Collectively, the essays in the volume paint a comprehensive portrait of the evolving Singapore society through an examination of 1 its fundamental social structure and the sources of social division in terms of class, ethnicity, gender and culture; 2 its basic social institutions - religion, politics, marriage and the family - and their interconnections; and 3 the policies relating to and consequences of its key social, economic and developmental processes - industrialization, urbanization and community development, and demographic changes. Understanding Singapore Society is geared to a wide audience. For the general readers, it makes available a broad range of sociological writings which would contribute to public discourse on social and cultural issues in Singapore. For students or undergraduates, the collection offers local data and findings from which to understand Singapore society and learn Sociology through examples drawn from the Singapore context. Needless to say, the volume can also serve as a source-book to graduate students and researchers (especially those from other cultures) seeking to build up an understanding of the theoretical perspectives, hypotheses and new ideas generated in the Asian context in general, and Singapore in particular.

Understanding Singapore Politics, Second Edition, aims to present a structural-functional understanding of politics in Singapore. This textbook provides a foundational knowledge of Singapore's politics by discussing key topics including the country's history, political and party systems, role of parastatal organisations, nation building, political leadership, electoral politics, hot-button national issues and the role of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore politics. Recommended for anyone who has an interest or a stake in the island republic, this introductory text provides insights on what drives, shapes and influences Singapore's politics and explains the political behaviour of Singaporeans.

Religious and ethno-religious issues are inherent in many multiethnic and multi-religious societies. Singapore society is no exception. It has long been multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious, being at the crossroads of many major and minor civilizations, cultures and traditions, and its religious diversity continues to develop in the current contexts of growing religiosity, religious change and conflict often in the name of religion. Despite this background, there is lack of in-depth knowledge, nuanced understanding and regular dialogue about religions and the meanings of living in a multi-religious world. This volume covering major themes of Singapore's religious landscape, religion in schools and among the young, religion in the media, religious involvement in social services, and interfaith issues and interaction fills important gaps in the knowledge and understanding of Singapore's religious diversity and complexity. A collective effort of researchers and practitioners, it is a timely and useful reference for scholars, decision-makers, leaders and practitioners as well as for concerned citizens and followers.

What Can Space Do for the Arts?; What Can Arts Do for Space?; and What Can Arts and Space Do for the Community? Through the lenses of creative placemaking and neighbourhood arts ecology, Trivic re-examines the position of community arts in the spatial, social and cultural landscape. Emphasising urban design considerations of complex interdependent relationships between arts, space and people, he re-explores the role of community-based arts activities in shaping urban neighbourhoods, enriching public life and empowering communities. This is divided into an analysis of spatial opportunities for the arts in the neighbourhood; and a study of the impacts of bringing arts and culture activities into local neighbourhoods and communities, using Singapore’s nodal approach as a developed case study. Using spatial opportunity analysis, the book demonstrates a step-by-step procedure for identification and evaluation of the neighbourhood spaces that work best for community arts and culture activities. In the study of impacts, Trivic proposes a holistic framework for capturing and evaluating the non-economic impacts of arts and culture, on space, society, well-being, education and participation. An invaluable template for arts event organisers and artists to assess and maximise the outcomes of their creative efforts in local neighbourhoods, as well as an important reading for students and practitioners of neighbourhood planning, urban design, and creative placemaking.

Discovering Singaporean identity through cooking and cuisine While eating is a universal experience, for Singaporeans it carries strong national connotations. The popular Singaporean-English phrase "Die die must try" is not so much hyperbole as it is a reflection of the lengths that Singaporeans will go to find great dishes. In Eating Her Curries and Kway: A Cultural History of Food in Singapore, Nicole Tarulevicz argues that in a society that has undergone substantial change in a relatively short amount of time, food serves Singaporeans as a poignant connection to the past. Eating has provided a unifying practice for a diverse society, a metaphor for multiracialism and recognizable national symbols for a fledgling state. Covering the period from British settlement in 1819 to the present and focusing on the post–1965 postcolonial era, Tarulevicz tells the story of Singapore through the production and consumption of food. Analyzing a variety of sources that range from cookbooks to architectural and city plans, Tarulevicz offer a thematic history of this unusual country, which was colonized by the British and operated as a port within Malaya. Connecting food culture to the larger history of Singapore, she discusses various topics including domesticity and home economics, housing and architecture, advertising, and the regulation of food-related manners and public behavior such as hawking, littering, and chewing gum. Moving away from the predominantly political and economic focus of other histories of Singapore, Eating Her Curries and Kway provides an important alternative reading of Singaporean society.

Far from being a melting pot, multi-racial Singapore prides itself on the richness of its ethnic communities and cultures. This volume provides an updated account of the heterogeneity within each of the main communities — the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and Others. It also documents the ethnic cultures of these communities by discussing their histories, celebrations, cultural symbols, life cycle rituals, cultural icons and attempts to preserve culture. While chapters are written by scholars drawing insight from a variety of sources ranging from academic publications to discussions with community experts, it is written in an accessible way. This volume seeks to increase intercultural understanding through presenting ample insights into the cultural beliefs and practices of the different ethnic communities. While this book is about diversity, a closer examination of the peoples and cultures of Singapore demonstrates the many similarities communities share in this Singaporean space.

