As a pluralistic nation, Malaysia consists of diverse ethnic groups of people with various cultures that integrate harmonious and peaceful living in a politically stable and wonderfully rich environmental setting. Due to such unique features, people from abroad become largely attracted to this land and thus frequently arrive here as visitors and tourists. There are tremendous amounts of attractions for the visitors and tourists, and people from various backgrounds arrive to stay here temporarily, generating around RM65 billion in foreign earnings, adding to its national coffer every year. Nevertheless, tourism also causes a major negative effect in which the local culture may be assimilated into the alien norms and behaviors through the continuous process of acculturation. Due to day-to-day interactions with the tourists and visitors, many sociocultural impacts have affected local values, which contextually require to be redefined. This book analyzes critically the sociocultural and environmental impacts of tourism in Malaysia, having collected both qualitative and quantitative data at the empirical level of investigation.
About the author
Dr. A. H. M. Zehadul Karim has been teaching in the university for the last forty-five years and presently is a professor at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, International Islamic University, Malaysia. Professor Zehadul Karim received his MA and Ph D degrees in anthropology from Syracuse University, USA. He also studied sociology for one year at the graduate level at Lakehead University in Canada. Professor Karim also holds an MA in sociology from Dhaka University, Bangladesh. As of now, he has written about 130 articles, which include published papers in professional international journals, research and consultancy reports, and contributions to at least forty international conferences in sixteen countries of the world.
Dr. Hazizan Md. Noon is an associate professor of sociology at the International Islamic University, Malaysia. He received his Ph D from Edinburgh University, UK, and currently specializes in Islamic culture and society. He was the director of CENTRI and also held the position of dean of social science and humanities for a number of years. He works on multifarious issues of sociological interest at the national and international levels.
Dr. Noor Azlan Mohd Noor is an associate professor who specializes in medical anthropology, having received his Ph D from Kent University, UK. For several years, Dr. Azlan held the position of head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and currently, he is the director of student counseling at the IIUM. He is involved with a number of research and academic activities.
Dr. Nurazzura Mohamad Diah is an associate professor and currently head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the International Islamic University Malaysia. She obtained her Ph D in anthropology from the University of Western Australia, Perth. She is the coauthor of a book entitled Traditionalism and Modernity and has been working on a number articles related to sociology of health.
Dr. Sohela Mustari is an assistant professor of sociology in the School of Management Studies at the Southeast University, Bangladesh. She received her MSS in sociology from Dhaka University, Bangladesh, and received her Ph D from IIUM, Malaysia. She is now working on a number of articles and projects in the field of environmental sociology.