UGEC2011 The Making of Modern Singapore

This course traces and examines the development of Singapore since 1819, when Stamford Raffles of the English East India Company established a trading settlement on the island. The main focuses of the course will include the political, social and economic development of Singapore since the colonial era up to the post-independent period, the characteristics of the Chinese, Malay and Indian communities in Singapore, the impact of decolonization on Singapore and Southeast Asia, the roles performed by Lee Kuan Yew and the People’s Action Party in the nation-building of Singapore, and a comparison between Singapore and Hong Kong from a historical perspective.

1. Introduction (12 Jan)

No Readings

2. Stamford Raffles and Modern Singapore (19 Jan)

Tarling, N. Colonial Singapore. Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015, pp. 7-27.

3. Botanic Gardens and Singapore’s Colonial Economy (26 Jan)

Huff, W. The Economic Growth of Singapore: Trade and Development in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 43-68.

4. Overseas Chinese and Peranakans in Singapore (9 Feb)

Kwok, K. & Teng, S. Chinese. Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2018, pp. 18-39.

5. 15 February 1942: The Fall of Singapore (16 Feb)

Comber, L. Japanese Occupation. Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2017, pp. 9-24, 40-54.

6. 9 August 1965: Independence of Singapore (23 Feb)

Ooi, K. “Politics Divided: Malaysia-Singapore Relations.” in T. Shiraishi (Ed.) Across the Causeway: A Multi-dimensional Study of Malaysia-Singapore Relations. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2009, pp. 27-51.

7. Nation-Building of Singapore: Lee Kuan Yew and After (2 Mar)

Barr, M. “Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew: Traveling Light, Traveling Fast.” in R. Guha (Ed.) Makers of Modern Asia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2014, pp. 244-266.

8. Becoming First World Country: Economic Growth and Development in Singapore (9 Mar)

Trocki, C. Singapore: Wealth, Power and the Culture of Control. London: Routledge, 2006, pp. 160-180.

9. Reengineering the Society: Pragmatic Social Policies for Political Hegemony (16 Mar)

Chua, B. Liberalism Disavowed: Communitarianism and State Capitalism in Singapore. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2017, pp. 74-97.

10. Moulding a Nation: Education for Elitism and Meritocracy (23 Mar)

Tan, J. “Notions of Equality and Fairness in Education,” in K. Kennedy & J. Lee (Eds) Routledge International Handbook of Schools and Schooling in Asia. London: Routledge 2018, pp. 28-39.

11. Governing Singapore: The Government Machine under the PAP (30 Mar)

Tan, K. “The Ideology of Pragmatism: Neo-liberal Globalisation and Political Authoritarianism in Singapore.” Journal of Contemporary Asia, 42 (1), 2012, pp. 67-92.

12. Filming Singapore: Mass and New Media in Singapore (13 Apr)

George, C. “Consolidating Authoritarian Rule: Calibrated Coercion in Singapore.” The Pacific Review, 20 (2), 2007, pp. 127-145.

13. Beyond SG50: Past, Present and Future (20 Apr)

Woo, J. The Evolution of the Asian Developmental State: Hong Kong and Singapore. London: Routledge, 2018. (Optional reading; E-book available in CUHK Library)

Class Participation: 5%

Further details will be given when the semester begins.

Online Forum on Required Readings: 20%

Students are required to write three short notes, each of which with 150-200 words in English, on three required readings assigned. Further details will be given when the semester begins.

Mid-Term Source-Based Questions: 25%

Students will have one week to complete the task of Source-Based Questions related to the development of Singapore before 1965 to be covered in the first six lectures. Further details will be given when the semester begins.

Term-End Take-Home Exam Essay: 50%

Students will be allowed two weeks to write an essay in English with 2,000-2,500 words in response to one of a few questions. The questions will be given in the second last lecture, when more details will be given.

請注意大學有關學術著作誠信的政策和規則，及適用於犯規事例的紀律指引和程序。詳情可瀏覽網址：http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/。

學生遞交作業時，必須連同已簽署的聲明一併提交，表示他們知道有關政策、規則、指引及程序。

• 如屬小組習作，則所有組員均須簽署聲明；所有組員（不論有否簽署聲明及不論有否直接或間接撰寫有問題的內容）均須負上集體責任及受到懲處。
• 如作業以電腦製作、內容以文字為主，並經由大學「維誠」系統 (VeriGuide) 提交者，學生將作業的電子檔案上載到系統後，便會獲得收據，收據上已列明有關聲明。

未有夾附簽署妥當的聲明的作業，老師將不予批閱。

學生只須提交作業的最終版本。

學生將作業或作業的一部份用於超過一個用途（例如：同時符合兩科的要求）而沒有作出聲明會被視為未有聲明重覆使用作業。學生重覆使用其著作的措辭或某一、二句句子很常見，並可以接受，惟重覆使用全部內容則構成問題。在任何情況下，須先獲得相關老師同意方可提交作業。