Exploring Multiculturalism in ‘The Weight of Our Sky’ by Hanna Alkaf among TESL pre-service teachers (Meneroka Isu Silangbudaya berdasarkan Sastera Hanna Alkaf ‘Disitu Langit Dijunjung’ dalam kalangan guru pelatih TES)

Azlina Abdul Aziz, Faiza Rostam Affendi

Abstract


One of the aspirations of the teaching of literature in English is to teach and promote ethics and values to students through literary texts by examining social cultural and political issues. In this study, we aim to examine the effectiveness of using ‘The Weight of Our Sky’ by Hanna Alkaf to interrogate multicultural issues. This novel is based on one of the darkest periods in Malaysian history, the 13th May 1969 racial riots. Since then, racial issues continue to be a concern and permeate our politics, culture, and social fabric. We examined interpretations of the text relating to multicultural issues of race and race relations by 48 Year 2 TESL student teachers from the Faculty of Education, UKM. This study employed a mixed methodology research, utilising questionnaire, and interview as instruments in collecting the data. The analysis of the data has yielded two main themes, a) the value of ‘TWOOS’ in terms of its i) multicultural values, lessons and conflicts, ii) multicultural themes, iii) multicultural characters, iv) multicultural settings, v) young adult related, and b) the relevance of TWOOS in discussing issues of multiculturalism. This study revealed the value of the novel by encouraging young adult readers to think deeply, be empathetic and be critical when discussing about the multicultural issues in our country.

Keywords: Multiculturalism, racial issues, English literature, The Weight of Our Sky.

Abstrak

Salah satu aspirasi pengajaran Sastera Bahasa Inggeris adalah untuk mengajar dan memupukkan etika dan nilai dalam kalangan pelajar melalui pembacaan teks sastera dengan meneliti isu sosial, budaya dan politik. Kajian ini bertujuan meneliti keberkesanan penggunaan ‘Disitu Langit Dijunjung’ hasil karya Hanna Alkaf bagi meneroka isu silangbudaya. Novel ini berdasarkan salah satu sejarah hitam bagi Malaysia iaitu rusuhan kaum 13 Mei 1969. Sejak ia berlaku,, isu perkauman masih menjadi kebimbangan dalam politik, budaya dan sosial Malaysia. Kajian ini meneliti tafsiran teks sastera berkaitan isu kaum dan hubungan perkauman oleh 48 pelajar Bahasa Inggeris sebagai Bahasa kedua dari Fakulti Pendidikan, UKM. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah campuran, dengan penggunaan soal selidik dan temuduga. Hasil kajian menunjukkan 2 tema utama, a) nilai teks sastera dari sudut i) nilai, ajaran dan konflik silangbudaya, ii) tema silangbudaya iii) karakter silangbudaya iv) persekitaran silangbudaya, v) kaitan dengan dewasa muda, dan b) relevan karya ini dalam membincangkan isu silangbudaya. Oleh it, hasil kajian menunjukkan nilai potensi novel ini sebagai pilihan teks untuk pembaca dewasa muda bagi menggalakkan pemikiran mendalam, sifat empati dan kritikal apabila membincangkan isu silangbudaya dalam negara kita.

Kata kunci: Silangbudaya; hubungan perkauman; Sastera Bahasa Inggeris; Disitu Langit Dijunjung.


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