Exploration of Malay Cultural Hybridity on TikTok Through Semantic Network Analysis

Benni Handayani, Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Nurzihan Hassim, Nurul Akqmie Badrul Hisham

Abstract


The digital space serves as a melting pot where various elements of cultures and discourses intersect, as also seen in contemporary Malay society. This study explores how traditional values and global influences shape Malay identity by analyzing 34,810 TikTok comments from 126 videos related to the keyword "Melayu." The data were analyzed using semantic network analysis (SNA) and the 3P framework: cultural products, perspectives, and practices. Data pre-processing was performed using Python on Google Colab. Term frequency was used to generate a co-occurrence matrix to examine semantic relationships with degree centrality and modularity analysis conducted via Gephi to identify themes manually. Results were analyzed and grouped using three frameworks: cultural products, cultural perspectives, and cultural practices. Findings define tangible and narrative hybridization of Malay identity in TikTok, as well as strengthening concepts of glocalization, memory ecologies, and third space by offering the concept of the transformation of cultural identity. This research demonstrates the usefulness of Semantic Network Analysis (SNA) in large-scale and unstructured social media datasets. Due to limitations of this research that focus solely on symbolic/narrative representations in social media, we suggest that future research conduct focus group discussions (FGDs) to understand the perceptions and challenges faced by Malays in shaping their identities in everyday lives.


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