Singapore's Modernization
Singapore's Modernization

Author: Wei-Bin Zhang

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13:

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This book is a part of a broad study about Confucianism and its implications for modernisation of the Confucian regions (covering mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Singapore). Singapore provides a typical example for understanding the Chinese 'Westernising' processes as well as for investigating possible implications of Confucianism for modernisation. It is argued that the difference in modernisation processes between the mainland China and overseas Chinese is much due to the differences in population size and geography. Since the Western powers had enforced China to open its doors to Western powers from the Opium War, many Chinese people left China for overseas. It is in foreign lands and in Taiwan that the Chinese have benefited from Western thought and institutions.

The Asian Modern
The Asian Modern

Author: C.J.W.-L. Wee

Publisher: Hong Kong University Press

Published: 2007-10-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9789622098596

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How does one comprehend the phenomenon of the modernization of an Asian society in a globalized East Asian context? With this opening question, the author proceeds to give an account of how the modernization processes for postcolonial societies in Asia, such as those of India, Malaysia, and Singapore, are fraught with collaborations and conflicts between different socio-political, historical, economic, and cultural agents. Such ambivalent dynamics contribute to what Wee argues as a 'revealing distortion' of the extant models of Western modernity, which is nonetheless rooted in the politics of worldwide capitalism. Wee's narrative refuses to accept the uncritical interpretation of the modernizing processes in Asia as liberation from the hegemony of Euro-American capitalism. But neither is Wee prepared to concede that all cultural initiatives in the postcolonial societies are, therefore, denied all power to devise alternative forms of expression in the face of this haunting presence. It is the persistent effort to see the many faces of modernization in Asia in their full complexity that sets this study apart. Readers will discover that what seems to be the modernization of a single geopolitical entity is inevitably linked to the dynamics of various agents in other locations at different times, which makes us reflect on the existence of the many 'distortions' in our societies.

A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005
A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005

Author: C.M. Turnbull

Publisher: NUS Press

Published: 2009-01-01

Total Pages: 490

ISBN-13: 9971694301

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When C.M. Turnbull's A History of Singapore, 1819-1975 appeared in 1977, it quickly achieved recognition as the definitive history of Singapore. A second edition published in 1989 brought the story up to the elections held in 1988. In this fully revised edition, rewritten to take into account recent scholarship on Singapore, the author has added a chapter on Goh Chok Tong's premiership (1990-2004) and the transition to a government headed by Lee Hsien Loong. The book now ends in 2005, when the Republic of Singapore celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent nation. Major changes occurred in the 1990s as the generation of leaders that oversaw the transition from a colony to independence stepped aside in favour of a younger generation of leaders. Their task was to shape a course that sustained the economic growth and social stability achieved by their predecessors, and they would be tested towards the end of the decade when Southeast Asia experienced a severe financial crisis. Many modern studies on Singapore focus on current affairs or very recent events and pay a great deal of attention to Singapore's successful transition from the developing to the developed world. However, younger historians are increasingly interested in other aspects of the country's past, particularly social and cultural issues. A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 provides a solid foundation and an overarching framework for this research, surveying Singapore's trajectory from a small British port to a major trading and financial hub within the British Empire and finally to the modern city state that Singapore became after gaining independence in 1965.

Refreshing The Singapore System: Recalibrating Socio-economic Policy For The 21st Century
Refreshing The Singapore System: Recalibrating Socio-economic Policy For The 21st Century

Author: Terence Wai Luen Ho

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2021-08-13

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 9811236550

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Singapore's rapid ascent from Third World to First since its independence in 1965 has won it acclaim as an 'economic miracle'. Economic success has been accompanied by impressive achievements in social development, as reflected in international rankings of human capital and human development.The city state's achievements are founded on a socio-economic system characterised by low tax rates, flexible labour markets, and individual 'self-reliance', with state support centred on social investment in education and public housing.Entering the 21st century, however, slowing economic growth, an ageing population, global competition, and widening income dispersion have put the Singapore System under strain. This has prompted a significant refresh of social and economic policies over the past 15-20 years.This book aims to bring the reader up to date on Singapore's socio-economic development in the first two decades of the 21st century. It looks back to the shifts in policy thinking that have accompanied structural changes to Singapore's society and economy, taking stock of the policy innovations aimed at sustaining income growth, economic security, and social mobility. It looks around to compare Singapore's approach to those of other countries facing similar challenges, situating Singapore's experience in the wider international discourse on public policy. Finally, it looks ahead to how the Singapore System may evolve in the years to come.

