| ID | 090706 |
| Title Proper | Kampong, fire, nation |
| Other Title Information | towards a social history of postwar Singapore |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Seng, Loh Kah |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | An important but little-studied act in the history of postwar Singapore was played out at the margins of the city. Here, the state was involved in a major campaign to socialise the 'squatters' of urban kampong into citizens of a high modernist state. The fire hazard in these settlements also contributed significantly to the process, as the residents were mobilised into fire-fighting squads and politicians acted on behalf of the victims of infernos by rehousing them in emergency public housing. This article proposes a new approach to postwar Singapore historiography at the interface between politics and social developments. It underlines the social agents, spatial dimension and historical continuity uncovered in the venture. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of South East Asian Studies Vol. 40, No. 3; Oct 2009: p613-643 |
| Journal Source | Journal of South East Asian Studies Vol. 40, No. 3; Oct 2009: p613-643 |
| Key Words | Kampong ; Social History - Singapore ; Singapore - History ; Postwar - Singapore ; Singapore - Postwar |