Singapore : the state and the culture of excess / Souchou Yao.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Yao, Souchou.

Series:

Asia's transformations

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social policy.

Social conditions.

Singapore--Social conditions--21st century.

Singapore.

Singapore--Social policy.

Singapore--Politics and government--1990-.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xiv, 209 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2007.

Summary:

Singapore, renowned for its prosperous modern industrial economy, also enjoys a more controversial reputation through its strong political rule and pragmatic policies. Yet this strong hegemonic state achieves effective rule not just from repressive policies but also through a combination of efficient government, good standard of living, tough official measures and popular compliance. Souchou Yao looks at the reasons behind such paradoxes, examining key events such as the caning of American teenager Michael Fay, the judicial ruling on fellatio and unnatural sex, and Singapore's 'war on terror' to show the ways in which the State manages these events to ensure the continuance of its power and ideological ethos. Subject areas discussed include: leftist radicalism and communist insurgency, nation-building as trauma, Western 'yellow culture' and Asian Values, judicial caning and the meaning of pain, the law and oral sex, food and the art of lying, cinema as catharsis, Singapore after September 11. Singapore traverses several fields of study, taking up ideas and frameworks from philosophy, psychology, political science, cultural studies and anthropology in order to tell the larger 'truth' about the Singapore state. As such, this lively and well-written book will appeal to anyone in interested in Singapore and Asian studies alike.

Contents:

1 The magic of the Singapore State 1

2 Trauma and the 'culture of excess' 28

3 'Yellow culture', white peril 50

4 Pain, words, violence: the caning of Michael Fay 75

5 Oral sex, natural sex and national enjoyment 97

6 'Talking cock': food and the art of lying 121

7 I Not Stupid: localism, bad translation, catharsis 140

8 The nation after history 159

9 Epilogue: useless pragmatism 178.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [201]-205) and index.

ISBN:

0415417112

0415417120

0203965515

OCLC:

70823026