Melissa Yoong

Contact

• workRoom EA66
  Malaysia Campus
  Jalan Broga
  43500 Semenyih
  Selangor Darul Ehsan
  Malaysia
• work+6 (03) 8924 8191
• Melissa.Yoong@nottingham.edu.my

Biography

I conduct research in the area of language, gender and sexuality, with a particular focus on gendered discourses of paid work and family care. I have spoken on issues of gender equality for public, institutional and academic audiences. In addition to being the Director of Research for the School of Humanities, I am a member of UNM's People and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee and an affiliate with the Linguistic Profiling for Professionals (LiPP) business unit based in the School of English, UK. I hold a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Nottingham, UK.

Expertise Summary

Language, gender and sexuality; Discourse analysis; Equality, diversity and inclusion at work, at home and in the media

Teaching Summary

Undergraduate modules

1. ENGL1036 Introduction to Linguistics
2. ENGL2032 Discourse and Society
3. ENGL2049 Language, Gender and Sexuality

Postgraduate modules

1. ENGL4292 Approaches to Language and Linguistics
2. ENGL4311 Language, Gender and Sexuality

Selected Publications

• YOONG, M., CHAN, L.F. and CHEN, Y.Y., 2024. Gender inequality and suicide: A systematic review of empirical studies. In: SCHOULER-OCAK, M. and KHAN, M.M., eds., Suicide Across Cultures: Understanding the Variation and Complexity of the Suicidal Process across Ethnicities and Cultures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 83-98
• YOONG, M. and MOHAMED, N., 2024. ‘I felt sad then, I feel free now’: A case for examining the constructive resistance of opted-out mothers. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 43(5), 849-869.
• YOONG, M., 2023. ‘If your voice isn't accepted, does it mean you stop talking?’: Exploring a woman leader’s reversal of postfeminist confidence discourses. Gender in Management. 38(2), 200-214
• YOONG, M. and LEE, S., 2023. ‘China Doll snatched away my husband’: The intersectional othering of Chinese migrant women in a Malaysian newspaper. Discourse, Context & Media. 54, 100713

• View all publications

Past Research

Please click on the 'Publications' tab above for details of my monograph, journal articles and book chapters.

Keynotes and Invited Talks:

YOONG, M. 2023. "Let's Just Gather the Forces": Exploring Practices of Power and Resistance in Postfeminist Discourse. Keynote presented at the 3rd Gender Studies Conference, University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus, China.

YOONG, M. 2022. Rehabilitating the Language of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Malaysia's Women's Empowerment Discourse. Invited plenary paper presented at 1st Asia Pacific Conference on Language and Gender, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.

YOONG, M. 2021. Bodily Autonomy: The Role of Media in Promoting Gender Equality in Malaysia. Keynote presented at the Malaysia Women & Girls Forum 2021, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

YOONG, M., 2019. The Discursive Legitimation of the Political Gender Gap in Twitter Debates. Keynote presented at 12th British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL) Language, Gender and Sexuality SIG Event, Birmingham City University, UK.

Conference Presentations:

YOONG, M. and WONG, X., 2023. Feminist Resistance in and against Neoliberal, Postfeminist Entrepreneurship Discourse: A Case Study of a Sustainable Social Enterprise. At: 12th International Gender and Language Association Conference, University of Queensland, Australia.

YOONG, M., 2021. Rethinking Women's Empowerment Through Global Householding: A Critical Analysis of Interpellations and Absences in Online Discourse. At: 11th International Gender and Language Association Conference, Queen Mary University of London, UK.

YOONG, M., 2018. "China Dolls", Madonna Wives, and Vanishing Husbands: Media-mediated Identities of Malaysia's Chinese Diaspora and Economic Migrants. At: 10th International Gender and Language Association Conference, University of Botswana, Botswana.

YOONG, M., 2017. Women, Work, and Having It All: Professional Discourses and Identities in Malaysian Media. At: 6th University of Malaya Discourse and Society International Conference, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

YOONG, M., 2016. "Create Opportunities for Yourself!": Neoliberal Postfeminism in a Malaysian Women's Magazine. At: 9th International Gender and Language Association Conference, City University, Hong Kong.

YOONG, M., 2014. The Air Hostess and the Chairman: Developing Learner Awareness of Politically Incorrect Language in Newspapers in Education. At: 12th International Asia TEFL Conference, Kuching, Malaysia.

