The Future of Singapore: Population, Society and the Nature of the State (Routledge Contemporary Southeast Asia Series)

Singapore, like many other advanced economies, has a relatively low, and declining, birth-rate. One consequence of this, and a consequence also of the successful economy, is that migrants are being drawn in, and are becoming an increasing proportion of the overall population. This book examines this crucial development, and assesses its likely impact on Singapore society, politics and the state. It shows that, although Singapore is a multi-ethnic society, migration and the changing ethnic mix are causing increasing strains, putting new demands on housing, education and social welfare, and changing the make-up of the workforce, where the government is responding with policies designed to attract the right sort of talent. The book discusses the growing opposition to migration, and explores how the factors which have underpinned Singapore’s success over recent decades, including a cohesive elite, with a clearly focused ideology, a tightly controlled political system and strong continuity of government, are at risk of being undermined by the population changes and their effects. The book also compares the position in Singapore with other East Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, which are also experiencing population changes with potentially far-reaching consequences. Cover 1 Half Title 4 Title Page 10 Copyright Page 11 Table of Contents 12 List of illustrations 13 Acknowledgements 14 1. Singapore’s population dilemma 16 Introduction: the dismal science 16 Essay on the Principle of Population 21 Demographic strategies and low fertility 23 2. Singaporean demography from past to present: fertility and migration trends 31 Beginnings: Singapore before independence 31 Population patterns of the new state 34 Singapore today 38 The race for population: towards a continued 'racialized migration’ 39 Singapore’s Malay population dilemma: are Filipinos Malays? 43 Emigration as a response to immigration 44 Conclusion: Singapore’s Chineseness 45 Notes 46 3. Singapore’s soft authoritarianism and population control 47 Introduction 47 Aristocracies and meritocracies 49 Soft authoritarianism and Confucian culture in Singapore 54 Legality and legitimacy 56 The PAP and the Head Gardener 58 MM Lee on family, marriage and migrants 62 Conclusion: an end to political gardening? 63 4. Conscription, the Singaporean core and the question of loyalty 66 Introduction 66 The Singapore case: citizenship, manhood and belonging 68 National Service and the question of loyalty: from CMIO to the ‘Singaporean core’ 71 Malays in the army 73 New immigrants 74 Common predicaments, uncommon routes 76 Conclusion 77 Notes 78 5. Population problems, family policies and the naturalization of differentiated deservedness 79 Introduction: the problem of population and family 79 Population and family as national problems: entrenching state interventions and producing differentiated deservedness 80 The meanings of fertility: gender and class inflections 81 Marriage, employment and public housing: institutionalizing pathways to ideal families 82 Support for narrow familial forms: solidifying the significance of gender and class 85 Producing norms 89 Marriage, housing, employment and the production of differentiated deservedness 90 Public problems with private solutions: individualist orientations in a ‘communitarian’ society 91 Looking at citizenship through Foucauldian and feminist lenses 93 Individualism without (individual) rights: on thinkable and unthinkable alternatives 95 Notes 96 6. Reproductive citizenship, governmentality and the theory of entitlement 98 Introduction: reproductive citizenship 98 Reproducing the nation 101 Foucault and the governance of reproduction 103 Pathways to citizenship 105 NRTs and the social imperative of families 107 Regulating artificial reproduction 110 Conclusion: reproduction and governmentality 114 Notes 115 7. Foreign talent and popular opposition to migration 116 The xenophobia debate 117 Space 120 Integration and national identity 122 Clash of culture 124 Competition, diversity and loyalty 126 Citizenship rights and diversity laws 132 ‘High net worth individuals’ as talent 133 Conclusion 135 Notes 136 8. Conclusion 137 Introduction: successful societies 137 Singaporean success? 140 References 143 Index 157 Population, Society and the Nature of the State "Singapore's successful economy and decling birth-rate has led to migrants being drawn in, forming an increasing proportion of the overall population. This book examines this crucial development, assessing its impact on Singapore society, politics and the state. It shows that, although Singapore is a multi-ethnic society, migration and the changing ethnic mix are causing increasing strains. The book discusses the growing opposition to migration, and explores how the factors underpinning Singapore's recent successes risk being undermined by the effects of population changes. The book also compares the position in Singapore with other East Asian countries experiencing population changes"-- Provided by publisher