HELP Introspect

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Testing

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Peer Mentors

Peer Mentors is a society of senior peers who offer expertise and guidance to new and current scholars in Psychology, under the degree courses of the Department of Psychology in HELP University. However, Peer Mentors started off as us just being new students ourselves, trying to figure out and understand this course. There were so many questions for each of us back then: “What is APA style?” “What is a journal article?” “What is SPSS?” “What is a Winneesized paper?” “What is wrong?” “What is right?” Of course, many of us eventually found the answers to these questions and more but, often, many of us found ourselves asking newer questions every day. Thus, we felt that, if there was a willingness to share and impart what is known today, then there would be an ease in this journey we all share – that we are all experiencing anew. From this ideal, Peer Mentors exists as a way to nurture a culture of peers helping peers, and to have this culture continue here beyond our graduation as, together, we are scholars all the same – learning and understanding Psychology together.

In short, 1. Peer Mentors is a mentoring service provided by seniors.

2. Peer Mentors is here to guide and encourage.

3. Peer Mentors is not here to do your assignments for you(!), but we will guide you on: (a) how to approach assignments/research, (b) studying and understanding Psychology subjects/topics, and (c) facing certain challenges in/during academic life.

4. Peer Mentors is offering its service on a one-to-one basis and, sometimes, on a one-to-few basis and in a workshop format.

Remember: There is no shame in asking for help.

If you would like contact Peer Mentors, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to the Peer Mentor Coordinator ([email protected]).

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MIXED DEBATE

BY SAMANTHA CHLOE ANTHONY

Nature vs. Nurture Students vs. Lecturers

After a humorous exchange of views on the influence of nature versus nurture, the student team emerged victorious during the recent Psychology Mixed Debate.

The event saw a team of students; Natalie Lim, Joshua Yap, and Rubendran Arumugam pitted against our very own lecturers; Mr. Alex, Dr. Anasuya, and tutor, Victor Goh, in a debate that lasted nearly two hours. Be it to support a certain team or simply out of curiosity, a great number of people turned up for the debate. Held for the first time in over a year, attendees were treated to an entertaining display on the 16th of March.

Prior to the commencement of the debate, members of the student team could be seen with jitters abound as they prepared for the imminent face-off while the lecturers sauntered in shortly after. The announcement of the motion, “Nature has a greater influence on an individual than nurture” marked the start of the debate. The lecturers were to be in favour of the motion, while the students were made to be the opposition.

As Mr. Alex stepped up as the first speaker for the government, the discussion eventually turned to the subject of education. Although the nature versus nurture argument is one every psychologist is familiar with, both teams presented insightful points in favour of their respective causes. By the time Natalie delivered the opposition’s counter arguments, it was clear that the rest of the debate would be conveyed through analogies. References were made to fish, animals, seeds, and plants, even as Dr. Anasuya, Joshua, Victor. and Rubendran defended their stances.

Interjections from the debaters drew “oohs and ahhs” from the audience and more than a few laughs as the formal atmosphere ultimately dissipated.

While the lecturers were admittedly more seasoned debaters, as displayed by the confident manner in which they approached the discussion, what the students lacked in terms of experience, they made up for in their content. Evidently, a sentiment shared by the judges, they cited this as the deciding reason for the student team’s victory.

Despite Mr. Alex’s early departure, a bonus round took place with the motion, “Cohabitation should be encouraged after marriage”. In an interesting twist, the student team was to be in favour of the motion, and there was no longer an order for the speakers to follow. With less at stake this round, hilarity ensued as both teams threw caution to the wind and tried desperately to prove their points. Amidst the slew of arguments, even Joshua appeared confused and ended up agreeing with the opposing team, much to the amusement of everyone else. Aside from that, Natalie’s exuberance and Dr. Anasuya’s sharp wit were sources of even more laughs for the onlookers.

All in all, the debate ended amicably with both teams congratulating each other on their efforts. Thanks go out to the organisers of the debate for a well-executed event. Judging by the looks on everyone’s faces as they left, we look forward to attending more events such as this one in the future.

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A Night in Olympus

by Samantha Chloe Anthony & Sattya Shankary

As the clouds rolled out after a slight drizzle over Sunway Putra Hotel and the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, students and academic staff alike trickled into the hotel, all looking forward to a fun evening after months of anticipation as the academic year came to a close.

This year's annual ball, titled “A Night in Olympus”, saw those in attendance show up in an assortment of colours. In accordance with the theme, wreaths adorned the heads of many attendees and Greek-inspired outfits could be seen throughout the ballroom. Despite the slight delay in commencing the ball, a dance performance kicked off the event smoothly, followed by an amusing introduction by the emcees in makeshift togas. After a toast led by Dr. Goh and opening speeches from both the President and the Social Events Coordinator, the third year students were welcomed onstage for a cake-cutting ceremony.

Soon after, all attention turned towards the buffet line, which held everything ranging from fried food to pasta. The desserts, in particular, had one consider going back for more than just a second helping. Lined with an assortment of cakes and other sugary delights, the dessert table held the promise of a sweet finish to one's meal. The live instrumental music that accompanied dinner set the right mood and served as excellent entertainment as attendees indulged in their respective meals.

We were then treated to excellent performances by Mas Marlena and Ruben Puniyamurti. To add some humour and laughter to the night, the emcees hosted the popular American music television program usually played by celebrities (Spike Cable Networks, 2015), called “Lip Sync Battle”. A few students and Dr. Eugene were brought up to the stage. With their exaggerated and hilarious antics, Joshua Yap, Cedric Abel, Dr. Eugene, and a few other students made us all roar with laughter.

After, Bob and the Underdogs performed between intervals of a lucky draw, making the guests excited and at the edge of their seats. The night continued with a performance from the staff. Dr. Goh, Ms. Elaine Fernandez, Ms. Hannah, and Mr. James awed us with their spectacular performance which just left us students eager for more. Some students even slow danced on the dance floor, completely in the music.

With the night almost over, students were eagerly awaiting the results for a few awards to be released. The award for Best Dressed Female and Male were won by Farah Mazuini and Shafiq, respectively, while Joshua Yap won Prom King and Ashy Anil was awarded the title of Prom Queen. Meanwhile, the award for Best Club was awarded to Peer Support Group and Child Development Psychology Club.

