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 .