The paper examines the phenomenon of among young, unmarried Malay women working in multinational factories, specifically looking at how these episodes serve as a form of "protest" or "negotiation of reality" within the rigid, often dehumanizing environments of industrial capitalism. Key Findings & Context
: During the 1970s and 80s, numerous Malaysian factories (often American or Japanese-owned) reported outbreaks of what management called "mass hysteria".
: The imagery of spirits—often described as "headless ghosts" or "hairy legs" in factory toilets—is interpreted as a rebellion against the strict surveillance and loss of bodily control imposed by factory foremen. SU - Appeasing The Spirits - Dakota Lovell & Am...
For deeper academic insight, the full study is available through platforms like ResearchGate and JSTOR.
: Corporations typically responded by treating the incidents as a medical or psychological "epidemic," using sedatives or isolation, though they occasionally hired local bomoh (spirit healers) to perform rituals like slaughtering a goat to "appease the spirits" and resume production. Notable Figures Mentioned The paper examines the phenomenon of among young,
: Ong argues that these possession episodes were not just "superstition" but a response to the profound status ambiguity and dislocation felt by young women moving from rural kampung (villages) into a nascent industrial proletariat.
The report titled was written by Aihwa Ong and published in the journal American Ethnologist in 1988. For deeper academic insight, the full study is
: These individuals are credited as stars/producers in a related modern media depiction or episode titled “Appeasing the Spirits” (2022) from the series Brother Crush .