The annual ball was slowly brought to an end with performances from Eddryll and his band as well by Isaac Ho. Students started approaching the dance floor again, either slow dancing with their partners or awkwardly dancing and laughing with their friends. It was indeed a fun night to remember and to cherish.

Reference

Spike Cable Networks. (2015). Lip Sync Battle. Retrieved from http://www.spike.com/shows/lipsync-battle

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Winds of Change

by Alex Lui An Lieh

Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher who lived in Ephesus just before the time of Socrates. Although you may not have heard of him, you have probably heard his saying that we can never step into the same river twice, as quoted by Plato in Cratylus. What he meant was that a river can never stay the same because the water that flows through it is always changing. So each time you step into a river, you are not stepping into the same water as you stepped in before. Essentially, Heraclitus believes that the universe is in constant change and nothing in this world remains the same.

We go through constant change ourselves. Except for our brain and eyes, the cells in other parts of our body renew themselves constantly. You get new taste buds every 10 days and the cells lining the inner surface of your lungs are probably about 2 to 3 weeks old. While physical growth is something that happens quite naturally based on our genetic makeup, psychological growth is something that is less well-determined and more within our control. In other words, we can choose what we become as a person.

Every day we are bombarded by changes around us. Some of these are rather inconsequential, such as the cat that crossed your path this morning - unless it happened to be black and you are quite superstitious. Others are more powerful in inducing a change in us. The most powerful ones are changes that come from the people around us. We are essentially social beings and our brain is wired in such a way that it instinctively responds to even subtle social cues. Newborn babies are already able to process faces and respond strongly to facial expressions long before they are able to recognise other objects.

One of the greatest challenges for us is dealing with people. Studying psychology puts you at an advantage because it helps you understand human behaviour more, both your own and others. In fact some of us chose psychology because we already have some personal issues in our lives that we hope can be solved by studying about human behaviour and mental processes. Some of these problems may be the result of unwanted changes that we experience in our lives. A loved one that had left us or will soon leave us. Someone’s behaviour that has changed for the worse. Something that did not turn out as we expected. You are hoping that psychology will help you deal with these changes.

One of the main premises of human behaviour is that our thoughts, emotions, behaviour, and body physiology are all interconnected. While we cannot always change the things that happen around us and the things that people say or do to us, we can change the way we think and behave in response to those changes. Sometimes that is all we need to do to help us cope. Instead of thinking of how we have been betrayed by someone we trust, we can be thankful that we found out about it and rid ourselves of the parasites in our lives. Instead of thinking how much we miss someone who was suddenly taken away from us, we can be thankful that we were given the opportunity to spend some moments of our lives and keep memories of that person with us. Instead of thinking of the mistakes we made in our lives, we can be thankful that we have learned so many ways of how not to mess up.

As psychologists, we know that we carry in us a powerful weapon in the form of words. We like to think that sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us, but we know from experience that we do get hurt by words. But the fact is, words can only hurt us if we allow ourselves to be hurt by them. If used in the right way, words can also heal. I am not only referring to things that people say about us but also to the things we tell ourselves. Sometimes we can be our worst enemy and hurt ourselves with our own words more than what other people say about us. There is power in choosing the right words at the right time to help us and others cope with the changes that happen around us.

A changing world requires us to be flexible and adaptable in the way we think, feel and behave. The ultimate purpose of education is to train and prepare us for our future that is uncertain and evolving. The skills and attitude we have as adolescents will not allow us to function well in an adult environment. Therefore, we cannot be the same person who first stepped into our first day in the university. However, what we become when we step out three or more years later depends on what we allow ourselves to become. Have we stepped up to every challenge and hardship that we faced? Then we may come out stronger and resilient. Have we met those challenges by blaming and complaining? Then we may come out bitter and not ready to face the harsh reality of the working world and adult relationships.

I remember one of my kids (referring to the children from the welfare home I used to work in) who was working in a fast food restaurant. His job was simply to take the chicken out from the freezer, arrange them in the wire basket and lower them into the cooking oil for deep frying. After many months doing the same thing, he began to feel that it was such a brainless and meaningless job. I asked him to look at the people coming to the restaurant, who were mostly families with children. Each one of those families had a story to tell as to why they were there. It could be someone celebrating her birthday. Or someone celebrating his winning goal after a football match or passing his exam with flying colours. “Now what would happen if the chicken you cooked was burnt and served to those people there?” I asked. Obviously, the joyous occasion would have been ruined. “Your job is not to cook chicken. Your job is to build happy families.” A change of perspective can change your heart, your attitude, and perhaps even change your life.

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Fun Facts about Malaysian Ethnicities by Megan Chow

Did you know? ✓ The Indian community prefers monetary gifts in odd numbers whereas even numbers are more sought after by the Chinese as they consider odd numbers as representing bad luck.

✓ The Malaysian Chinese population consists of a mix of dialect groups, such as Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese, Hainanese, Foochow, Teochew, and Puxian.

✓ Indian Muslims are considered as Bumiputra, which means "son of the soil" in Bahasa Malaysia.

✓ In hopes of receiving good lottery numbers from their deceased relatives, the Chinese are known to visit graveyards during the dead of night, bearing offerings for them.

✓ In Peninsular Malaysia, the indigenous people, or locally known as “Orang Asli” (literal translation for “original people” in Bahasa Malaysia), are divided into three main tribes which are the Negrito, Senoi, and Proto-Malay.

✓ “Dayak” is the general term for the natives of Borneo Island (Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei, and Indonesia’s Kalimantan); many Dayak men are said to have drilled a hole through their privates and inserted a “palang” (penile piercing in Iban).

✓ There are more than 40 sub-ethnic groups in Sarawak and 32 sub-ethnic groups in Sabah.

✓ Among the Iban community in Sarawak, a newborn baby, irrespective of the sex, is affectionately called “ulat” (“worm” in Bahasa Malaysia) before an official name is given.

References

Kwintessential. (2014). Malaysia - language, culture, customs and etiquette. Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/malaysia.html

Nadaraj, V. (2014). Nine Malaysia facts you probably didn’t know. Retrieved from http://www.aseantoday.com/2014/04/10-quirky-facts-probably-didnt-know-malaysia/

RandomHistory.com. (2015). 70 interesting facts about Malaysia. Retrieved from http://facts.randomhistory.com/malaysia-facts.html

Tourism Malaysia. (n.d.). People. Retrieved from http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/us/aboutmalaysia/culture-n-heritage/people

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Why Results Aren’t All That Matter

by Victor Goh

“Results are all that matter.”

