Singapore National Identities 2010 – Chinese Texts

Abstract

The dominant discourse in 2010 for Chinese texts is “Well-Managed Society”, which praises Singapore's efforts in maintaining a harmonious and safe society. The identities of the 2010 texts can be separated into two parts based on timeline. The discourse on Formative Experiences is set in the past, and provides background information to the current-day discourses on “Well-Managed Society” and “A Developed Nation”. While the “Formative Experiences” discourse is mentioned nearly exclusively by the mass texts, the other two discourses can be found in both mass and elite texts. Both masses and elites agree that Singapore is a “Well-Managed Society”, but there are differing interpretations on “A Developed Nation”, with the elites painting a much more positive picture compared to the masses.