TY - CHAP
T1 - Citizenship education and nation building – the Singapore case
AU - Martin , S.
AU - Feng, Anwei
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - People in many parts of the world perceive Singapore and its people very differently (Lee, 2001; Kwok, 2001). To those with little geographical knowledge, Singapore may be imagined as a small part of China. To many, the country is simply a tiny dot at the tip of the Asian mainland, a nation struggling for its very survival. Those who have seen or studied the country tend to describe it as a small city-state with no natural resources but one which enjoys a strategic position, a superb infrastructure, a strong economy and a powerful government. The three major ethnic groups, Chinese, Malay and Indian, are thought to communicate well and to live harmoniously on the small island. The country is often characterised as an ideal multicultural home for all Singaporeans - even as a small utopia. Some critics, however, draw an analogy between Singapore and an orderly corporation under the efficient and skin-tight control of an authoritarian management structure. It appears that some of these perceptions find expression as part of the Singaporean identity and are influential in conceptualising Singaporean citizenship and formulating national educational policy. It is these perceptions, in part, that are believed by many to have inspired its leaders to turn the island-city-state into a strong state (Gopinathan, 1997).
AB - People in many parts of the world perceive Singapore and its people very differently (Lee, 2001; Kwok, 2001). To those with little geographical knowledge, Singapore may be imagined as a small part of China. To many, the country is simply a tiny dot at the tip of the Asian mainland, a nation struggling for its very survival. Those who have seen or studied the country tend to describe it as a small city-state with no natural resources but one which enjoys a strategic position, a superb infrastructure, a strong economy and a powerful government. The three major ethnic groups, Chinese, Malay and Indian, are thought to communicate well and to live harmoniously on the small island. The country is often characterised as an ideal multicultural home for all Singaporeans - even as a small utopia. Some critics, however, draw an analogy between Singapore and an orderly corporation under the efficient and skin-tight control of an authoritarian management structure. It appears that some of these perceptions find expression as part of the Singaporean identity and are influential in conceptualising Singaporean citizenship and formulating national educational policy. It is these perceptions, in part, that are believed by many to have inspired its leaders to turn the island-city-state into a strong state (Gopinathan, 1997).
KW - Citizenship
KW - Multicultural education
KW - Cross-cultural studies
UR - https://www.multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/?k=9781853599194
M3 - Book Chapter
SN - 9781853599194
T3 - Languages for intercultural communication and education
BT - Education for Intercultural Citizenship: Concepts and Comparisons
A2 - Alred , Geof
A2 - Byram, Mike
A2 - Fleming , Mike
PB - Multilingual Matters
CY - Clevedon
ER -