Suatu Analisis Mengenai Peranan Media dalamPenyebaran Gaya Hidup Transeksual di Malaysia

An Analysis on the the Role of the Media in Spreading Transsexual Lifestyles in Malaysia

Abstract

Media plays a very important role in disseminating and promoting new lifestyles to the community. The frequency of a new lifestyle appearing in the print and electronic media causes new cultures to be easily accepted. This study analyzes the role of the media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, film and the internet in disseminating transsexual lifestyles among male university students. 30 male crossdressed students from a public institution of higher learning were studdied using face to face questionnaires, in-depth interviews, participant observations, chatting on the internet and diary writing. This study found that the majority of respondents gained information to dress and appear as women through magazines, televisions and the internet. Dramas and films that are attentive and sympathetic to the transsexual characters are of interest to them, while the transsexual characters that are portrayed as successful become their role models. In addition, famous female artists and models that regularly appear in the media become their idols in their attempt to appearbeautiful and stylish. This study concludes that the media is able to allow and promotenew cultures, including those opposed to the established, local socio-cultural values.This study contributes to the knowledge on the importance of the media in the spatialdiffusion of culture and lifestyles, or in this case, the transsexual lifestyle.