Singapore
The State and the Culture of Excess
Price: $43.95
Add to Cart- ISBN: 978-0-415-41712-9
- Binding: Paperback (also available in Hardback)
- Published by: Routledge
- Publication Date: 7th December 2006
- Pages: 224
About the Book
Taking ideas and frameworks from philosophy, psychology, political science, cultural studies and anthropology, this book tells the larger ‘truth’ about the Singapore state. This book argues that 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 the hegemonic ruling, 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.
Lively, and well-written, this book discusses key subject areas such as:
- 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.
Reviews
'Yao masterfully unfolds the magic of the Singapore state, giving details of the desires and works of its magician- statesman and the dreams and fallibilities of the citizen - audience in a narrative worthy of a cinematic classic' - Daniel PS Goh, National University of Singapore, SingaporeTable of Contents
Preface 1. The Magic of the Singapore State 2. Trauma and the 'Culture of Excess' 3. Yellow Culture, White Peril 4. Pain, Words, Violence: The Caning of Michael Fay 5. Oral Sex, Natural Sex and National Enjoyment 6. 'Talking Cock': Food and the Art of Lying 7. I Not Stupid: Localism, Bad Translation, Catharsis 8. The Nation after History 9. Epilogue: Useless Pragmatism
About the Author(s)
Souchou Yao is Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Sydney. He has published widely in international journals and is the author of Confucian Capitalism: discourse, practice and the myth of Chinese enterprise.