ESE5013 | SOCIOLOGY IN EDUCATION

RESEARCH PROJECT:

PROFANITY AMONG STUDENTS

WRITTEN BY:

NOEL SERENO SEAN (AM2207011571)

NORAINA HANIM JUSOH (AM2207011568)

SARAH NABILAH AMRAN (AM2207011556)

UMMI AMANINA HUMAIDI (AM2207011552)

MUHAMMAD SHAZWAN KAMARUZALI (AM2207011574)

MUHAMMAD ZULHAIRI LUKMAN SABRI (AM2207011889)

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1.0 Introduction

Communication is an important part of our lives. Basically, all living things have

communication with their own style including us, humans. We use various languages and dialects

when communicating with others to request something, to gain information, to show agreement,

to interact with family and friends as well as many other purposes of communication. It is also

important to note that there are many elements that should be considered when communicating

with others. Some of them are gender, race, and status of the interlocutors (NF Zainal, 2020). To

illustrate, the communication style between two friends will be different if compared with the style

between a teacher and a student. Commonly people would talk politely with their teachers

compared to when they communicate with their friends.

Likewise, the communication style may also differ according to the level of intimacy

(Azman, Azmi, Maros & Abu Bakar, 2017; Fägersten, 2000; Ghafar, 2018; Jay & Janschewitz,

2008). Interaction between two close friends is different than between two strangers. The strangers

will converse in a more formal way compared to the two friends. Therefore, it is noted that there

are many factors that influence the communication style. As demonstrated earlier, it is crystal clear

that different social backgrounds require speakers to communicate and behave differently in the

interaction and if they failed to do so, it might lead to misunderstanding between two speakers. It

also might cause the listener to consider the speaker as being rude or impolite. One can also be

considered rude when using offensive language like swear words or profanity.

Regarding profanity and swearing, it has existed since ancient times but swear words are

rarely uttered and recorded in writing (Montagu, 2001). Since the Ancient Greek, Roman empire

and in the Latin language, swear words had been used and were first recorded by Ancient

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Egyptians (Ljung, 2011). Nowadays, profanity and swearing have become a norm especially

within teenagers and students. They use swear words as common things in their daily interactions

as stated according to Jay and Janschewitz (2008) where in the 21st century, swearing has become

common and highly prevalent, especially among the youth.

In Malaysia context, recent studies reveal that swearing is a common phenomenon among

the youth in Malaysia (Azman et al., 2017). Kuala Lumpur has been ranked 34 out of 36 major
th th

cities in the world in the list of least courteous cities according to Reader's Digest (Lim & Tariq,

2012). This shows that swearing and profanity as well as rudeness have been spreading out on

people in Malaysia especially the youth. Rudeness can be amplified by both behaviors as in

mannerism as well as use of language.

However, according to Jay and Janschewitz (2008), Pluszczyk (2015) and Wang et al

(2014), some of the studies show that there are some circumstances in which swearing is used to

express positive emotions such as joy and love. Moreover, profanity is also used to portray

harmony, solidarity as well as to create humor (Pluszczyk, 2015). Even though these cases have

been proven by scholars, the studies were mainly conducted in Western societies (Jay &

Janschewitz, 2008; Pluszczyk, 2015; Wang et al., 2014). There is little published research on

swearing in Eastern societies, specifically the Malaysian society (Azman et al., 2017; Baudin &

Paramasivam, 2014). It is still unproven whether similar situations and findings can be observed

in the Malaysian context. Therefore, it is pivotal to investigate the profanity and swearing

phenomena in Malaysia and find some insights on this sociolinguistic issue.

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2.0 Research Questions

This study aims to investigate the use of profanity among students that consists of the use

of swear words, curse words and harsh words. As profanity is becoming a norm in our society

nowadays, this study also aims to investigate how schools help in reducing profanity according to

sociology in education.

To obtain the objective of the research, this study is designed to answer the following

research questions:

1. When do students use profanity?

2. Does the education system help students to reduce profanity?

The “when” from the first research questions include time, condition and circumstances.

The second research question intended to obtain the opinion from the students whether the teachers

or the school helps them to reduce the use of profane language in their daily life.

