Culture and Privilege in Capitalist Asia - Jurusan Antropologi ...

140 CHUA BENG HUAT AND TAN JOO EAN
analytically, than the possible horizontal integration between Singaporeans along
income divisions across ethnic lines. Singapore society is thus conceptualised as a
divided society because of its ethnic/cultural differences. We are thus left with the
question of whether there is any cultural basis for constituting Singaporeans as a
people.
In examining the culture of different classes, we are contesting precisely the
constitution of Singapore society as one which is divided by ethnic cultures.
Instead, we want to emphasise the culture that Singaporeans share in their
everyday life, namely, a culture that is derived from the logic of capitalist
development, in which they reproduce themselves daily, individually and
collectively. It is the logic of the capitalist economy, to which every Singaporean is
subject, that constitutes them as a people and Singaporean as a social/national
category. The same logic also separates them into classes, within their own
national boundaries, across ethnic lines. Class differences thus constitute a
potential basis for cultural, social and political organisation among Singaporeans,
in spite of ethnic differences.
Substantively, when one examines Singapore society even impressionistically
several points can be made. First, ethnicity is no longer a defining variable for
poverty. It is defined more by family characteristics; when the heads of household
are middle-aged, without much formal education and with children who are too
young to be wage earners, the family is most likely to be poor. Second, there is
ample evidence that Malays count among the ranks of the emerging middle class,
alongside Chinese and Indians, largely as a result of the universalisation of
education under the same ‘national’ system. This has occurred despite the fact that
some ‘elite’ and better-endowed schools use Chinese as a first language of
instruction along with English, thereby tending to exclude Malay and Indian
students. Finally, to the extent that our analysis on the cultural construction of
different classes in Singapore is based on the acquisition and display of material
necessities and positional goods, ethnicity plays an insignificant part in such
constructions. The same jeans are purchased and worn by all youths; the same
Mercedes and Lexus cars are driven by all rich; and there are young women and
men, of varied origins, guzzling beer and, increasingly, wine in pubs and wine-bars.
In all these instances, ethnicity is of minor significance if any, and is definitely
exceeded by social class considerations. 3
Thus, on both conceptual and substantive levels, class constitutes an
independent basis for analysing contemporary Singapore society and its cultural
constructions by Singaporeans themselves. It is on this basis that this chapter
consciously eschews and displaces the use of ethnicity as a given and therefore
necessary basis for analysis of differences among Singaporeans. This chapter
aims to show another basis of differences among Singaporeans.