YOONG, M., 2013. Sexism on UNMC Students' Facebook "Confessions" Page. At: Ms Education: Women, Equality and Education in the 21st century, University of Nottingham, UK.

Short Pieces:

YOONG, M., 2018. No more 'leaning in' - the neoliberal myth of the superhero businesswoman holds us all back. The Conversation. Available at: http://theconversation.com/no-more-leaning-in-the-neoliberal-myth-of-the-superhero-businesswoman-holds-us-all-back-101922

YOONG, M., 2014. Pull up a chair, we need to talk about sexist language at work. The Conversation. Available at: http://theconversation.com/pull-up-a-chair-we-need-to-talk-about-sexist-language-at-work-31869

Media Interviews:

CALLAHAN, J., MAVIN, S., and YOONG, M., 2022. HRD & Gender. Human Resource Development Masterclass. Available at: https://www.ahrd.org/page/HRD-Masterclass-Podcast-Series

FARID, A., 2022. Enforcing 'proper' use of Bahasa Malaysia with penalties 'unfortunate', say linguists. The Malaysian Insight. Available at: https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/388111

BAILEY, L. and YOONG, M., 2016. Gender in the Workplace. BFM. Available at: https://www.bfm.my/podcast/the-bigger-picture/live-learn/lucy-bailey-melissa-yoong-gender-in-workplace

• YOONG, M., CHAN, L.F. and CHEN, Y.Y., 2024. Gender inequality and suicide: A systematic review of empirical studies. In: SCHOULER-OCAK, M. and KHAN, M.M., eds., Suicide Across Cultures: Understanding the Variation and Complexity of the Suicidal Process across Ethnicities and Cultures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 83-98
• YOONG, M. and MOHAMED, N., 2024. ‘I felt sad then, I feel free now’: A case for examining the constructive resistance of opted-out mothers. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 43(5), 849-869.
• YOONG, M., 2023. (De)legitimation strategies in the media statements of women's rights organisations. In: RAJANDRAN, K. and LEE, C., eds., Discursive Approaches to Politics in Malaysia: Legitimising Governance. Singapore: Springer. 185-205
• YOONG, M., 2023. ‘If your voice isn't accepted, does it mean you stop talking?’: Exploring a woman leader’s reversal of postfeminist confidence discourses. Gender in Management. 38(2), 200-214
• YOONG, M. and LEE, S., 2023. ‘China Doll snatched away my husband’: The intersectional othering of Chinese migrant women in a Malaysian newspaper. Discourse, Context & Media. 54, 100713
• YOONG, M., 2022. Women’s empowerment, employment and exclusion: Discourses in economic competitiveness initiatives in Malaysia. In: MULLANY, L. and SCHNURR, S., eds., Globalisation, Geopolitics, and Gender in Professional Communication. New York: Routledge. 85-105.
• YOONG, M., 2020. Professional Discourses, Gender and Identity in Women's Media. Cham: Palgrave.
• YOONG, M., 2019. ‘Where’s our #30peratus’: A feminist critical discourse analysis of Twitter debates on women’s political representation. In: SOPHIE LEMIÈRE, ed., Minorities Matter: Malaysian Politics and People (Vol. 3). Singapore: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. 21-35
• YOONG, M., 2019. Review: Gender, Power and Political Speech: Women and Language in the 2015 UK General Election by D. Cameron and S. Shaw. Journal of Language and Discrimination. 3(1), 72-75
• YOONG, M., 2018. Language, gender and sexuality. In: PHILIP SEARGEANT, ANN HEWINGS and STEPHEN PIHLAJA, eds., The Routledge Handbook of English Language Studies. London: Routledge. 226-239
• YOONG, M., 2017. Men and women on air: Gender stereotypes in humour sequences in a Malaysian radio phone-in programme. Gender and Language. 11(1), 30-50
• MULLANY, L. and YOONG, M., 2017. Gender and the workplace. In: BERNADETTE VINE, ed., The Routledge Handbook of Language in the Workplace. London: Routledge. 347-358
• MULLANY, L. and YOONG, M., 2016. Language, gender and identities in political life: A case study from Malaysia. In: SIAN PREECE, ed., The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity. London: Routledge. 428-442