As I protested against such a crude statement and sought clarification, I was told in no uncertain terms that “In life only results matter; all results…” As I pondered upon the response I got, that “in life, only results matter”, realisation dawned upon me. That is wrong. Morally wrong. Philosophically wrong. Fundamentally wrong. The evidence for this can be seen in our very world that we live in today.

Consider, for instance, the state of our current global economy; we are obsessed with the idea of increasing production and productivity, lured by the promise of increasing returns and yield, the ultimate result that we seek, and we have achieved that. We are at an age where human productivity and net worth are at levels our forefathers could only dream of, where each and every individual on average enjoys a degree of personal wealth unseen since the beginning of society – fantastic results. Yet, if the current economic climate is anything to go by, we have also reached a period of unprecedented economic instability, with banks facing cash risks, businesses facing liquidation, and ever-increasing bankruptcy rates in both corporate and personal levels – even countries! We have spent beyond our means, using money we do not have in chasing arbitrary results that have left us stranded – higher than we ever were before, but with no means to get back down – and utterly failing to see that in the process of chasing the result which we still have not defined, we have already achieved much more than what was needed.

We see this politically as well, where several parties – in the interest of self-preservation – separated and segregated the ethnicities in a society that was once inclusive in order to maintain power (and they have maintained power for close to six decades), once again a fantastic result. Yet, today, we face a society of Malaysians more fractured than ever, distrusting and being sceptical about each other and keeping to their “own”, where ethnicity and religion are seen as reasons enough to distrust another, rather than causes for which we can celebrate with one another.

Perhaps the greatest lesson (probably not yet) learnt came under the rule of Chairman Mao of Communist China, where in his efforts to push the nation towards one of higher income, status, and productivity (results) through the Great Leap Forward, he initiated a series of cascading events that ultimately resulted in the loss of lives of millions of his own people. China is today, one of the nations with the most powerful economy in the world – a fantastic result – though the process of it left much to be lamented, as more Chinese citizens died in those efforts carried out during a time of peace than were killed in the World War directly preceding it.

President Barack Obama, in his inauguration speech mentioned that we must not just ask, “Is it profitable?” but rather, “Is it right?”. When results become “all that matter” in life, we stop asking the latter, but focus entirely on the former. “What can get me the best results in the shortest possible time?” As social scientist Daniel Gilbert puts it, “When our ambitions are unbounded, we are motivated to lie, to cheat, to steal, to hurt others, and to sacrifice things of real value. We’re reckless, and we’re cowardly.” The means does not matter when results are everything. However, when our ambitions toward results are bounded and tempered by the knowledge that results are not the end-game, we’re just, we’re prudent, and we’re principled.

Psychologist Barry Schwartz further highlights the dangers of appealing solely to outcomes and results instead of also appreciating the process, noticing that the questions people ask themselves change from, “What are my responsibilities?” to “What serves my interests?” As he makes in a poignant statement, a focus only on the final results demoralises work in the two senses of that word: It causes people who engage in the activity to lose morale, and it causes the activity itself to lose morality. Moral skills and moral will to do what is right by others is washed away in the relentless waves of pursuit of results, and we sell our souls to the highest bidder.

Perhaps the simplest illustration of the importance of focusing not just on results is told in a modern Chinese parable, where an acolyte was instructed to get the raw materials needed for tea. She was to ascend the mountain to collect the morning dew at precisely 6.45am, any earlier and the dew would be contaminated from the previous night’s dust, any later, and the dew would have evaporated. She was then required to go to the foot of the valley to obtain fresh pinewood from the woodcutter – if the wood was left out for too long it would lose its scent when burnt, so she had to get it fresh. She was then required to light a fire with the wood she obtained, boil the mountain dew from the morning, and steep the tea leaves for an exact 2.5 minutes. Having completed her chores, she took the cup of tea to her master and as she walked up the hill, reflected upon the beauty of the morning she had just experienced, the freshness of the scent of pinewood she had lit, and the hard work of the woodcutter so early in the morning. As she sat at the table, she realised that the master had beside him an electric kettle and tea already boiled. As he poured her a cup and told her to try both cups of tea, the acolyte said in surprise and annoyance, “They taste exactly the same! Why did I have to do everything that you told me to do when an electric kettle and a pre-made tea satchel would give me the same result?” The master simply replied, “Because, my child, the electric kettle and pre-made tea would not have given you the same appreciation.”

Results are important. We need a way to measure progress; and measuring the outcome of something is one of the easiest ways to do it. However, when the final outcome becomes all that matters, we lose sight of the process through which we journeyed, exchanging a lifetime of living for the one final moment of realising that we lived. The beginning and final result of all people is easily seen in the two dates on the headstone of our graves, but never forget that it is the little dash in between that makes all the difference.

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Racing for the Races by Thanusha Ravindran

Racism is a matter of growing concern amongst nations. Far from being a social pandemic restricted to one or two countries, the moral disease of racism spans communities, countries, and even continents. Racism consists of ideologies and practices that seek to justify or cause the unequal distribution of privileges and rights among different ethnic groups (Holston, 2011). Modern variants are often based on social perceptions of biological differences, such as skin color, between these individuals or groups of them (Smedley & Smedley, 2005). These perceptions can affect one’s social actions, practices, staunch beliefs, and political systems in the form of ranking ethnicities where one ethnicity is perceived to be inherently superior or inferior to another (Smedley & Smedley, 2005). This ranking system is, more than often, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities (Bonilla-Silva, 1997).

Some questions regarding the definition of racism concern 1) Forms of discrimination that are unintentional, such as making assumptions about the preferences or abilities of others based on racial stereotypes, 2) Inclusion of symbolic or institutionalised forms of discrimination, such as the circulation of ethnic stereotypes through the media, and 3) Inclusion of socio-political dynamics of social stratification that, sometimes, have a racial component. At the core of any working definition of racism is the unspoken element of fear (Babacan, Gopalkrishnan, & Babacan, 2009). People around the world all belong to one human race; they share the same tendencies for fear, domination, and subjugation (Babacan, 2009). Hence, inevitably, racism is a worldwide issue. Historically, racism was a major driving force behind the transatlantic slave trade (Klein & Hogendorn, 1992). It was also a major force behind racial segregation, especially in the United States of America during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and in South Africa during the apartheid period. 19th and 20th century racism in Western culture is particularly well-documented and constitutes a reference point in studies and discourses about racism (Richmond & Valtonen, 1994). Racism has played a role in genocides such as the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, and colonial projects like the European colonisation of the Americas, Africa, and Asia (Melson, 1996). Indigenous people have been and are still subject to racist attitudes (Paradies, Harris, & Anderson, 2008). The current Islamophobia perpetuating around the globe also acts as the latest and most prevalent form of racism today (Poynting & Mason, 2007).