Of Whales and Dinosaurs
Of Whales and Dinosaurs

Author: Kevin Y.L. Tan

Publisher: NUS Press

Published: 2015-04-18

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 9971698552

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Singapore's collection of Southeast Asian animals–one of the world's largest–dates back to the old Raffles Museum, officially established in 1878.With the opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2015, the original Raffles Museum has "reincarnated" and the loop on its remarkable 127-year history has closed. Beneath the sleek exterior of today's modern museum building lies a saga of titanic struggles and changes. That the collections survived at all–through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore's modernization–is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also tells the story of frustrations, commitment and courage of the numerous individuals who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly and overcame the odds to protect Singapore's natural history heritage. The book features 108 historical photographs and natural history illustrations printed in full colour throughout.

Modernization of Asian Theatres
Modernization of Asian Theatres

Author: Yasushi Nagata

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-05-13

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9811360464

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This volume focuses on the theatre history of Asian countries, and discusses the specific context of theatre modernization in Asia. While Asian theatre is one of the primary interests within theatre scholarship in the world today, knowledge of Asian theatre history is very limited and often surprisingly incorrect. Therefore, this volume addresses a major gap in contemporary theatre studies. The volume discusses the conflict between tradition and modernity in theatre, suggesting that the problems of modernity are closely related to the idea of tradition. Although Asian countries preserved the traditional form and values of their respective theatres, they had to also confront the newly introduced values or mechanisms of European modernity. Several papers in this volume therefore provide critical surveys of the history of theatre modernization in Asian countries or regions—Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India Malaysia, Singapore, and Uyghur. Other papers focus on specific case studies of the history of modernization, discussing contemporary Taiwanese performances, translations of modern French comedy into Chinese, the modernization of Chinese Xiqu, modern Okinawan plays, Malaysian traditional performances, Korean national theatre, and Japanese plays during World War II. Renowned academics and theatre critics have contributed to this volume, making it a valuable resource for researchers and students of theatre studies, literature, and cultural studies.

Confucianism and Spiritual Traditions in Modern China and Beyond
Confucianism and Spiritual Traditions in Modern China and Beyond

Author: Fenggang Yang

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2011-11-11

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 9004215697

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Confucianism is reviving in China and spreading in America. The past and present interactions between the revived Confucianism and Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity will likely shape the cultural and political developments in Chinese societies of mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., and will have global implications in the globalizing world. In addition to the philosophical and theological articulations of Confucianism and other spiritual traditions, this volume includes empirical studies of and analytical reflections on the spiritual traditions in Chinese societies by historians, sociologists, and anthropologists. It is a collection of articles by the best minds in China and the West, and the top experts in multiple disciplines. Collectively, the volume provides an assessment of the present situation and points to the possibilities of future development of Confucianism and other spiritual traditions in modern China and beyond.

Soundscapes of Wellbeing in Popular Music
Soundscapes of Wellbeing in Popular Music

Author: Gavin J. Andrews

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1317052366

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Unearthing the messy and sprawling interrelationships of place, wellbeing, and popular music, this book explores musical soundscapes of health, ranging from activism to international charity, to therapeutic treatments and how wellbeing is sought and attained in contexts of music. Drawing on critical social theories of the production, circulation, and consumption of popular music, the book gathers together diverse insights from geographers and musicologists. Popular music has become increasingly embedded in complex and often contradictory discourses of wellbeing. For instance, some new genres and sub-cultures of popular music are associated with violence, drug-use, and the angst of living, yet simultaneously define the hopes and dreams of millions of young people. At a service level, popular music is increasingly used as a therapeutic modality in holistic medicine, as well as in conventional health care and public health practice. The genre of popular music, then, is fundamental to human wellbeing as an active and central part of people’s emotional lives. By conceptually and empirically foregrounding place, this book demonstrates how - music whether from particular places, about particular places, or played in particular places ” is a crucial component of health and wellbeing.