Singapore

This module introduces students to the science of ecology and its role in understanding environmental processes. It covers both the major concepts and their real-world applications. Topics will include models in ecology, organisms in their environment, evolution and extinction, life history strategies, population biology, ecological interactions, community ecology, ecological energetics, nutrient cycling, landscape ecology.

LSM3267 is primarily about what animals are doing (ethology) and why they do what they do (behavioural ecology). Thus it provides an in-depth coverage of the relationships that organisms have with each other and with the environment. Selected key concepts in organismal interactions, illustrated with examples from general diverse animals and ecological systems, to ultimate and proximate explanations of animal interactions and other life history characteristics will be covered. Students are provided with an opportunity to practise how scientific logic promotes effective thinking and leads to convincing conclusions. Students are also provided a chance to assimilate and critically evaluate contemporary literature and studies on relevant current issues.

Understanding animal behavior awakens the individual to the complexity of daily phenomenon in the animal kingdom - how animals live and survive in their environment. Much of this occurs around us every day and everywhere we go. But the city-dweller lives in increasing isolation of animals and understands little of the world around them. This is one approach to understanding nature and the student will also peek into the intertwined world of ecology, biology and evolution.

Behaviors such as learning,sociality, territoriality, predation and defense, courtship and communication, will be highlighted with examples from across animal diversity. How behaviors have evolved to fit specific ecological conditions wil be examined. You will be introduced to the scientific study of animal behaviour through quantitative methods. This will not be a passive process - you will actively decide on and explore the behaviour of a local wild animal through a group research project and present your findings during a student symposium.

By the end of the module,you will have gained a better understanding of and empathy for animals, understand the value of scientific approach to animal care, human-animal conflict and conservation. And hopefull, through this process, better understand our own behavior.

This module is concerned with the political evolution of the Indian nation in two of its most formative periods: the late nationalist struggle from 1920-47 that led to the withdrawal of the colonial power; and the years of Jawaharlal Nehru's prime minister-ship, 1947-64. The module looks at both decolonisation and nation-building as processes characterised by debate and contestation in relation to (a) social, regional and group identity and (b) political rights and power. The module will study the impact of that debate and contestation on the character, institutions and political life of the nation.

The module is aimed at guiding students to a process of social scientific inquiry. It will provide you with a framework and necessary concepts to study and analyze issues concerning Malays in Singapore. It will give you an exposure to relevant reading materials on Malays in Singapore.

This module will provide a historical introduction to Southeast Asian gardens, describe their situation and plan, and explore their aesthetic value (gardens as places of pleasure). Their philosophical significance (garden, microcosm, place of meditation) is equally important but less well known. Artificial gardens have existed in Southeast Asia (Sumatra, Java, Bali, Vietnam, Myanmar) since the seventh century. They contain Chinese and Indian influences, but exemplify a Southeast Asian view of the universe in microcosm. Gardens are a significant but overlooked medium of Southeast Asian symbolic representation. Persian, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese gardens will be invoked to provide context.

"Southeast Asia: A Changing Region" aims to expose students to the fascinating intricacies of a part of the world they live in. The main objective of the module is to explore how communities and individuals in Southeast Asia can and do produce diverse identities through their interconnected historical, cultural and political experiences. In this module, Southeast Asia is seen as a region that is shaped by various flows. These flows include the transmission of ideas (e.g. political patterns from the West, gendered and sexual identities from world religions, religious beliefs from India and beyond), the movement of people (e.g. migrants, missionaries, tourists, terrorists) and the circulation of things (e.g. objects, winds, ocean currents). Southeast Asia is thus understood as a region that is both changing (due the flows that engulf it) yet with a unique indigenous identity of its own. Balinese Hinduism however, is not the Hinduism one finds in India, traditional Southeast Asian understandings of warfare are not similar to those of Europe, and gendered identities in the region are often fluid and many. In this module, Southeast Asia is discussed as a part of the world that is interconnected with other parts of the world both in the past and present. This interconnectedness and the transformations it forges, has led to regional and cultural uniqueness. Students are encouraged to think critically of how Southeast Asia and the people who call it home engage with each other and the movements that structure their lives . Although mapping Southeast Asia as a region comprising 10 independent countries, the class will largely focus on Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

A year one level exposure module designed to introduce undergraduate
students to South Asia
- a dynamic region, that is fast emerging as a major player in global
politics and economy.
The lectures consider aspects of South Asian history, politics and society
with a view of fostering an appreciation of the diversity of the region.
The course will cover themes such as:
Gandhi & the Indian anti-colonial movement;
Democratisation in South Asia;
Economic Globalization;
South Asian Cinema;
& the Global South Asian diaspora.

This Singapore Studies module will focus on the very significant bilateral relations of Singapore and India, particularly in the Asian geopolitical context. The relationship goes back to their shared histories of colonial times and connectivities have carried on ever since. It will look at how both Singapore and India are cooperating in areas of trade and commerce, traditional and non-traditional security, mobilization of human resources and capital, and playing an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore's significant role in balancing power relations between two emerging economic powerhouses of Asia - China and India will also be a part of discussion in the module. Additionally, there will be focus on the growth and development of the Indian Diaspora in Singapore and how it has facilitated the bilateral relations.

Popular Culture in Singapore is designed for both History and non-History students to look at the development of popular culture in Singapore from the colonial period to the present day. By learning about street theatre, local films, and theme parks among other topics, students will explore thematic issues like diasporic, immigrant and cosmopolitan communities; the impact of colonialism; the stratification of society by class, race and religion; surveillance; family and social spaces (theme parks, social clubs, hawker centres). Students are expected to gain a sensitivity to historical contexts, and to better understand Singapores rich cultural heritage, including what has been lost, what has been recovered, the politics of heritage as well as the political, social and economic realities in Singapores historical trajectory.

This module focuses on the history of popular culture in Singapore from the late 1800s to the contemporary period. Students will also learn how to critically examine the ways in which representations of history are used in contemporary popular culture and in turn shape how society remembers the past .