말레이시아 정치엘리트 인터뷰를 통한 현지조사: 방법론적 성찰

Abstract

In his doctoral dissertation, the author analyses the nexus between a dynamic conflict structures in Malaysia and regime maintenance strategies in that country. Through interviews with various Malaysian political elites, the author figures out how the ruling political elites, especially UMNO leaders and Mahathir Mohamad, has been able to maintain its own political hegemony while at the same time maintaining a fairly high level of regime stability. Although, to meet with new social and political circumstances, the UMNO-led ruling elites has adapted to changing expectations of Malaysian society, the single most essential motive for regime change and maintenance is to sustain its own political power. It is nothing particular to mention that interviews with political elites are considered as an essential research method expecially in analysing contemporary political issues. It is, however, also noted that there are very limited informations and resources of how to conduct an academic interview especially with various political elites. This paper shares field research experience of interviews with Malaysian political elites during the author's Ph.D. candidate at the Australian National University in the 1990s. The author conducted a series of field research in Malaysia for about three years during his doctoral candidate. During his three-year long fieldwork, the author had more than one hundred intensive interviews with various Malaysian political elites covering scholars, journalists, civil society activities, ruling and opposition politicians. In this paper, the author shares his personal experience of how to overcome various obstacles and to effectively handle with various political elites covering wide spectrum of political ideology.