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3.0 Methodology

3.1 Research Design

This study utilized qualitative methods to investigate the profanity among students in

MRSM. According to Palmer & Bolderston (2006), qualitative research is an interpretative

approach, which attempts to gain insight into the specific meanings and behaviors experienced in

a certain social phenomenon through the subjective experiences of the participants. For this study,

researchers are using an interview method. This method is one of qualitative research

methodologies. Data collection methodologies that are commonly used in qualitative research are

the interview, the focus group, observation and/or chart review (Palmer & Bolderston, 2006).

Semi-structured interviews were selected to carry out this research study. For semi-structured

interviews, the questions are formatted but the interviewer may deviate from the scheduled

questions if an unforeseen discussion point is proving fruitful (Palmer & Bolderston, 2006).

3.2 Research Questions

The purpose of this study is to investigate the following research questions:

1. When do the students use profanity?

2. Do education help students to reduce profanity?

3.3 Instrument

The interview schedule was structured into the following three sections:

1. Participant’s demographics

2. Where, when & why do use profanity

3. Awareness about education help students to reduce profanity

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3.4 Participant/Respondent

A purposive sampling method was used in choosing the sample of participants the

researcher. This form of sampling is essentially strategic and necessitates an attempt to establish a

good correspondence between research questions and sampling (Bryman, 2004). In undertaking

this study, the researchers chose to interview individuals studied in MRSM because most of the

researchers are MRSM’s teachers. Six (6) participants were recruited to be interviewed. As

highlighted, the participants covered different MRSM, including Peninsular Malaysia & East

Malaysia.

3.5 Data collection

Data collection took place in October 2022 to November 2022. All the participants were

students by each of the researchers by different MRSM. All participants’ have been interviewed

in their school because they are boarding school students. A Semi-structured interview is typically

conducted with a series of questions in the general form of an interview schedule however the

sequence of questions can be varied.

An interview schedule was prepared in advance to aid the researchers with the structure

and flow of the interview. The questions were mainly open-ended questions with a small number

of closed questions relating to information such as age and school name. An example of an open-

ended question included in the interview schedule is ‘10. Does your teacher/school help you in

reducing profanity at school?’. Open-ended questions like this allow the participant more scope to

express thoughts and feelings and can offer more detail on the research subject.

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4.0 Findings

4.1 Introduction

In this chapter, the main concepts are drawn upon and the results of the interview process and

related data analysis are presented. First and foremost, a brief profile of each of the participants is

presented. The key data that emerged following data analysis as a result of profanity among

students were; the frequency of swearing among students, use of profanity to express certain

emotion and feelings, profanity's negative effects, and the teacher's role in preventing profanity

among students.

4.2 Participants

All of the participants that participate in this interview are students from different MRSM. The

students who took part in this interview are listed below:

• Participant number one is a male student from MRSM Tun Dr. Ismail, Pontian. He is

fourteen years old.

• Participant number two is a female student from MRSM Felda, Trolak. She is fifteen years

old.

• Participant number three is a female student from MRSM Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. She is

seventeen years old.

• Participant number four is a male student from MRSM Semporna, Sabah. He is sixteen

years old.

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 • Participant number five is a male student from MRSM Tun Dr. Ismail, Pontian. He is

fourteen years old.

• Participant number six is a male student from MRSM Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang. He is

seventeen years old.

4.3 The Frequency of Swearing Among Students

Every participant was given a scale from 1 to 5 to determine how often they used profanity each

day. According to the results, the average scale is between 3 and 4. Additionally, throughout the

interview, the participants were questioned about when and where they always use profane

language. The majority of them used it when hanging out with their friends, and it usually

happened at hostels. Here are all of the responses from each participant:

To the scale of 1 to 5, I think my level is at 4. I usually use profanity in my daily routine.

Usually, I use profanity when I'm spending my time with my friends in the hostel.

Participant 1, 14 years old, male

To the scale of 1 to 5, I think my level is at 3. I usually use swear words at least three times a

day. Usually, I use swear words when I am spending my time talking with my friends in the

classroom.

