ARTEFACTS OF CITIZENSHIP: EVOLUTION OF THE SINGAPORE IDENTITY CARD FROM 1948-1966

Abstract

This thesis studies the evolution of the Singapore identity card from 1948 to 1965. It frames the identity card as an artefact of citizenship, or a tool which not only represents a person’s status as citizen but also mediates their day-to-day interactions with the state. Conventional accounts of Singapore citizenship articulate citizenship as a set of overarching socio-political rights and/or a form of national consciousness. In contrast, this thesis focuses on the identity card to emphasize the material dimension of citizenship, reflected in documentary artefacts and their accompanying bureaucratic practices. Tracing the history of the identity card, this thesis shows how ideas and practice of citizenship did not emerge only at the time of Singapore’s independence, but slowly evolved from late British colonial role. Examining the identity card’s inception in 1948, it shows how this way of relating to the state through documentation did not exist a priori, but had to be cultivated. My thesis then historicizes shifts in the state’s use of the identity card, highlighting how it enables the state to at once dominate and protect its citizens. Finally, it examines the influence of bureaucratic culture on citizenship, highlighting the exclusionary facet of citizenship revealed through documentary identification. Ultimately, my thesis demonstrates how the material dimension of citizenship plays a key role in both the conception and experience of modern citizenship in Singapore.