Malaysian Lesbian’s Stress Level

ABSTRACTThis research focuses on Pengkid. It is a term or a slang used in Malaysia to refer to lesbians in the butch category. They are a group of individuals who are having non-traditional sexual orientation,in which they are sexually attracted to biologically-defined women. This research was conducted in order to focus on their sources and level of stress and a semi-structured interview schedule wasadministered with 25 pengkid participants from Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Participants were recruited through various methods including from Malaysian Pengkid official website and snowballing technique.Various challenges related to day-to-day life were reported by participants. However, financial problems, conflicts in work place or study place and conflictswith girlfriends have been identified as their main sources of stress. Since they are supporting families, girlfriends and themselves, they face financial problems almost every month. At the same time, having more expenses compared to their income also caused this problem. Findings show that Malaysian Pengkid does not face any kind of problems or stress because of their identity. Malaysia’s Pengkid seems to face the same problem that is faced by people with traditional sexual orientation and. They also do not have critical stress level and it is still manageable.Keywords: pengkid, lesbian, stress, life challenge

The Conceptualization and Operationalization of Cultural Tolerance: Adopting Positive Psychology Perspective

Tolerance is a concept commonly found in field of study such as sociology, political sociology, multiculturalism and liberalism, but not in positive psychology. This concept paper aims to conceptualize and operationalize cultural tolerance by adopting positive psychology perspective. It begins with reviewing past literatures on tolerance from various perspective and comparing the definitions, complexities, challenges and gaps. Through addressing the conceptual gaps of tolerance from various perspectives and taking into consideration the positive psychology philosophy and theories, a distinctive concept and operational definition of cultural tolerance from positive psychology are presented

An innovative social enterprise: roles of and challenges faced by an arts hub in a World Heritage Site in Malaysia

This research examines the roles of an arts hub in George Town, Malaysia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Operating largely as a social enterprise, it has fostered links between the local cultural sector, international arts actors, local communities, and tourists. But this innovative approach does encounter some challenges. This research employed a structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews with key persons, to understand the adopted management strategies and innovation practices. The arts hub has converted a derelict bus depot into an arts space serving both artists and local communities. This place-making effort has gained international acclaims for its innovations and community engagement. But it is a “meanwhile” space, precarious in nature due to land development threats as it is located at the edge of the old city centre, just outside of the world heritage site regulated zone. It also faces challenges in financial sustainability; further innovation in its business model is warranted particularly in revenue model innovation and partnership-building with the public sector and the tourism industry. The organisation is the focal point of an extended international and local art community in a mini-entrepreneurial ecosystem. It survives by finding innovative ways, taking some risks to obtain resources, retain and nurture talent, and reach out to the community. The research helps to provide a greater understanding of the potential roles and challenges faced by innovative social enterprises in the cultural and creative sector worldwide

Malaysian Lesbian’s Stress Level

ABSTRACTThis research focuses on Pengkid. It is a term or a slang used in Malaysia to refer to lesbians in the butch category. They are a group of individuals who are having non-traditional sexual orientation,in which they are sexually attracted to biologically-defined women. This research was conducted in order to focus on their sources and level of stress and a semi-structured interview schedule wasadministered with 25 pengkid participants from Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Participants were recruited through various methods including from Malaysian Pengkid official website and snowballing technique.Various challenges related to day-to-day life were reported by participants. However, financial problems, conflicts in work place or study place and conflictswith girlfriends have been identified as their main sources of stress. Since they are supporting families, girlfriends and themselves, they face financial problems almost every month. At the same time, having more expenses compared to their income also caused this problem. Findings show that Malaysian Pengkid does not face any kind of problems or stress because of their identity. Malaysia’s Pengkid seems to face the same problem that is faced by people with traditional sexual orientation and. They also do not have critical stress level and it is still manageable.Keywords: pengkid, lesbian, stress, life challenges</p

Attachment Styles, Perceived Stress and Social Support in a Malaysian Young Adults Sample

The purpose of this research was to examine the validity of an adult attachment style questionnaire, to understand the relationships between the type of attachment style in relation to self-perceived stress and social support, and to investigate the influence of gender, ethnicity and religion on the above constructs. The participants were 308 university students from Malaysia. A demographic questionnaire and three self-report inventories were administrated in this study. The data indicated that the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) is a multidimensional construct with nine factors: “dismissing,” “preoccupied with romance,” “preoccupied with close relationships,” “fearful,” “preoccupied with dependency,” “secure emotional,” ”comfortable depending,” “preoccupied with mistrust” and “mutual secure.” Different attachment styles were positively or negatively correlated at a significant level with perceived stress and social support. Attachment styles were explained by 20 and 33% of the total variance in self-perceived stress and perceived social support, respectively. There were significant gender, ethnic and religious differences in attachment styles, perceived stress and social support