Participant 2, 15 years old, female

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 On a scale of 1 to 5, my swearing level is maybe around 3. I usually swear when I am at the

hostel when I am together with my friends.

Participant 3, 17 years old, female

On a scale of 1 to 5, my swearing level is around 2. I seldom use profane words as I memorize

Al-Quran. I usually swear when I am at the hostel when I am together with my friends.

Sometimes I use it with my juniors at school.

Participant 4, 16 years old, male

Based on the scale of 1 to 5, my swearing level maybe around 4 times in a day. I usually swear

when I’m together with my friends in the classroom.

Participant 5, 14 years old, male

Based on the scale 1 to 5, my scale is around 4. This is because I always use swear words while

talking with my friend at the hostel.

Participant 6, 17 years old, male

4.4 The use of Profanity to Express Certain Emotion and Feelings

Each participant uses profane language to express a certain emotion or feeling. They discussed

how some of them spontaneously use profane language toward their friends.

I use profanity when I want to express my feelings either to express my anger or to express my

happiness with my friends.

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 Participant 1, 14 years old, male

When I feel angry toward something or toward my friends, I will use swear words to them but

sometimes I just use swear words unintentionally when talking with my friends.

Participant 2, 15 years old, female

I have no specific reason as it comes naturally but sometimes, I do swear when I am mad or

excited and my favourite word is "gila". I admit that sometimes I curse to mock people.

Participant 3, 17 years old, female

I usually use profane words to express my anger towards my friends. If my friends make

something that will make me mad, I will express my anger by using profane words towards

them but sometimes it comes spontaneously.

Participant 4, 16 years old, male

Firstly, I swore because I want to express my anger to others, especially my friends. At the

same time I like to mock my friends by using a certain curse word, for example “Sial” and

“Bodoh”. I know it’s not good and rude to use curse words but sometimes it comes naturally.

Participant 5, 14 years old, male

Those words always come from my mouth because it became a routine and habit for myself to

express my feelings and show my attitude towards my friend.

Participant 6, 17 years old, male

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4.5 Profanity's Negative Effects

All participants acknowledge that using profanity toward others is wrong and that doing so

frequently can have negative effects. Four participants agreed that anyone using profane language

should be punished and how they should be punished.

I realize that swearing is not a good thing for myself because this behaviour is not good and

represents who I am as a person. I also realized that there are clauses in the school’s rules

which prohibit the use of profanity words and I agree with that punishment. But the punishment

only applies to them who are using profanity to mock others and using profanity to hurt the

feelings of others.

Participant 1, 14 years old, male

One of the participants suggests that rather than punishing pupils who consistently use foul

language, someone should guide and help them because they may be experiencing difficulties.

I know that swearing is not a good thing because it will hurt the feelings of my friends. I also

know that there are clauses in the school’s rules which prohibit the use of profanity words and

still I do not agree if someone is given punishment for using profanity words because instead

of punishing them, I think we should guide and help them if they have problems.

Participant 2, 15 years old, female

I know that word is very harsh and wrong. I know that our religion (Islam) said that it is not

right to use curse words and I know that there are clauses in the school's rule that prohibit to

use bad words but I still think that we should not be punished when we use them. Sometimes it

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 is involuntary so you cannot blame the person. However, if they want to change, eventually the

cursing will stop.

Participant 3, 17 years old, female

I know that it is not right especially for students to use profane words because using profanity

is sin and will hurt someone's feelings. I know that there are clauses in the school's rules that

prohibit students from using profanity and I agree that any person who uses profane words

should be punished because it is impolite.

Participant 4, 16 years old, male

One of the participants agrees that those who use profanity should be punished because doing so

might make them hesitant to do so again.

I know it’s not good and rude to use curse words but sometimes it comes naturally. Honestly,

I don’t know that there are clauses in school’s rules that prohibit the use of bad words, but I

agree that profanity users should be punished because if they get punished, the tendency of

using bad words will be reduced and they won’t do it again.

Participant 5, 14 years old, male

One of the participants claimed he had a negative reputation because he frequently used foul

language to his friends. He suggests that the school should make an awareness about prohibition

of using profane words in school.

