Description:
This book critically reflects on 50 years of Singapore's 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 Singapore's shared national past. Central to this book is an examination of how Singaporeans have learnt to adapt and change in the face of policies introduced by the PAP government since independence in 1965. A valuable assessment to students and researchers alike, Singapore is of interest to specialists in Southeast Asian history and politics.
Review Quotes:
"This edited volume was published in part to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the founding of Singapore. However, the editors establish at the outset that they are seeking to look critically at Singapore's history and culture, so the book is not supposed to serve merely as a celebratory volume of the city-state's achievements. With this intent in mind, the contributions cohere very well and ultimately present a very useful picture of Singapore today. The 13 chapters cover a range of interesting issues, including such sensitive topics as the mechanics of single party rule, race, language, and religion. All the contributors know Singapore well, and though the chapters are relatively short, their analyses are knowledgeable and nuanced. Although Singapore is not generally a significant focus for teachers in the US, the book will be a reliable resource for university collections that cover religion and ethnicity in Asia, Southeast Asian politics, or other political science collections that might want to examine how Singapore's somewhat idiosyncratic political system plays out in practice in people's lives."
S. Maxim, University of California, Berkeley
Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries.