Peggy Teo

Remaking local heritage for tourism

Abstract The paper outlines the development of Haw Par Villa as a philanthropic gift for leisure among locals to its revisioning by private enterprise and by the national tourism board as a commercial venture. Against this background, a survey was conducted among the local population to ascertain their reactions to the remaking of local heritage and among tourists to determine their perceptions of the “new” attraction. While locals cling to the personal and valued memories of the old villa, tourists consume the theme park in terms of a commodity package. The dichotomous reaction underscores the importance that must be given to local landscapes in the planning of cultural and/or historical attractions.

Global and local interactions in tourism

Abstract Globalization is often viewed as a powerful force coming from “outside”. Using Haw Par Villa in Singapore as an example, this paper counterargues that landscapes also change in response to forces emanating from “within”. The geometries of power arising from the interaction of the global and the local transformed Haw Par Villa into a worldclass Oriental Disneyland in the first instance, then back to its mythological and cultural roots, and finally to a landscape marked by the personal influences of a small group of operators who managed the park. The restlessness of the attraction shows that landscapes evolve as they become contested and redefined according to changing historical-geographical trajectories.

TOURISM AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN SINGAPORE

Abstract Using a survey of tourists and locals, this study investigates the success of Singapores Civic and Cultural District as a conservation project. The survey revealed that tourists were attracted by the facades of old colonial buildings that have been carefully restored. In contrast, Singaporeans attach a great deal more to activities and lifestyles within the district that have since been removed or have disappeared because of conservation. Planning authorities have concentrated mainly on the issue of economic viability and favor commercial activities such as retail and recreation/leisure. As such, Singaporeans feel that conservation in the district, because it “museumizes” or makes “elitist” to encourage tourism, has failed to preserve their heritage.

Assessing socio-cultural impacts: the case of Singapore

Abstract Tourism has grown rapidly in Singapore and is deemed economically beneficial, but its social and cultural impacts have been both positive and negative. The latter include the demonstration effect of tourism; resentment of foreign workers; changes to the vernacular landscape which, in the main, exclude locals; the commercialization of religious activities; and the emergence of touts at shopping centres. This article uses Doxeys irridex and Butlers model of tourism development to examine how far these effects are tilting perceptions of tourism from an acceptable to an unacceptable activity and suggests ways in which negative impacts can be reduced.

Intimations of Postmodernity in Dark Tourism: The Fate of History at Fort Siloso, Singapore

In this paper, we examine what a few scholars have referred to as postmodernist intimations within contemporary tourism practices, and their potential implications on the way that history is portrayed within ‘dark tourism’ sites. Drawing upon the case of one such site, Fort Siloso, we emphasise two main implications: (1) the privileging, at the site, of the ‘visual’ and ‘experiential’ over the need for historical interpretations, and (2) the dilution of local specificities to make it universally appealing. We then analyse the views of visitors to the site, mainly tourists, to show that, while they appreciate the former, they are also critical of the fact that the past has been ‘watered-down’ at the site. On a broader note, we highlight a few paradoxes emerging within postmodernist conceptions of tourism today, and how the increase in demand for the enhancement of ‘the gaze’ does not necessarily mean a concomitant compromise on, and ideally should not be done at the expense of, historical rigour and depth.

Values, change and inter-generational ties between two generations of women in Singapore

Personal values are framed by social contexts and carried through a persons lifecourse, but are sufficiently malleable to adapt to changing conditions. The dynamic character of personal values should be more frequently recognised in studies of inter-generational ties. This study examines the relationships between two generations of Singaporean women and their divergent values about gender roles, preference for the gender of children, family formation, care-giving and living arrangements. Younger women embrace more western views, while their older counterparts uphold Confucian values. Previous studies have tended to characterise inter-generational ties as conveying ‘conflict’ or ‘solidarity’, but here the concept of ‘ambivalence’ is employed to show that contradictory values co-exist, and that inter-generational ties encapsulate the negotiated outcome of complex attitudes, values and aspirations.

A sense of place in public housing: A case study of Pasir Ris, Singapore

Abstract This paper examines the sense of place in a high-rise, high-density urban environment. In the past, most of the public housing estates in Singapore had a uniform, monotonous appearance. This is rapidly changing. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is using highly visible designs to add variety to the skyline of the estates and to the facades of blocks. Motifs, dormers and colours help to make each estate unique, so that residents have a sense of identity. Precincts, which comprise approximately 750 flats each, have their own focus of activities. Facilities such as courtyards, walkways and pavilions are meant as areas for interaction. This way, the residents have opportunities to get to know each other better and to develop a sense of bonding and belonging. While these planning principles have been more successful in creating a distinct identity for Pasir Ris, the new-generation estate surveyed in this study, the sense of belonging is not very evident. Is it because HDB has taken an ‘outsiders’ view of a sense of place? Have the residents been asked what they want to help them bond with each other and with the locality? It may be necessary to go beyond rational planning principles such as cost and efficiency to examine how emotional affective bonds develop in a public housing estate.

Health care for older persons in Singapore: integrating state and community provisions with individual support.

Abstract Health care policy in Singapore is similar to that in the United States and the United Kingdom, where a residualist strategy is used to pass health care costs to individuals and their families, the rationale being that this enables the state to concentrate on devolution of care to the community and ensure efficient and affordable service to all Singaporeans. The services include public restructured hospitals and outpatient poly-clinics as well as community services such as community hospitals and hospitals for the chronically ill, nursing homes, day care centers, and home help services. Availability does not translate into optimum usage because current and potential users and their families are not able to match their financial and social resources with the services. Instead, the state acts as the case manager and places parameters on what individuals can access.

SARS in Singapore: surveillance strategies in a globalising city

Abstract Public health measures employed to fight against the spread of SARS need to be guided by biomedical knowledge as well as an understanding of the social science aspects of the disease. Using Singapore as a case study, we explore how the state constructs the disease and implements measures targeted at creating a ring of defense around the island and using surveillance to monitor and prevent its spread. While there is support, there is also resentment among some Singaporeans who complain that their right to privacy has been invaded and that over surveillance may have actually occurred. Marginalisation and discrimination have not only affected the local population but in this open economy which is striving to achieve global city status, businesses, tourism, foreign talent, foreign contract workers and foreign students studying in Singapore have also been negatively affected. While Singapore has been applauded by WHO and used as an example of quick and effective response, a holistic approach to the management of infectious disease must address the social implications of strategies that are drawn from medical knowledge alone because it impinges on the social lives of people and how people interact with each other under stressful circumstances.

Singapore: Reversing the demographic transition to meet labour needs

Post-independence population policy in Singapore from 1965 encouraged couples to bear a maximum of two children. From 1987, however, population policy has been in place which is designed to reverse the demographic transition to low birth rates. Instead of encouraging replacement fertility, the government is now urging couples to bear three or more children if they can afford it. The new policy even attempts to enhance the quality of the workforce by offering incentives to encourage larger families among the more educated Singaporeans. This paper explains why and how such a policy change has occurred. While there are many diverse explanations, the driving force behind the new policy has been economic. Major efforts by the government of Singapore to restructure its economy have underpinned the new measures to encourage larger families due to perceived labor demands in the future. The impact of Singapores latest population policy needs to be evaluated. Economic restructuring in Singapore, population policies in Singapore from 1965, the impact of the new policies, the impact of former policy, knowledge and perceptions about the most recent policy, evaluating the response of the new policy, and the broader perspective are discussed.