MATRIC NO: 204289
QUESTION NO: 2
SUBJECT: NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICT RELATION (GFPP 2623)
“Invented Tradition” Of Eric Hobsbawm : Headgear “Songkok” and prayer (bacaan doa) as an invented tradition in Malaysia
According to Eric Hobsbawn (1983), state is the one that make sure the existence of the invented tradition and create sense of belonging among the citizens. This means that the government has the authority to choose the new invented tradition for the best of the states and citizens. The characteristic of the new invented tradition must create belief, value , histories, duty and symbols that eventually establish unique identity of the nation. Invented tradition also shows the symbol of the state such as Uncle Sam in United State ( Dr.Rie Nakamura’s slide). In Malaysia, headgear (songkok) and prayer (bacaan doa) shows government of Malaysia create a new invented tradition so that citizens feel the unity, patriotism, loyalty, belief, value, custom and their belongs to one nation not many nations. In this paper, firstly, I will explain about invented tradition, then, I will analysis about headgear (songkok) and prayer (bacaan doa) as an invented tradition in Malaysia.
The Oxford English defines “ tradition” is something that is passed down, from one generation to the next. According to Morrison (2003), transmission process defines tradition, when a piece tradition is passed on such as story to one person to another the tradition “improve” but the process usually a long one ( Morrison.2003.p.4). It shows that, tradition is changing and improve because tradition transmission process took a long time but its still have characteristic of original tradition. However, the definition according to Eric Hobsbawm, invented tradition are: “a set of practices, normally governed by overtly or tacitly accepted rules and of a ritual or symbolic nature, which seek to inculcate certain values and norms of behaviour by
References: Book, Journal and Slide Eric Hobsbawm.(1983).Introduction: Inventing Tradition ‘,and “Mass Producing Tradition: Europe, 1870 -1914. The Invention of Tradition,.ed.Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger Morrison.C.(2003).Culture at the core: Invented Traditions and Imagine community,part 1 Identity Formation.International Review of Scotish Studies.(vol.28.pp 3-21) Retrieved on 5 November, 2012.Retrieved from http://www.invented traditions/Imagine Studies.pdf. www.oxforddictionaryonline.com. Penyata rasmi Parlimen Malaysia (2003).Retrieved on 6 November, 2012 www.mirisarawak.com Federal Constitution in Malaysia (2010)