Representing Place_Project_01b_Proposal
- 1. CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: ADAPTATION OF CULTURE IN PETALING STREET In terms of the standards of living, public safety culture and community health standards. RE-PRESENTING PLACE CLS60103 Project 1B: Research Structure submitted by Team 3 Taylor’s University Lecturer: Hafiz Amirrol
- 2. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street TABLE OF CONTENTS i) Reseach Background ii) Main Research Questions iii) Objectives iv) Significance of Study v) Methods and Expected Outcomes vi) References and Citations
- 3. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street RESEARCH BACKGROUND The adaptation of culture is the process of change and transition of the arts and tradition of a specific community with regards to the environmental changes of which the community is situated in over time. This condition is apparent in our chosen site, Petaling Street, its rich history shaping the geographical, demographical and architectural aspect of the place, allowing its culture to conform to its advancements gradually. As a result, the convergence of customs create a new way of living. A bustling place where hawkers and vendors dominate the streets, where temples rose and house prayers, where tourists gather and bargains are made, and above all, where culture and civilization continue to adapt. This transition in culture gives birth to numerous issues on site, including complications regarding the standard of living of the current community, its public safety as well as its health standards. Our site turns into a demographical focus. Congestion of vehicu- lar traffic and people is inevitable, subsequently forming a rise in crime rate and pollution. Other than that, it challenges the authen- ticity and quality of the goods, services and facilities provided, while greatly decreasing the hygiene levels of the site. Nonetheless, Petaling Street is a platform for change as its cultural aspect continues to grow and evolve. As the struggle to solve the issues stated continues, we strive to understand the people’s per- spective on the matter with hopes to shed some light on whether this course of adaptation is moving towards a positive or negative note.
- 4. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street MAIN RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.Standard of Living How does the increasing number of foreign workers and foreign tourists in Petaling Street affect the living standards of the local community? 2. Public Safety Culture How does the negative behaviour of unlicensed hawkers and sell- ers, low-income foreigners, taxi drivers in Petaling Street affect the level of public safety of the local community? 3. Community Health Standards What are some environmental factors that constantly exist in Petal- ing Street that would threaten the health standards of the commu- nity?
- 5. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street OBJECTIVES The objectives of the research are to examine, from the perspec- tive of tourists, local hawkers, vendors and occupiers: • To increase accessibility to information about the adaptation of culture in Petaling Street. • To investigate various community backgrounds and estimate the standard of living from the investigation. • To analyse the statistical association between the public safety level and public safety status in Petaling Street. • To collect the opinions about health standards among the com- munity of Petaling Street.
- 6. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Introduction Culture is the way of life shared by people who live in the same place. Cultural adaptation is when a person adjusts to the new country in a positive or negative way. Each person adapts to new culture in a unique way. The theory of cultural adaptation refers to the process and time it takes a person to assimilate to a new culture. Standard of Living In today’s connected world, the need to communicate effectively with people from diverse cultures, races, faiths and nationalities has increased exponentially. Cultural differences usually include language, religion, political organization, customs and more. Standard of living that utilises the cultural knowledge and expe- rience of members of different subcultural groups to influence a cultural construct that could operate as a mediator of change e.g., enhancing cultural identity. For example, Petaling Street’s living standard is studied by types of communities, authenticity of original community, and main- tenance of facilities. Petaling Street’s community consists of seller, hawker stall operators, tourists, and homeless people. The high intake of foreign workers as product sellers, hawkers and cooks has indirectly diminished the authenticity of original com- munity in terms of local food, products, and culture. Public Safety Culture Public Safety Culture helps define the recognition of the safety culture attained from the people in Petaling Street in terms of the beliefs and practices that they apply. The concept of cultural adaptation is directly applied to any organisation or agency that affects or interacts with public safety issues to ensure high lev- els of safety performance too.
- 7. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY (cont.) To illustrate this point, Petaling Street’s public safety is harmed by its street and road culture, unlicensed hawkers and product sellers, and public transportation culture. Locals and tourists have to be wary of pickpockets and snatch motorcyclists. Be- sides, unlicensed hawkers and product sellers who may sell un- safe products are also a threat to public safety. Lastly, the public regard taxis as an unsafe mode of transport due to its over- ly-charged fare and poor attitude of most taxi drivers. Community Health Standards Community Health Standards that show references such as green space data linked in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or experiences from individuals with different backgrounds to in- crease the perceived relevance of information in health commu- nication and health education interventions in Petaling Street. For instance, Petaling Street’s community Health Standards are examined by area of green spaces, noise level, and street hy- giene. Green spaces such as parks facilitate physical activity and relaxation, and form a refuge from noise. On the other hand, street hygiene should be properly maintained in Petaling Street, as it is a cuisine paradise with a wide choice of street vendor food,
- 8. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street METHODS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES Methods The information we need originates from a wide range of sourc- es, thus there should be a variety of techniques used when gath- ering data from communities at Petaling Street. Several methods for collecting information and quantitative data for this research will be done are interviews, questionnaires and direct observation at site. • Interviews - conducted by direct approach (interviewee and interviewer) with questions that are focused and clear which encourage open-ended responses. t • Questionnaires – short questions with answers presented as multiple-choice and numerical bar to gather concise data and to ease analysis afterwards • Direct observation – careful investigation allows data to be collected qualitatively and quantitatively, allowing the study of a wide range of a situations, besides providing additional informa- tion. Expected Outcome Through the questionnaire survey and interview, the expected result is that the standard of living in Petaling Street will be low. This is due to high number of foreign workers hired by locals to work as food hawkers and product sellers at site. The rate of public safety culture at the site will be threatened due to the high cases of negative behaviour happening on the street, such as bad road culture, unlicensed stalls and also public transpor- tation. Lastly, lack of greenery, high noise level and low street hygiene will indicate a poor standard of community health.
- 9. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street REFERENCES AND CITATION AECOM. (2010). Asia Beyond Growth. ORO Editions: Singapore. Barley, N. (2000). Breathing Cities. Birkhauser: London. Lim, W. (1990) Cities for People – Reflections of a Southeast Asian Architect. Singapore: Select Publishing. “Petaling Street in Chinatown - Bargain Hunter’s Paradise.” Kuala-lumpur.ws. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016. Kong, Sai Mat. “Top 10 Must-Have Foods in Petaling Street (Chinatown) - I’m Saimatkong.” Im Saimatkong. N.p., 2015. Web. 04 Oct. 2016. Clarke, P. (2008) Metricity: Exploring New Measures of Urban Density. London: Royal College of Art. Teasley, D. (c2016). Study. Retrieved 3 October, 2016, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-adaptation-definition-theory-stag- es-examples.html Mishra, S. (c2016). Businesstopia. Retrieved 3 October, 2016, from https:// www.businesstopia.net/communication/cultural-barriers-communication
- 10. Research Structure CONVERGENCE OF CUSTOMS: Adaptation of culture in Petal- ing Street IS THIS ADAPTATION FOR THE BETTER? End of paper.