Table of Contents
Intercultural communication and conflict in the classroom: A case study of a Generation Z student leader in Indonesian Islamic higher education
*Afita Nur Hayati, Muhammad Nurfazri, Endang Martini, Endah Nur Latifah, Ramadiva Muhammad Akhyar, Tri Wahyuni, Dedi Sulaeman
Abstract: This qualitative phenomenological study investigates intercultural communication and conflict management within a collectivist higher education context at Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris State Islamic University, Samarinda. Anchored in Hofstede’s, Triandis’, and Thomas-Kilmann’s frameworks, the research examines students’ cultural orientations, female class representatives’ leadership negotiations, and classroom conflict dynamics. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with three purposively selected participants and cultural orientation mapping of 33 students from the 2022 Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Program. Findings reveal that while...
Abstract: This qualitative phenomenological study investigates intercultural communication and conflict management within a collectivist higher education context at Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris State Islamic University, Samarinda. Anchored in Hofstede’s, Triandis’, and Thomas-Kilmann’s frameworks, the research examines students’ cultural orientations, female class representatives’ leadership negotiations, and classroom conflict dynamics. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with three purposively selected participants and cultural orientation mapping of 33 students from the 2022 Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Program. Findings reveal that while...
Cultural symbol and national identity in the Hui cuisine: Analysing food documentaries through the circuit of culture
*Yang Yue, Noraien Mansor, Nur Haniz Mohd Nor
Abstract: Over the past decade, food documentaries have emerged as a notable form of media that investigates the complex relationships among food, tradition, culture, and national identity. Chinese cuisine, renowned for its diversity, reflects the country’s multi-ethnic composition, which includes minority groups such as the Hui, Uyghur, and Mongolian communities. The Hui people, one of the significant ethnic minorities in China, possess a rich culinary tradition deeply rooted in Islamic and halal practices. Their cuisine not only signifies their national identity but also serves as a potent cultural symbol. This research employed the Circuit of Culture to analyse the interplay between cultural...
Abstract: Over the past decade, food documentaries have emerged as a notable form of media that investigates the complex relationships among food, tradition, culture, and national identity. Chinese cuisine, renowned for its diversity, reflects the country’s multi-ethnic composition, which includes minority groups such as the Hui, Uyghur, and Mongolian communities. The Hui people, one of the significant ethnic minorities in China, possess a rich culinary tradition deeply rooted in Islamic and halal practices. Their cuisine not only signifies their national identity but also serves as a potent cultural symbol. This research employed the Circuit of Culture to analyse the interplay between cultural...
Malaysian digital cosmopolitanism in humanitarian aid to Aceh during the 2025 Sumatra Disaster
Muhammad Kamarullah, Surwandono
Abstract: The 2025 Sumatra disaster triggered a massive humanitarian response, including from Malaysia, that delivered various forms of humanitarian aid. This paper examines how Malaysia’s humanitarian organizations construct digital cosmopolitanism in providing aid to Aceh and how values and social relations underlying cross-border humanitarian solidarity are identified. Guided by the cosmopolitanism theory, particularly contextual cosmopolitanism and bottom-up cosmopolitanism, this research analyses how universal humanitarian values are negotiated through religious identity, cultural proximity, and digital participation. Adopting a qualitative descriptive approach, a digital...
Abstract: The 2025 Sumatra disaster triggered a massive humanitarian response, including from Malaysia, that delivered various forms of humanitarian aid. This paper examines how Malaysia’s humanitarian organizations construct digital cosmopolitanism in providing aid to Aceh and how values and social relations underlying cross-border humanitarian solidarity are identified. Guided by the cosmopolitanism theory, particularly contextual cosmopolitanism and bottom-up cosmopolitanism, this research analyses how universal humanitarian values are negotiated through religious identity, cultural proximity, and digital participation. Adopting a qualitative descriptive approach, a digital...
Social media personal branding: Analysing social media influencers’ branding efforts on Instagram
Tan Poh Ling, *Chew Yuin-Y, Judith Nesamalar Tharumaraj
Abstract: The notion of self-branding has drawn myriad academic responses over the last decade. A personal brand allows you to control your own narrative and can help you stand out from competition. Today, the new digital media environment has empowered women to market themselves as brands. Although there is a growing interest from both academic and practical perspectives in exploring the impact of social media on individuals’ self-branding, there remains a lack of empirical research that systematically investigates the methodologies on how an individual employs or constructs and reinforces their branded identity through social media platforms, especially on...
Abstract: The notion of self-branding has drawn myriad academic responses over the last decade. A personal brand allows you to control your own narrative and can help you stand out from competition. Today, the new digital media environment has empowered women to market themselves as brands. Although there is a growing interest from both academic and practical perspectives in exploring the impact of social media on individuals’ self-branding, there remains a lack of empirical research that systematically investigates the methodologies on how an individual employs or constructs and reinforces their branded identity through social media platforms, especially on...
Framing systemic communication practices to facilitate functional relational dynamics between service providers and peoplewith disabilities
*Kalai Vaani Rajandram, Thavamalar Thuraisingam, Wan Puspa Melati binti Wan Abdul Halim, Hamdan Mohd Salleh, Danial Al-Rashid
Abstract: In Malaysia, systemic structures such as healthcare institutions and workplace communities continue to scaffold along frameworks that tighten barriers and endorse exclusion for persons with disabilities (PWD). Previous studies have highlighted a complete mismatch between PWD needs, institutional regulations and implementation of initiatives. However, there is a lack of research exemplifying how macro-level structures and norms create micro-level barriers in communication. Enhancing accessibility to services through informed methods of communication can be achieved when service systems are built in tandem with PWD needs and wants. This study...
Abstract: In Malaysia, systemic structures such as healthcare institutions and workplace communities continue to scaffold along frameworks that tighten barriers and endorse exclusion for persons with disabilities (PWD). Previous studies have highlighted a complete mismatch between PWD needs, institutional regulations and implementation of initiatives. However, there is a lack of research exemplifying how macro-level structures and norms create micro-level barriers in communication. Enhancing accessibility to services through informed methods of communication can be achieved when service systems are built in tandem with PWD needs and wants. This study...
SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research (SEARCH) 2026 Volume 18 Issue 2 Preliminary
About The Journal
Aims & Scope: The aim of the SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research is to promote and enhance research development and debates in the field of media and communication research. It also serves as a forum for researchers and industry players who use research as the frame for social awareness and change. We welcome any submission of manuscripts throughout the year. Authors are invited to submit scholarly works on communication...
Aims & Scope: The aim of the SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research is to promote and enhance research development and debates in the field of media and communication research. It also serves as a forum for researchers and industry players who use research as the frame for social awareness and change. We welcome any submission of manuscripts throughout the year. Authors are invited to submit scholarly works on communication...
SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research (SEARCH) 2026 Volume 18 Issue 2 Full Issue
About The Journal
Aims & Scope: The aim of the SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research is to promote and enhance research development and debates in the field of media and communication research. It also serves as a forum for researchers and industry players who use research as the frame for social awareness and change. We welcome any submission of manuscripts throughout the year. Authors are invited to submit scholarly works on communication...
Aims & Scope: The aim of the SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research is to promote and enhance research development and debates in the field of media and communication research. It also serves as a forum for researchers and industry players who use research as the frame for social awareness and change. We welcome any submission of manuscripts throughout the year. Authors are invited to submit scholarly works on communication...