Actually somehow, I feel less respect from my friends because of my attitude of always

swearing all the time. I also did not know there are clauses in the school’s rules which prohibit

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 the use of profanity words. Awareness about this clause should be done to improve student's

quality and reduce profanity habits among students. from this awareness also may help us as

students be more careful, respect each other and live our life more peacefully.

Participant 6, 17 years old, male

4.6 The Teacher's Role in Preventing Profanity Among Students

All of the participants agreed that the teacher would interfere if they overheard any of the pupils

using profane language. The majority of participants say that their teachers are assisting them in

reducing spending on their use of foul language in daily life.

The teacher always advises or scolds me about profanity if the teacher caught me using swear

words. I also think that teachers and school have helped and guided me to reduce the use of

profanity by always spreading awareness and advising all of the students to avoid using

profanity and speak nicely.

Participant 1, 14 years old, male

If a teacher caught me using swear words, the teacher always asks me to repeat a few good

words at least three times. I also think that teachers and school have helped and guided me to

reduce the use of swear words by always advising me as well as asking me to speak nicely so

that I can get used to regularly using good words when speaking.

Participant 2, 15 years old, female

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 I agree that the teachers help in reducing the usage of the bad words because we respect our

teachers a lot. By them being present, we automatically stop cursing.

Participant 3, 17 years old, female

One of the participants claimed that punishing students doesn't make them use foul language less

frequently because it has already become a habit in their behaviour.

The teacher will give a punishment if they heard any students swear by scolding and cane the

student. However, it does not help the students to reduce the usage of profane words because

it has become a habit for the student.

Participant 4, 16 years old, male

If a teacher caught me using bad words , sometimes I will get punished by doing “push up” or

“ketuk ketampi”. For me, I agree about the teacher's action by punishing students while using

bad words, at the same time it gives a lesson to students so that they won't repeat the same

mistakes by using bad words among friends.

Participant 5, 14 years old, male

My teacher also caught me saying bad words in class and directly giving physical punishment

such as star jump and burpee to give lessons towards other students about the negativity of

saying bad or swear words in life. This physical punishment may help us to get healthier in

terms of mental and physical.

Participant 6, 17 years old, male

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5.0 Discussions

Profanity in the classroom can be a tough behavior to deal with even the students

either male or female. Based on the findings in this mini research shows that boys use more

curse words compared to female students in terms of gender. This is because male students

think that it is a habit to swear or curse when they speak rather than girls because they are

softer and think before speaking. The language they used during swearing are Malay words

because of their surroundings such as ‘Gila, Sial or Bodoh’. All these profanity words that

they use commonly when cursing or swearing.

Next is what can be discussed all of the participants or students are using profanity

the most at the school either in the hostel or in the classroom because they are boarding

school students. All of the participants use profanity when they are with their friends. Only

respondent no 4 also uses profanity when he is with his junior at the school. Peers spend a

significant amount of time together, socializing and learning from each other in boarding

schools (Poynting & Donaldson, 2005). Findings also indicated that peer group influence

has a negative and positive effect in modeling the behavior of students more especially in

a boarding school environment (Monyamane & Keletsositse, 2021). Moreover, one of the

functions of education is the function of socialization. Some of the students learnt from

others about profanity & using it their social lifetime. They spent almost 24 hours there in

the boarding school. Somehow, this cannot be the reason why they can use it as a habit ,

otherwise they have to be more positive in terms of attitude and manners.

Finding shows why respondents use profanity words because of expressing their

feelings towards others. As Glover (2008) said, about 90% of adolescents use swear words

a day and it is usually to express emotions such as anger, frustration and excitement as

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found by (Jay, 2002). Even adults always use swear words, the same goes to teenagers or

students because they see and listen to what is happening around them. They experience it

by watching their surroundings and by watching movies, dramas and social media. In terms

of neurological control, our brain automatically responds to pain, anger, joy, and other

emotions by swearing. For the psychological restraints, it focuses on linguistics

competence, which relates the speaker with the use of swear words as being determined by

their personality or religious background. The last element, which is social-cultural

restrictions, explain about the content and appropriateness of a chosen word such as power

and identity.

