Pagoda Columbarium.
volume 5, 2006
folio is an annual collection of student essays written for modules offered in the University Scholars Programme's Writing and Critical Thinking Programme.
In this volume:
- The Smart Sema
"[The] natives work to preserve their culture by commoditizing it rather 'smartly,' i.e., by appearing to quench the tourists' thirst for an authentic experience while serving their own cultural interests." Shree Ravi on tourism, authenticity, and the survival of cultures.
- Families in 1984 and The Coffin Is Too Big for the Hole
"The government in The Coffin uses Confucian values to gain the loyalty of the people by projecting a paternalistic image and emphasising the importance of filial piety." Ng Ying Tat on paternalism, filial piety, and conflicting loyalties.
- John Bull vs. J.M. Murry: Should Lady Chatterley's Lover Be Condemned on the Grounds of Obscenity?
"[His] outrage at the violation of the sexual taboo actually stems from a fear of it leading to a larger societal taboo being broken--sexual transgression of class boundaries...." Lee Cheng Wei on pornography, obscenity, and the perpetuation of the status quo.
- The Bauman Paradox
"How can the Panopticon prevent the perception of the nature of contemporary changes even though it is a 'near-perfect metaphor' for modernization?" Ranvir Malhotra on modernization, the present, and the uncritical use of theory.
- Lost in Translation
"All these elements fit preconceived images of being Chinese, and together present Orchard Road as an area steeped in Chinese culture and traditions." Kam Tai Tong on inadequate translation, touristic expectations, and mixed messages.
- The Incompatible Elements of Tradition and Progress in the Pagoda Columbarium
"[The] Pagoda Columbarium and other such landmarks of death in Singapore become singularly important sites from which one can examine the constitution and identity of the nation." Kwok Dao Yang Jonathan on the vernacular, the kitsch, and the disposal of the dead.
- The Branding of iPod: Constructing an Identity
"What these images present to the viewers ... are certain attitudes and lifestyles--the construction of an identity for potential iPod consumers." Hu Yilan on silhouettes, fashion, and subcultural identities.
- "We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves": The Birth of the Machine State and the Death of the Individual in 1984
"Through the complete obliteration of privacy, both of physical and mental spaces, in a sadistic exercise of panoptic surveillance, Orwell's Oceania represents a macabre piece of social machinery that feeds off the individuality and humanity of its victims to maintain its own vitality and absolute power." Yao Yao on conformity, the last man, and final rehabilitation.
- Contributors/Process Notes
"I am now intentionally applying the skills I have learnt to create a proper structure in all my academic essays. Taking the effort to identify complications and craft an explicit motive is now a constant part of all my writing." Writers and instructors reflect on the demands--and benefits--of writing carefully structured essays.
Editor: Johan Geertsema
Editorial board (2006): Don Favareau, Johan Geertsema, Andrew Leng, Michael Maiwald, Barbara Ryan
Last updated: 2 November 2009