Colloquium examines education in colonial British Malaya

A closer look at imperial education in colonial British Malaya

News contact: Laura Hancock | University Advancement
541-962-3585 | lhancock@eou.edu

January 24, 2013
LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) ⎯ Matthew Schauer, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of history at EOU, shares his knowledge of colonial British Malaya for the colloquium this Thursday, Jan. 24.

From 1900 to 1939, the British colonial government supported educational policies aimed at keeping the Malay people in their “traditional” roles as farmers, fisherman, mothers and handicraft makers.

Schauer examines how these ethnological characterizations were applied directly to policies relating to Malay vocational education. Contemporary ethnology that characterized the Malays as people living in a simple world of ancient traditions was used to support these attempts to stifle desires for social mobility.

The colloquium begins at 4 p.m. in Ackerman Hall, Room 210 and is free and open to the public.  A reception with question and answer session with Schauer will follow.

A list of related resources provided by EOU’s Pierce Library is available for more in-depth information on this topic. Visit http://library.eou.edu/colloquium. To be added to the colloquium mailing list call 541-962-3508.