This situation can be related with sociology in education which is the attitude and

discipline of the student. Both are important characteristics because students are the core

of the school itself. From their attitude that always swearing at others makes them lack

manners and affects their discipline in school. To be a good student means learning the

school's routines and rules.

So based on all the 5 W 1 H questions that were already discussed above, we need

to determine with as much certainty as possible what is causing the student to use profanity

in the classroom and as teacher how to deal with it. One of the ways to overcome this

situation or habit is to not ignore a student's profanity. Students may get the impression

that profanity is acceptable if teachers do not respond. It's crucial to address the use of

profanity since some children may swear so frequently that they fail to acknowledge when

their language is inappropriate.

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 Moreover, teachers make students think about a minor consequence. Establish a

rule that students who swear will get punishment. With younger students who need an

immediate consequence, consider giving them a brief time out, explaining that students

cannot remain with their classmates if they use inappropriate language.

Next, by teaching the students who use profanity that there are other words he can

use in their place. Help students find offensive words or phrases he can use when he is

frustrated or upset. The student might have some ideas of his own, or the teacher might

suggest some words. Punishing a learned behavior, even a negative one, rarely makes it go

away. The teachers cannot just somehow force the student to stop swearing. The teachers

need to give them something to do instead, and it needs to look and feel as close to the real

thing as possible. This is why clearly identifying when the behavior is about to start is so

critical. The teachers want to come in with a replacement before the cursing actually begins

and interrupt the cycle just as it is starting.

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6.0 Conclusion

The prevalence of profanity in children's everyday speech is undoubtedly a reflection of

the frequency with which they hear it in the media and in adults' casual discussions. Despite the

prevalence of profanity in adult society, you are not required to accept its use by your students.

Students utilise profanity for numerous reasons. Some students swear to attract the attention of

their teacher or peers. Some individuals swear to impress their peers. Some use profanity to

communicate intense emotions, such as rage, grief, or frustration. And some vow to attack those

who have wronged them.

This chapter's objective was to highlight the conclusions drawn from the conducted

interviews. The findings of this study make it very clear that students are already exposed to and

routinely use profanity in ordinary discourse. According to the data, the majority of students use

profanity to express anger or joy, and some do so unknowingly. Nonetheless, teachers may help

pupils cope with these attitudes.

The average scale according to the results is between 3 and 4. In addition, throughout the

interview, participants were asked when and where they consistently use profanity. The bulk of

them used it when socialising with friends, and it mostly occurred at hostels. Each participant

employs profanity to convey a particular emotion or sensation. They discussed the fact that some

of them instinctively use profanity with their pals.

Besides that, all participants also understand that using profanity toward others is

inappropriate and can have negative consequences when done frequently. Four participants

concurred that anyone who uses profanity should be punished and how they should be punished.

Instead of punishing students who habitually use foul language, one participant thinks that they

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should be guided and assisted because they may be facing issues. Next, another one of the

participants feels that those who use profanity should be penalised, as it may discourage them from

doing so in the future.

In this case, the teacher role is very important in preventing profanity amongs students. All

participants agreed that a teacher would intervene if they overheard students using inappropriate

language. The majority of participants indicate that their teachers are supporting them in

minimising their everyday usage of profanity. Even one participant asserted that disciplining kids

does not reduce their use of profanity since it has become a habit. Therefore, based on the answers

to the 5 W 1 H questions described previously, we must identify with as much clarity as possible

why the student uses profanity in the classroom and how the instructor should respond. Not

ignoring a student's swearing is one method for overcoming this circumstance or pattern. If

teachers do not respond, students may conclude that using profanity is okay. It is essential to

address the use of profanity, as some youngsters may use profanity so regularly that they fail to

recognise when their language is unacceptable.

Lastly, by teaching students who use vulgarity that he can substitute other terms in their

stead. Assist pupils in finding offensive words and phrases to utilise when annoyed or angry. The

student may have his own suggestions, or the teacher may offer some words. Even when a learned

habit is undesirable, punishment rarely eradicates it. Teachers are unable to compel the youngster

to cease swearing. The teachers must provide them with an activity that looks and feels as close to

the genuine thing as feasible.

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