In every form of racism, there is always the presence of an in-group and an out-group. Years of research have shown that in-group chauvinism - attributing positive traits to one’s own group and negative traits to other groups - comes almost naturally to everyone, which begs the question if this natural favoritism may be the driving force behind racism (Wetherell, 1996). The social identity theory aids in conceptualising this phenomena with more clarity. Social identity is the portion of an individual's self-concept that is derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Social identity theory then postulates that certain intergroup behaviours can be predicted on the basis of perceived group status differences, and the legitimacy and stability of those status differences (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). While associating themselves with their in-group traits, a sense of superiority also develops (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). These superior thoughts which people develop towards their group pave the path towards ethnocentrism which is defined as judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture, generally regarding others with a negative connotation (Grant & Brown, 1995).

These aforementioned theories may explain the rise of racism in the given examples of racial issues around the world. More than often, both subtle discriminatory acts or overtly racist behaviours always result in a negative outcome - people are hurt by verbal exchanges, employment opportunities are bound by racial restrictions, and, on a larger scale, even wars occur. The irony of the situation is that we do not like being discriminated against, especially for reasons pertaining to our ethnicity or biological makeup, which incorporate elements that are outside our locus of control. However, just how many of us are also guilty of discriminating against others of who are different from us in subtle or explicit ways?

References

Babacan, H., Gopalkrishnan, N., & Babacan, A. (2009). Situating Racism: the local, national, and the global. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Bonilla-Silva, E. (1997). Rethinking racism: Toward a structural interpretation. American Sociological Review, 465-480.

Grant, P. R., & Brown, R. (1995). From ethnocentrism to collective protest: Responses to relative deprivation and threats to social identity. Social Psychology Quarterly, 195-212.

Holston, J. (2011). Contesting privilege with right: the transformation of differentiated citizenship in Brazil. Citizenship Studies, 15(3-4), 335-352.

Klein, M. A., & Hogendorn, J. (1992). The Atlantic slave trade: effects on economies, societies and peoples in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. J. E. Inikori, & S. L. Engerman (Eds.). Duke University Press.

Melson, R. (1996). Paradigms of genocide: The Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, and contemporary mass destructions. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 156-168.

Paradies, Y., Harris, R., & Anderson, I. (2008). The impact of racism on Indigenous health in Australia and Aotearoa: Towards a research agenda (p. 38). Darwin: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health.

Poynting, S., & Mason, V. (2007). The resistible rise of Islamophobia Anti-Muslim racism in the UK and Australia before 11 September 2001. Journal of Sociology, 43(1), 61-86.

Richmond, A. H., & Valtonen, K. (1994). Global apartheid: Refugees, racism, and the new world order. Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees, 14(6).

Smedley, A., & Smedley, B. D. (2005). Race as biology is fiction, racism as a social problem is real: Anthropological and historical perspectives on the social construction of race. American Psychologist, 60(1), 16.

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Wetherell, M. (Ed.). (1996). Identities, groups and social issues (Vol. 3). New York: Sage Publications.

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Interview with Ms. Evone

by Sab Maureen

When I asked Ms. Evone to describe herself in one sentence, her answer was: “I cannot be contained in one sentence.” After the interview, I realized that she was right.

Ms. Evone Phoo has been a lecturer at HELP University for almost a year. She used to work in the banking sector, but then soon realized that she wanted to make the leap to the field of psychology.

One thing that I noticed during the interview was that Ms. Evone did not relate to me as a lecturer, but rather she treated me like a friend and the interview was more like a friendly chat.

What has your HELP experience been like so far? I’ve enjoyed myself so far. And as time goes by, I can feel the sense of responsibility as an educator and lecturer.

How do you start your day? I want to say like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels—you wake up and start dancing to a song. But unfortunately, it is not like that [laughs]; sometimes, I wake up and wonder what day it is. And I will have questions like, “Do I have an appointment with anyone?” or “Did I oversleep?” And of course, with a cup of coffee.

What do you do for fun? What's “fun”? [laughs] I mean, please define fun. For me, it is something that makes you feel relaxed. Like sometimes after a heavy day, I will go to a quiet cafe and just enjoy the silence. And also, I enjoy listening to soundtracks.

What is the hardest thing about being a lecturer?                              Other than the workload… [laughs] I think, really, it’s the pressure of being an educator. I have to figure out ways to teach the students because not all students learn the same way. Also, the responsibility that comes with it. And the amount of preparation that is needed for a class, because as much as we know the subject matter, there will always be new things that we have to keep up with and be prepared for.

This issue’s theme is ethnic discrimination. What are your thoughts on this subject? Well, we can talk about it from social or evolutionary perspectives, but we have to understand why ethnic discrimination occurs in the first place. There are many reasons and one of them is because of uncertainty. Sometimes, human beings just want the certainty from putting people into categories. When you and I talk about people from other ethnic groups, it makes you and I a “clan” and them outsiders—which it makes it so much easier for us to detach from them. I think it is important to look beyond the group they belong to, and see a person as a person, with a life story and consciousness like you and me.

Okay, we will end this interview with a game, “Would you rather?” Would you rather... 1. Always have to say everything on your mind or never be able to speak again? I think I would say whatever is on my mind.

2. See into the future or change the past? I think I’d choose to see into the future. I want to see what the world is going to look like in 1000 years.

3. Have the ability to fly or read people’s minds? To read people’s minds. I think it would be interesting to really know what they are thinking about. Also, to finally fulfill the myth that we psychologists can read minds.

4. Give up coffee or chocolate? Oh, that’s easy, I can give up chocolate. But currently, I am trying to reduce my coffee intake [laughs].