Ethnic and religious differences, a widening socio-economic divide, tension between foreigners and locals. These are some of the contemporary challenges to integration in Singapore. How we navigate them will determine the type of society we become. This book gathers the best social scientists in Singapore to examine issues of ethnicity, religion, class, and culture in order to understand the many different fault lines that run across the multicultural city-state. These essays are written in an engaging manner and are designed to present the authors’ expertise to a wider audience.

This book examines how critical thinking is regulated in Singapore through the process of what the influential sociologist of education Basil Bernstein termed "pedagogic recontextualization". The ability of critical thinking to speak to alternative possibilities and individual autonomy as well as its assumptions of a liberal arrangement of society is problematized in Singapore’s socio-political climate. By examining how such curricular discourses are taken up and enacted in the classrooms of two schools that cater to very different groups in society, the book foregrounds the role of traditional high-status knowledge in the elaboration of class formation and develops a critical understanding of post-developmental state initiatives linked to the parable of modernization in Singapore. Knowledge, Control and Critical Thinking in Singapore offers chapters on: • Critical Thinking and the Singapore State: Meritocracy, Illiberalism and Neoliberalism • Sacred Knowledge and Elite Dispositions: Recontextualizing Critical Thinking in an Elite School • Power, Knowledge and Symbolic Control: Official Pedagogic Identities and the Politics of Recontextualization This book will appeal to scholars in comparative education studies, curriculum studies and education reform. It will also interest scholars engaged in Asian studies who are struggling to understand issues of education policy formation and implementation, particularly in the areas of critical thinking and other knowledge skills.

CultureShock! Singapore takes you inside the tiny island nation and pulls back the veneer on a country that is both Asian and Western at the same time. Insights into the people and their culture and traditions. Advise on adapting into the local environment. Essential information on the coutnry's history, traditions, beliefs, etiquette, cusine and leisure activities. Suggestions on how to get the most out of the travel experience. Linguistic help and hints on how to learn the language and do business. A useful list of foreign words and phrases and a conprehensive resource guide. A glossary books for further reading and a list of interesting websites for additonal reference. Lively and humorous illustrations that capture the essence of the text. A section of full colour images that give a flavour of the destination CultureShock! Singaporetakes you inside the tiny island nation at the tip of the Malaysian archipelago and pulls back the veneer on a country that is both Asian and Western at the same time. Discover how this multi-racial society manages to work like clockwork despite its disparate backgrounds, and find out how to deal with the people's kiasu attitude. Through this book-filled with practical information and tips for everyday living-you will learn more about the different local and ethnic customs and beliefs, and be introduced to its diverse and mouth-watering cuisine. CultureShock! Singaporeis the definitive read for anyone who wants to settle easily into Singaporean society and it will have you understanding Singlish in no time. About the Series- CultureShock! is a comprehensive, dynamic and indispensable guide for travellers looking to truly understand the countries they are visiting, as well as expatriates settling into a new assignment in a foreign land. Each title explains the customs, traditions, social and business etiquette in a lively and informative style. CultureShock! Authors, all of whom have experienced the joys and pitfalls of cultural adaptation, provide warm and informative advice to those who seek to integrate seamlessly into diverse cultures. The books have a friendly and honest writing style and are full of personal experiences, practical advise and useful information About the Author - Mari�n Bravo-Bhasinhas been preparing all her life to write a book on cultural exchange. Originally from Chile, her family moved to the United States when she was a young girl. After college, she joined the Peace Corps and taught in West Africa for two years. The 'culture shock' training and cross-cultural experience she received left her knowing that an international path was the direction she wanted to take. She enrolled at Thunderbird University and received a Masters degree in International Management. While at Thunderbird, Mari�n met her future husband Sanjay, who is originally from India. After seven years in New York City, where she worked in public relations, advertising and international marketing, the family relocated to Singapore through Sanjay's work. Life overseas has presented many new and creative opportunities that Mari�n is fully enjoying. As a freelance writer, Mari�n has put pen to paper for a number of magazines in Singapore and the region. She has also authored two books on table decoration.

On 9 August 2015, Singapore celebrated its 50th year of national independence, a milestone for the nation as it has overcome major economic, social, cultural and political challenges in a short period of time. Whilst this was a celebratory event to acknowledge the role of the People’s Action Party (PAP) government, it was also marked by national remembrance as founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew died in March 2015. This book critically reflects on Singapore’s 50 years of independence. Contributors interrogate a selected range of topics on Singapore’s history, culture and society – including the constitution, education, religion and race – and thereby facilitate a better understanding of its shared national past. Central to this book is an examination of how Singaporeans have learnt to adapt and change through PAP government policies since independence in 1965. All chapters begin their histories from that point in time and each contribution focuses either on an area that has been neglected in Singapore’s modern history or offer new perspectives on the past. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, it presents an independent and critical take on Singapore’s post-1965 history. A valuable assessment to students and researchers alike, Singapore: Negotiating State and Society, 1965-2015 is of interest to specialists in Southeast Asian history and politics.