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Part 2: Singapore, Its Heartbeat
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Part 2 Singapore, Its Heartbeat Whilst the preceding section focused on the historical developments that shape contemporary landscapes in Singapore, the chapters in Part 2 address the centrality of people who comprise the “heartbeat” of its landscapes. By adopting an actor-centred approach to analysing landscapes in Singapore, we can decipher the ways in which people contribute to the (re)making of landscapes inasmuch as they are affected by landscape transformations. The chapters in this section interrogate how state policies have produced landscapes for different groups of individuals, which in turn impact their everyday experiences. These landscapes can be tangible such as the material spaces in the built environment occupied by the elderly or migrant workers, or they can be symbolic such as represented by the Singapore diaspora or heteronormative familyhood. The chapters in this section cover sexual minorities, the elderly population, low-paid migrant workers and Singaporeans living abroad. For different reasons state and societal ideologies and actions are prone to render invisible the presence of the first three social groups present in Singapore, whereas the last group comprising overseas Singaporeans may be physically absent from Singapore but their perceived significance to the country is given greater weight because of the human capital they represent. Whichever the state’s approach, the chapters highlight how these different groups have the power to challenge or rework dominant constructions of their identity and position within Singaporean society and landscapes. ...