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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If you had one superpower…

by Kiirtaara Aravindhan

So, I watched Batman vs Superman, and it was…okay, no spoilers! Anyway, it got me thinking about a superpower I wish I had: Hmm, the ability to pause, fast forward, and rewind time! I also asked around and these are the responses that some gave me:

“To be able to read and influence other people’s minds like how Professor X is able to do, because it is so cool!” Tunku Maisarah, Year 2 Student

“Telekinetic power like that of Jean Grey’s! Because when I want to escape, I can just fly away! I'm not held down by responsibilities. It is also practical because when I have too much work to do, I can multitask and move things as I wish. The ability to read minds will save my time from people who are not worthy of my time, like the two-faced ones.” Boo Charlotte, PSG Vice President

“Invisibility. It gives me the opportunity to escape from society and allows me to observe people up close.” Rubendran A/L Arumugam, PSU President.

“I would like to learn 10 more superpowers. I do not have an exact superpower that I would like to have now, so this superpower is so versatile that in the future when I need one, I will pick one.” Lim Jun Ian, Year 1 Representative

“Destruction, because why not?” Raeshana, Year 2 Student

“I want to be GOD (laugh out loud)“ Wei Yang, Year 2 Student

“I want to be able to educate people.” Sally Kon, Year 2 Student

“I would like the ability to fly and understand any language in the world, including animal language because it’s awesome!” Claudia Chan, Year 2 Student

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SAME-SAME / SAMA-SAJA

by Andrea Chew

Malaysia is a country that is made up of many ethnicities, including a generation of people of mixed ethnicities due to inter-ethnic marriages. We find all kinds of hashtags on social media portraying the mixed-ethnicity community: #chindian #nyonya #biracial #mixedrace #cinabhai #eurasian #limitededition, just to name a few. It is fascinating when our friends of mixed ethnicities try to explain their heritage to others of a single ethnicity, which often ends up in either confusion or amazement. Here are a few responses from our multi-ethnic students:

What is your heritage?

Angley Foo - Chinese + Dusun

Anonymous - Chinese + Indian + Portuguese

Asther Sarge Kaur - Chinese + Punjabi + Siamese

Idayu Izreen - Chinese + Malay

Josiah Ng - Chinese + Indian

What is the best part of growing up in a multi-ethnic family?

“I really love my name because it makes me unique and when I meet other Eurasians, we're like "Hey, gang!" That's one of my other joys about being mixed; finding others just like you, ‘cause we're like limited edition. It gets really exciting especially during festivals - there are so many different people, different skin colours, and everyone is just happy to be together during the holidays.” - Anonymous

“Being able to understand and experience both races’ cultures.” - Idayu

“The food at home - enjoying both Chinese and Indian food.” - Josiah

“I am exposed to more diverse cultural experiences and I feel that it makes me a lot more open towards people of different races.” - Angely

Are there any challenges being a person of mixed heritage in Malaysia?

“Language. I speak mainly English and my parents do not speak any other language. There was once a Chinese lady who spoke to me in Cantonese and when I told her I couldn’t speak Cantonese, she gave me a very dirty look and said, "You are not Chinese meh? Why can't you speak?" I told her I was mixed and she still insisted that as long as I was mixed with Chinese, I should be able to speak. I did learn some Mandarin growing up but I don't really speak it anymore - except to my grandmother sometimes - and I'm kind of rusty so when I speak in front of friends, they tend to make fun of me, which is really annoying and embarrassing. At times, I fit right in but I feel left out at the same time. When I go out with both my Malay and Chinese friends, I just feel like I don't really belong. So it's like you belong everywhere but nowhere all at once.” - Anonymous

“I always consider them beneficial.” - Angely

“I don’t have a stand because Malays wouldn't quite accept me being half Chinese, and Chinese wouldn't quite accept me being half Malay.” - Idayu

“Yes... writing my race on forms - there should be a Chindian option.” - Josiah

Do you practice a combination of traditions from your mixed heritage?

“Food - From eating Chinese dishes with chopsticks to eating banana leaf with my hand, I eat it all. When my grandparents cook, they cook their own authentic culture food. So I've had the privilege to eat some real Portuguese food as well, not just Nando's.” - Anonymous

“Our ‘pantang-larang’ (superstitions and taboos).” - Idayu “In my case, both my parents are Christian so we only follow Christian traditions and there’s no mixing of other religious traditions.” - Josiah

“For me it's the Sabah culture. For example, when we have festivals or parties or any sort of gathering, it’s more like a Sabah thing rather than a particular race.” - Angely

“Marriage traditions - my cousin who is mixed Siamese and Punjabi recently got married and we did the Punjabi way of sending away the bridegroom, and a Siamese marriage.” - Asther

Do check out other amazing mixed-ethnicity stories on www.samesame.my.

[helpintrospect]

Child Abuse

by Sattya Shankary

Nur Zuliana Zaara, a five-year-old girl was found suffering from severe trauma after being tortured by her stepmother for the past two years. Nur Zuliana had old and new scars on her body, suffered from malnourishment and a total of 13 broken bones on her body, including her backbone and fractures on her hips, arms, and thighs. The victim’s stepmother and biological father has been detained to help with the investigation (Muhafandi Muhamad, 2015).

A study has shown that children of abuse are rarely subjected to only one type of abuse at a given time, as they usually suffer from poly-victimisation (physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect); however, the effects of these types of abuse to a child is rarely studied and investigated (Beck, Palic, Andersen, & Roenholt, 2014).

One of the most common types of abuse faced by children is emotional abuse, where parents show their aggression through shouting, intimidation, and manipulation (Adults Surviving Child Abuse [ASCA], 2016). Children who become victims to emotional abuse not only suffer from mental health problems and difficulties in personal relationships, but also have a tendency to exhibit a range of complex psychological and psychosocial problems.

Apart from that, a survey showed that 2.4% of children in America have been physically abused (i.e., kicked, bitten, punched, scalded, or threatened or attacked with a knife or gun) by their parents while 8.5% of children have been hit with an object by their parents (ASCA, 2016). Consequently, victims of physical violence are generally more vigilant and distrustful, as well as, attempt to control and predict other people’s behaviour by being more dominant and aggressive. These children are also vulnerable to overwhelming emotional responses to everyday situations (ASCA, 2016).

