Singapore’s Multiculturalism: Ethnography on National Museum of Singapore

• Main Authors: Pin-Yi Li, 李品儀
• Other Authors: Chi-Nan Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/584je9

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 人類學研究所 === 106 === The Republic of Singapore claimed its independence in 1965. There are four major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malays, Indians and Others) living altogether in this young nation. Experiencing the one-party governmental ruling for years, people of diverse ethnicities have been fighting for a stable economy and peaceful social order. In addition, Singapore is a museum-dotted city state. The country’s territory is about the same size of Greater Taipei, and there are more than 50 museums exhibiting Singapore’s material culture. Multiculturalism is never absent in the historical discourses among national museums and related cultural organizations. From collections, to exhibitions, and museum events, we are able to witness that the National Museum of Singapore aims at cultivating the Singaporeans’ taste and habitus, disciplining their ethnic and historical knowledge and identity, and establishing a multicultural museumscape. The power of imagined community enables them to continue situating themselves in the society, and reflecting on their relationships with other ethnic groups, and thus making the museum a significant contact zone for Singapore stories. This research utilizes ethnography on the National Museum of Singapore as a case study. For improving the nation’s development, the Singaporean government puts emphasis on multiculturalism. As a result, museums and many kinds of national cultural organizations eagerly rely on the citizens’ “participating discourse,” allowing the local audience to be the interpreters of museum displays, and becoming the medium to fully visualize the exhibits’ characteristics and stories. The Singaporean museums allow the local audience to easily switch their identities between being Singaporean and being Chinese/Malay/Indian/Other when facing the national discourses represented by museums, in order to cater to the national interest. Finally, the museum also showcases the modern country’s subtle relationship between the government and its citizens, which can be described as “cooperation with separateness.”