POLITICS AND THE LANGUAGE OF CHAOS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Notions of chaos have been used in social science to justify particular ideas on how individuals should be ordered. A political arrangement is preferred based on how chaos is conceived. The aim of this study is how chaos is conceived by state actors, the media and some Singaporeans. I have found three perspectives on chaos in the literature that have led to various various political preferences and ideas on authority. These perspectives include the cultural, the modernist and the pluralist perspectives. Social scientists have argued that one particular idea on chaos usually predominates leading to corresponding political orientations aimed at resolving the fear of chaos. Some academics have claimed that the cultural perspective predominates amongst Asians. This thesis examines if notions of chaos exists along two spheres or levels; the level of everyday life(the micro) and the level of politics (the macro). Through an inquiry into the different levels of appreciation for regulation from authority at the level of everyday life and the level of politics this thesis finds that indeed notion of chaos abound leading to distinct political orientations. This study found that no one version of chaos predominates. Furthermore a synthesis between perspectives has been found. Some respondents have a modernist and pluralist perspectives on chaos. This is resolved via a pluralist political orientation. Others hold cultural and modernist perspectives on chaos. This is resolved via a political preference for expert rule and strong political authority. This has implications for proponents of the culturalist and pluralist perspective on chaos. Since no one version of it predominates the amplification of one version by proponents of those perspectives becomes problematic. Another implication considered is that for some respondents, a pluralist paradigm persists despite a state and media discourse that suggests looming chaos should be resolved by a strong state.