Another common type of abuse, known as sexual abuse, involves an adult engaging in a sexual act with a minor, or exposing the minor to inappropriate sexual material (ASCA, 2016). Child sexual abuse is especially complicated because of its many layers of guilt and shame (Smith & Segal, 2016). These feelings arise because victims of abuse tend to constantly blame themselves for being submissive, or for not reporting the incident to someone. The statement “It’s not your fault” does not ease the feeling of shame or humiliation for these children, as they perceive that they brought the abuse upon themselves by ‘enticing’ their abusers, either by the way they dress or act (Engel, 2015). Sexual abuse can have detrimental effects on a victim’s mental health and as a result, they tend to have a history of eating disorders, depression, substance abuse, and suicidality (ASCA, 2016).

With human trafficking becoming a salient issue, the term ‘organised sexual abuse’ is becoming popular, being defined as the range of circumstances in which multiple children are subject to sexual abuse by multiple perpetrators (ASCA, 2016). Under these circumstances, children are subject to a range of harmful acts including child prostitution, the manufacture of child pornography, and bizarre and sadistic sexual practices including ritualistic abuse and torture (ASCA, 2016). Consequently, these children tend to suffer from severe trauma and dissociative symptoms, are often withdrawn from their environment and have strong suicidal ideation. It is important to note that, in most cases, the abused child goes through poly-victimisation. Thus, these children also tend to develop dissociative identity disorders and other spectrum disorders, which can lead to suicide attempts and self-harming behaviours (ASCA, 2016).

What do you do when an abused child discloses his/her deepest and darkest secret to you? Firstly, you should avoid denial and remain calm (Smith & Segal, 2016). Do not show that you are in shock or that you are disgusted as this might cause the child to shut down, where the child will repress or ignore their feelings and emotions; always be calm and reassuring. Secondly, do not interrogate. Encourage the abused child to explain the incident in their own way, and avoid asking leading questions because it might confuse the child (Smith & Segal, 2016). Thirdly, always reassure them that they did nothing wrong. Tell them that what has happened to them is not their fault and they should not feel guilty (Smith & Segal, 2016). Lastly, safety always comes first when dealing with an abused child. If you suspect that your safety or the safety of the child is being threatened, inform the police (Smith & Segal, 2016).

So, what actions can be taken if you suspect that a child is being harmed or abused? Do not hesitate to contact Childline at 15999 and report your suspicions to the authorities so that they can help to protect the child. It is highly encouraged that you provide some information during your report such as, the location, the type of abuse, and possibly the identity of the abused, so that the authorities do not have to waste their resources in locating the child (Unicef, n.d.).

In conclusion, it is wise to remember that displacing your anger and frustrations on a child is morally and ethically wrong. Remember that every action bears a consequence, and though the repercussions are not immediately visible, they are still detrimental to the well-being of the child in the long run. Hence, if you have the opportunity to help an abused child – be it by lending an ear or by reporting the incident – please do not hesitate, as even a small, ‘unimportant’ step could help a victim of abuse.

References

Adults Surviving Child Abuse. (2016). Types of child abuse. Retrieved from http://www.asca.org.au/WHAT-WE-DO/Resources/General-Information/Types-of-child-abuse

Beck, N., Palic, S., Andersen, T. E., & Roenholt, S. (2014). Childhood abuse types and physical health at the age of 24: Testing health risk behaviors and psychological distress as mediators. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 23(4), 400-413. doi:10.1080/10926771.2014.892047

Engel, B. (2015). Healing the shame of childhood abuse through self-compassion: The compassion cure. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-compassion-chronicles/201501/healing-the-shame-childhood-abuse-through-self-compassion

Muhafandi Muhamad. (2015, June 29). Child abuse: Father, stepmother remanded. Astro Awani. Retrieved from http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/child-abuse-father-stepmother-remanded-64150

Smith, M., & Segal, J. (2016). Child abuse and neglect: Recognizing, preventing, and reporting child abuse. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect.htm

Unicef. (n.d.). Report abuse: Do you care enough to stop child abuse? Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/campaigns_getonboard-report-child-abuse.html

[helpintrospect]

Types of Students

by Viven Then, Bob Lim, Melanie Mok

1. The ACE – The Golden Apple, the Strawberry + Icing on the Cake, the Mr/Ms. Popular.

2. The Sleeper – “What? We have a briefing?! What?? We have an English proficiency test? WHAT???”

3. The Quiet One – Like seriously please don’t notice me. I like being quiet. It’s cosy here in my bubble.

4. The Loud One – Sometimes the dominating one, anyone probably knows when they make their grand entrance to anywhere.

5. The Fabulous One – That one person that has a great sense of style and get heads turning but probably goes “Hmmmm, what should I wear tomorrow?” the night before or even, days ago!

6. The Loner – The one that’s often seen wandering places alone. Not to be confused with the Quiet One as the Quiet One has a group of friends.

7. The Vulnerable One – “I’m shy so someone please, please, please try to include me so I can enjoy my university life as well.”

8. The Stoner – Sometimes seen with a shisha pen (I think) and a faraway gaze. Either that or they easily daydream and forget about what’s going on.

9. The “I-think” – Commonly speaks in the language of the ‘I’ but abuses it all the time (e.g. I think you people should…).

10. The Always-Hungry – Come on, people. Admit it, we’re ALWAYS hungry :D

11. The Always-Hungry but… – Friend: “Jom, MAKAN!! (Let’s EAT!!)”

     You: “But, what to eat?“ / "But I lazy walk lah” / “But I no money lah.”  

12. The Flash – Only appears during the first few days of lectures and exams.

[helpintrospect]

Gender Egalitarianism

by Ifyani Hazirah Mohammad

Feminism in psychology began in the 1960s by describing women’s motivations as focused only on marriages and childbearing, as well as characteristics such as “childlike” and “dependent”. Much has changed since then with varying research on the psychology of women and gender, such as maternal employment, stress and well-being, sexual harassment, sexism, and violence against women. People who identify themselves as feminists advocate equal rights for women with regards to current political, social, and economic inequality in comparison with men as the goal of feminism (Eagly, Eaton, Rose, Riger, & McHugh, 2012). Some societies have achieved higher equality over the years although it is still far from ideal. Different societies worldwide differ in the levels of equal gender rights or gender egalitarianism in aspects such as education, employment, and marriage, which are discussed further here.

