Nationalism And Singapore's Modernization

In 1819, the fleet of the British Empire mounted Is. Singapore, which marks the beginning of Singapore's unique historical journey. She turns from a mysterious island into a busy port of international trade, and then, a highly developed republic. Only because of the "miracles" on her historical journey, Singapore has attracted many scholars and politicians. As an inquirer, I attempt to study Singapore's modernization from perspective of nationalism, and hope to avoid the debates among "Confucian ethics", authority politics and market economy, and then announce a reason ignored for a long time hidden in Singaporean development.The question of nationalism and the theory of modernization both have their own complicated symbol systems, so it is not necessary to sort them out. Chapter one catches the modern attribute of nationalism, which is an important content of modernization. And then, chapter one analyses the national characteristic of the modernization theory. Finally it analyses how nationalism affects modernization: it is the motive that the modern economy produces and develops continuously; it helps to turn democracy and freedom into reality; it requires the constant promotion of the modernization; it can also combines the division caused by modernization, etc.The understanding of Singapore in this thesis is divided into two, one is the understanding of modernization in Singapore, the other is the understanding of theory of modernization in Singapore.Chapter two introduces the evolution of nationalism in Singapore and the modernization in the colony period. The forming of Singaporean nationalism is very long and complicated. The identity of the Chinese in Singapore experienced a changing process. It turns from China to locality, and then, to Singapore. Malay nationalism was born at the beginning of the 20th century. Malay nationalism of Singapore is in accordance with that of the Malay Peninsula. With Singapore's independence, the Malay people turn their identity from Malay to Singapore gradually. The identity of Indians in Singapore experience a changing process the same as that of Chinese in Singapore. Before World War II, the Indians' identity is India. After World War II, their identity is local. Under the governing of the colonial administration, Singaporean began her process of modernization, which left a rich legacy to Singapore and became the ability that the independent Singapore to go on modernization.Chapter three focuses on the effects of Singapore's nationalism on Singapore modernization, including the foundation of Singapore, the relationship between the construction of the Singaporean national approval and modernization, Singapore's competitive consciousness, the features of Singapore's nationalism, Singapore's economical nationalism and Singapore's democracy.The road to Singapore's independence goes hard. Independence is the requirement of modernization, which enable a nation to protect its benefit and arrange its modernization better. From 1959, Singapore gained autonomy, and then, independence. The experience of autonomy did exercises and slapped People's Action Party of regime. It is disappointed for Singapore to break away from the federation, which is an inevitable choice to guarantee Singapore's independence.Political independence does not mean a real establishment of Singapore. She must also condense her nationalism emotion, scattered individuals together. At the beginning of herindependence, she needs a strength to encourage her people to overcome questions, such as unemployment, housing. But the cultural difference of ethnic groups in Singapore is great, so the construction of nationalism in Singapore can't be build from culturally. It can only be build politically. That is, her political nationalism on the basis of " survive " " need " and under government's predominance began to be set up. In this period, her nationalism combine social cracks of plural cultures, consoled the social pains that was brought by the beginning of modernization, and also offered strong motive force for economica...