Contentious identities of the mekong karaoke girls: a nexus analysis of social actions and a critical discourse analysis of ideologies

Abstract

This dissertation examines the social actions and discourses of the Mekong karaoke girls focusing on contentious Identity construction and ideologies within the liminality of the Mekong border karaoke bars and Khong Chiam community settings. The study triangulates Critical Discourse Analysis and Nexus Analysis. The first trajectory of nexus analysis, historical body is supported with bodily capital concept; the second trajectory of interaction order is relied on Goffman concept of situated activity system, and the third trajectory is analyzed by Sociocultural Linguistic Approaches focusing on discursive practice of othering and discursive practice of used pronouns. The data is collected according to Nexus Analysis guidelines. Participant observation is conducted in six months, interviews with 22 MKGs, one police officer, six karaoke bar owners, and four hospital staff. Also, three sessions of focus group with the MKGs, hospital staff, and male karaoke customers Findings from the historical body anaylsis reveal that there are three main pre-karaoke identities; young girl, female, and Laotian. The present-karaoke body shows that their bodily capital constructs young girl, adult female, Laotian, karaoke girl, and other contentious identities such as bread winner, explorer, mother, daughter, and lover. Processes of constructing those identities through investing on their bodily capital are underpinned by both patriarchal and capitalist ideologies. The interaction order reports processes of contentious identities through normative roles and their situated activity system in the greeting and singing sessions. Patriarchal and capitalist

ideologies are intertwined into the systemic structures of their daily karaoke activities. Those ideologies thus sustain social relationships and asymmetric power relations in liminal space of karaoke session among the participants. Also, the system of social arrangement of the karaoke sessions is a system where identity negotiation and power resistant co-occur. Discourse in place elucidates that discursive strategies of othering in Mekong karaoke interaction construct contentious identities. The discursive use of pronouns unveils ways in which the Mekong karaoke girls construct their positive and negative selves as well as ways in which they cope with liminal identity which people foisted on them. The patriarchal and capitalist ideologies play a key role in sustaining the discourses of identity construction, identities negotiation, and even resistance within this particular liminal space and in a society as a whole. Contributions of this study are; comprehension of identity construction of inferior group of people, knowledge extension on social actions and discourse studies, and the understanding that this social injustice should be taken into account for those who work with, work on and interested in working toward egalitarian society.