Equal opportunities in employment is an important aspect of the gender equality issue. Gender egalitarianism is positively related to economic development (Kalmijn, 2013) wherein a shift of attitude was seen in labour force participation in modern societies within the past few decades. Female participation in the Asian labour force is growing although women with children tend to “let go” of their supportive egalitarian gender roles compared to the male parent, especially when men are the breadwinner. For example, there is an incompatibility between the roles of working and childbearing for women in Japan; in contrast, Singapore expects women to actively work and be traditional mothers and wives at the same time (Yap, 2009, as cited in Boehnke, 2011). Supportive gender role attitudes are found to be higher in Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands as compared to Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Mexico, and Japan (Boehnke, 2011). In the U.S., few women get to the top in the higher education sector and are underrepresented amongst the population of American CEOs, making up only 23% of the populace (Chin, 2011).

Education is deemed to be a crucial factor in building an egalitarian gender role society. Higher education is thought to be associated with better gender egalitarianism due to greater exposure to equal rights ideas (Boehnke, 2011), however this relationship differs across countries. For example, Japan promotes quality education and adopts an egalitarian process to education but still has a traditional gender role orientation. Meanwhile, Singapore provides high quality education with an anti-egalitarian approach (Cummings & Bain, 2014), but is only ranked 59th out of 142 countries in terms of gender gap, without much changes the past years (Yahya & Tan, 2014). The Finnish generally hold similar gender role attitudes regardless of education background, whereas in Austria, those with higher education levels hold more egalitarian attitudes compared to those without much education (Boehnke, 2011).

Men and women also hold different power positions in marriage, often influenced by cultural or religious factors. Power status can be seen when one spouse seems more dominant than the other in making decisions. Malaysian women are primarily responsible for household tasks while men dominate in decision-making areas related to child care, family finances, and social activities. A non-egalitarian gender role preference in the general Malaysian population thus limits marital power changes in these households, although this is influenced by external egalitarian religious and cultural ideology as well as resources such as income (Kaur, 2011).

To conclude, gender egalitarianism supports equal rights for both men and women, combating the prevalence of existing gender imbalances in society. Current gender role attitudes have improved since the past decades toward a more gender egalitarian orientation although attitudes still differ by country. The existing gender gaps can be further filled by striving for improved educational, employment, and socio-political systems so as to achieve a greater balance between the genders in everyday living.

 References

Boehnke, M. (2011). Gender role attitudes around the globe: Egalitarian vs. traditional Views. Asian Journal of Social Science, 39(1), 57-74. doi:10.1163/156853111X554438

Chin, J. L. (2011). Women and leadership: Transforming visions and current contexts. Forum on Public Policy Online, 2, 1-12.

Cummings, W., & Bain, O. (2014). Educational quality and egalitarian educational structures: A multi-nation multi-variate analysis. ESJ, 8(0), 33-48. doi: 10.7571/esjkyoiku.8.33

Eagly, A. H., Eaton, A., Rose, S. M., Riger, S., & McHugh, M. C. (2012). Feminism and psychology: Analysis of a half-century of research on women and gender. American Psychologist, 67(3), 211-230. doi: 10.1037/a0027260

Kalmijn, M. (2013). The educational gradient in marriage: A comparison of 25 European countries. Demography, 50(4), 1499-1520. doi: 10.1007/s13524-013-0229-x

Kaur, P. (2011). Norms, resources and marital power: A study of Sikh households in Malaysia. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 37(2), 263-278.

Yahya, Y., & Tan, M. (2014). The global gender gap: Here's how Singapore compares to the rest of the world. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/business/the-global-gender-gap-heres-how-singapore-compares-to-the-rest-of-the-world

[helpintrospect]

You are not alone

by Dr. Cameron

As part of my PhD study, I attended several postgraduate workshops: "Critical Thinking Skills", "Writing a Literature Review", "Planning Your Masters or PhD", and so on. They were very much about how to get work done, tools that we could make use of, and handy tips like "write notes about each paper you read and put them in EndNote". What I wish they had told me, and what I feel should be in every university's resources for postgraduates, is how to cope with a PhD. Things like how to stay motivated, how to do self-care, making sure you socialize and don't become isolated... and to stop feeling stupid and hating yourself.

I remember sitting on the data of one study for two weeks, staring blankly at the SPSS screen and statistics books, petrified of having to admit to my supervisors that I had no clue what to do with this data. The thought that a PhD candidate would have to ask such a basic question was embarrassing, and it was not the last time I would question the worthiness of my candidacy.

There's a name for this self-doubt that is rampant in postgraduate students - Impostor Syndrome. The belief that I and I alone amongst my fellow postgraduate candidates, had made it in on sheer chance, a fluke, and was actually seriously unfit and out of place amongst the other, wickedly intelligent beacons of academia. Everyone else sounded like they were doing fantastically on their Masters or PhD, plugging along with designing, running, analyzing, writing, etc. I felt like a child playing dress-up in mommy's clothes and trying to pretend I was on the same level as everyone else.

But I was not alone. Another woman in my department was doing her PhD at the same time as I was, and in fact we graduated with our PhDs in the same ceremony. She was the epitome of a 'wickedly intelligent beacon of academia'. She was happy, bubbly, energetic, razor sharp, and seemingly on-the-ball with everything in her PhD. One day, towards the end of the last year of our studies, she told me that she had broken down sobbing in her lab so many times, her male labmate (a huge lunk of a guy who would not look out of place in a rugby uniform) had stocked up on boxes of face tissue in preparation for comforting her. It marked the moment when I realized that not everyone who seemed like they had it perfectly together actually did. If somebody as amazing as she (and she was and is amazing) could feel so lost, then maybe it wasn't so unusual for me to feel lost too.

After the two weeks of staring at my data while making mumbling noises and giving tight smiles to my supervisor's casual queries on my progress, I finally decided to own up. I marched myself to his office, took a deep breath, and said, "I don't know what to do with this data. Please help me." I was prepared for heavy sighs, a disbelieving stare, an incredulous scolding. What I was not prepared for, and what actually happened, was that my supervisor looked up from his computer and said, "Sure!" Then he came to my workstation and basically told me what buttons to press on SPSS. That was how dumb I felt, and that was how gracious and kind he was. It lifted a huge weight off my shoulders to know that he was willing to help me, and I felt more comfortable asking for help in other areas, which he gave readily without judgment. He still gets annoyed when my sentences go on for too long, though.

