USWP18: Cultures' Critical Conditions

Topical Introduction | Rhetorical Introduction | Readings

UNIT 3: Renaissance Singapore and beyond

Topical Introduction for Unit 3

Reassuringly (or not?), the concept(s) and value(s) of "culture" are perhaps neither more, nor less, controversial and contested in Singapore now, than they were (and remain) in the areas examined in the 2 previous Units. Indeed a sense of anxiety and characterises the debate about Singaporean culture. So in 1993 American author William Gibson characterised Singapore as, "Disneyland with the Death Penalty". Gibson's provocative essay is in the tradition of the attacks on Lawrence and its use of the theme park metaphor also links the topics of Units 1 and 3 units in a way that raises profound questions about the nature, rhetorical effects and ethics of extreme, polemical writing.

Gibson's antagonism towards the Singaporean way of life contrasts with PM Goh's National Day Rally Speech in 1999 which observed that, "MITA is developing a vision for Singapore to be a renaissance city" in which "artistic creativity" would be a key element in its `knowledge-based economy'". Yet Goh's utopian vision was motivated by his belief that "we are still not yet a society of distinction", and that we need to "be more cultivated and refined" and less "self-centred, selfish and overly materialistic"(speech to NTU 1996).

Our focus is on commentaries that discuss-or may be relevant to-the relationship between Singaporean national identity and its commodity, leisure and information culture. Such commentaries often address, and/or exhibit symptoms of, tensions between traditional and authentically "Asian" Singaporean values, and the drive to be a forward-looking and multi-cultural, "Renaissance" city-state. We also consider possible links between ideas of culture, criticism and crisis in analyses of Singapore and of global postmodernism, by studying some of the cultural forms seen to typify postmodernity and contemporary Singapore, such as: advertising, merchandising, the "placeless" (Jameson 1991) Bonaventure Hotel, and the internet.

Having read and assessed essays about such ambiguous Singapore/an icons as Raffles and Dick Lee, students may wish to write research papers which respond to and develop them, or which might consider such cultural phenomena as "the 4 Cs", or the marketing here, and around the world, of Manchester Utd PLC, Hello Kitty, McDonalds, branded goods, and so on.

Rhetorical Objectives for Unit 3:

To learn how to:

• Analyse any cultural object or phenomenon and to produce a critical assessment of its significance using appropriate vocabulary.
• Use relevant contextual material EG biographical, social and historical data and documents.
• Cite and engage critically with other scholars' arguments (EG By extending, qualifying it contradicting them) in order to develop your own theory.
• Write an original and extended research essay about a key aspect of Singaporean culture. This paper should include a definition of Singaporean culture.
• Undertake independent research that is documented in a scholarly way.

Readings for Unit 3

1. Janadas Devan, "Forgetting to Remember". Our Place in Time: Exploring Heritage and Memory in Singapore. Eds. Kwok Kian-Woon, Kwa Chong Guan, Lily Kong and Brenda Yeoh. Singapore Heritage Society, 1999: 21-33.
2. Chua Beng-Huat, "Singaporeans Ingesting McDonalds."
3. Ien Eng and Jon Stratton, "Straddling East and West: Singapore's Paradoxical Search for a National Identity." In Asian and Pacific Inscriptions: Identities, Ethnicities, Nationalities.' Ed. Suvendrini Perera. Victoria: Meridian Books, 1995: 179-92.
4. William Gibson, "Disneyland with the Death Penalty". Wired
5. Fredric Jameson PART V ('The Bonaventure Hotel') of Chapter 1 CULTURE in Post-Modernism: Or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. Duke U P, 1991: 38-45.

6. Philip Holden, "The Free Market's Second Coming: Monumentalising Raffles". In Reading Culture: Textual Practices in Singapore: 83-98.
   

SOME SUGGESTED TOPICS

• Having read and critically assessed essays about such ambiguous Singapore/an icons as Raffles and Dick Lee, you may wish to write research papers that respond to, and develop these commentaries. Or, you might want to write about other iconic figures-such as the Merlion, Mr Kiasu, or Gurmit Singh (?)-instead.
• Alternatively you might consider abstract phenomena such as Singaporean heritage, multi-culturalism, kiasuism, or "the 4 Cs". However even if you choose to write about abstract phenomena such as these-or something as general as "shopping in Singapore"-you would still need to pinpoint a specific example to focus, to exemplify, and to act as tangible evidence for your ideas EG an essay about Singaporean consumerism might examine the marketing here (and around the world) of: Pokemon; Manchester Utd PLC; Hello Kitty; McDonalds; branded goods, and so on. Such a discussion could develop Jameson's ideas about postmodernity, and the `placeless' Bonaventure hotel, thus putting your essay about Singaporean culture into a global context.
• Or you could consider more institutional/ised aspects of Singaporean culture, such as: any sort of society, or more informal groupings, such as a gangs; the "culture" of a specific school or JC (yours?); the S League; National Day.
• FINALLY: Your are free to choose whatever aspect of Singaporean culture you choose as long as you can convince me that it is a workable topic.

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