypes and offers a more nuanced view of disability. The study concludes that although there has been progress in portraying disabled characters in Malaysian films, further efforts are needed to ensure that media representations are inclusive and free from harmful stereotypes. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2024-07 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/1/636_644%20764452554851PB.pdf Hani Salwah Yaakup, (2024) Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others. e-Bangi Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 21 (3). pp. 636-644. ISSN 1823-884x http://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi/index
spellingShingle Hani Salwah Yaakup,
Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
title Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
title_full Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
title_fullStr Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
title_full_unstemmed Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
title_short Representation of disabilities in Malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
title_sort representation of disabilities in malaysian films: stereotypes, identities & the others
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24331/1/636_644%20764452554851PB.pdf