Sometime later, at a dinner outing, a close friend who was also doing her PhD seemed withdrawn and upset. When we asked what was wrong, she hesitated, then out poured a story nearly identical to mine. She had no idea what to do with her data. It was a mess, she said, and she didn't know how to make heads or tails of it. And she couldn't bring herself to tell her supervisor. She started crying, feeling caught between the impossible positions of not knowing what to do and not being able to ask. "How will I face her ever again after having to ask this stupid question?" When I shared my story and my supervisor's response as encouragement to approach her own, it was like she saw a glimmer of hope she dared not believe could be true. Like when I'd heard of the other PhD candidate's breakdowns, this was the first time she could think that she was not alone in feeling lost. For the record, her supervisor was the sweetest woman who ever lived and would never have turned my friend away, and this friend was also in the very competitive and exclusive clinical program. So it's not that her supervisor was intimidating, or that my friend wasn't intelligent. She just felt like the only impostor candidate around and would therefore receive a scolding for revealing that she needed help.

I've heard many other stories since, some firsthand, all by very smart and accomplished people, of this same feeling of being the only idiot in their programs. I wish we'd all known sooner that this feeling was not uncommon, and that we were not alone.

[helpintrospect]

What the founder of RE:ED, Pow Yih Ling shared with us about her passion and club.

1. Can you tell us a little more about RE:ED?

 “The 'RE' in RE:ED, often seen in words like retry, redo, re-share, re-blog, repeat, etc., means to perform that action again. 'ED' is simply an abbreviation of education. So together, RE:ED is about offering a second chance to needy children to have education. Our Vision is to see children in poverty rise up from their circumstances to escape the cycle of poverty. Our Mission is to improve underprivileged children's ability to read, write, and count in a wholesome manner.”

 “The idea began in September 2012 when a teacher from SMK Tengku Idris Shah (SMKTIS) requested for help from HELP University students to tutor his students during weekends who are lagging very far behind.  In the beginning, there were only 7 volunteers carpooling in 2 cars every Saturday. We then realized the issue of illiteracy and innumeracy was quite extensive in SMKTIS. About 200 students from afternoon session were illiterate in our national language, even though some are Malay students.”

“I then made up my mind to create something to tackle this problem of illiteracy and innumeracy. That was when I founded RE:ED in HELP University to call out to people who are passionate and dedicated in giving students a second chance in school.”

“Fast forward 3 years and we are now a non-governmental organisation (NGO) registered in the Registrar of Societies (R.O.S.) as Persatuan Mentor Pelajar Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur.”

2. What motivated you to start RE:ED?

“I realized that in SMKTIS High school students need some form of remediation; the most common problem is that students cannot comprehend the words they read—not that they cannot read them. They have graduated from high school reading without having the basic level. 44% of students do not meet minimum proficiency levels in reading (as reported in Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report). Far too many Malaysian children are deprived of access to educational opportunities because of their background.”

3. Can you share with us some challenges you face?

“In the fight against illiteracy and innumeracy, the challenges often seem overwhelming. Some examples are the inconsistent attendance of some students, parents’ uncooperative attitudes towards the program, and the parents’ failure to see the importance of education.”

4. What future directions do you see for RE:ED?

“I would like to replicate Minnesota Reading Corps model (http://www.minnesotareadingcorps.org/) whereby the literacy tutors provide what struggling readers need - individualization, data-driven instruction, one-on-one attention, well-trained tutors, fidelity of the instruction being delivered, and the frequency and duration necessary for student achievement. I also hope to have RE:ED become a nationwide initiative whereby more Malaysian students will be able to benefit from it.”

Interested in joining? Visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/OneChildMY/

[helpintrospect]

The F Word

It’s not what you think it is.

By Jacquelin Choy

 FEMINISM!

Sadly, there are many misconceptions about what a feminist usually advocates for. Many confused people believe that feminists are made up of women who hate men. This is definitely NOT true.

A feminist fights for equal wages, reproductive rights, and – most importantly – gender equality.

Do you know who Emma Watson is? Come on, who doesn’t? You may know her as the young Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, but did you know that she is also a feminist? She gave a stirring speech at the United Nations’ (UN) headquarters just last year regarding the issue of gender equality. “It’s not about men saving women. ... It’s not a men’s club. It’s an equality club for both genders,” she said, reiterating the fact that feminism is about equality.

 Here are the responses of a few students from the Psychology department when asked about their thoughts regarding feminism:

“Why do you support feminism?”

Layla: To me, feminism means a fight for equality. I support feminism simply because it's absolutely ridiculous that women are seen as the weaker gender. History has seen the evolution of women in every field imaginable but even then, we remain a minority.

Nia: I support feminism because there are so many countries out there with women who are not treated as equally or as fairly as men, and also as fairly as the other women out there. For example, women in India are sold to wed men double their age and sometimes if they refuse to do so, they get attacked!

Kesavah: I support feminism because I believe that we’re all humans. That we were all created equally. So why do we view women as less powerful or less worth it? Women can do things as well as men, or sometimes even better than what men can do.

 “Do you think feminism concerns men?”

Josh: I believe so. In my opinion, there are some inequalities for men too. People shouldn't be judged just because one thing seems feminine; men have the right to express and be whoever they want to be.

Krystal: Of course it concerns men! In more than one way. With wage equality, men can be stay-at-home fathers because their wives will have a stable and proportionate income as the family breadwinner. It means men don't have to justify their daughters' interests in what is stereotyped as 'boy's stuff'. It means men will have to get off their high horse and accept the fact that we are capable, so very capable, of being just as successful as they see themselves to be.

Imran: Yes. For one thing, there would be a breakdown of traditional gender roles. Another would be reproductive control benefits. Birth control was born because of feminism. So if a male would like to have sexual intercourse with a consenting adult female, not for the purpose of procreation, they have benefited from feminism.

 “Do you think it is important to educate the younger generation on feminism?”

Yaslina: Yes, it is very important. If the younger generation is more aware on feminism, it would help the awareness to spread for the generations to come. And hopefully the world would be more equal and better in the future.

Li Xue: When my boyfriend and I play with kids as young as three years old, they tell us "We can't play make up with him (my boyfriend)." or "He shouldn't wear the tiara.” And sometimes I try to tell them that boys can play make up with you, and boys can wear tiaras, but then the child's mother will say "You're just confusing them." I say they've been brainwashed since day one. Change is coming and we need to be a part of that change through education.

*Names have been changed to maintain the anonymity of students.