We, the Citizens of Singapore Pledge Ourselves As One United People
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We, the citizens of Singapore Pledge ourselves as one united people Regardless of race, language, or religion To build a democratic society Based on justice and equality So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress For our nation — National Pledge of Singapore, 1966 by S. Rajaratnam (1915 – 2006), then Minister for Foreign Affairs and a founding father of modern Singapore RETHINKING ALBERT O. HIRSCHMAN’S ‘EXIT, VOICE, AND LOYALTY’: THE CASE OF SINGAPORE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctorate of Philosophy in The Graduate School at The Ohio State University By Selina Sher Ling Lim, MA, B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.), B.Sc. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2007 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor R. William Liddle, Adviser Professor Anthony Mughan Emeritus Professor Patrick B. Mullen Adviser Graduate Program of Political Science Copyright by Selina Sher Ling Lim 2007 ABSTRACT This research explores the concept of national loyalty within today’s context of international migration and globalization. It seeks to provide a systematic understanding of national loyalty that, thus far, has been widely accepted by most citizens as a social fact and assumed to be an inherent trait. Probing deeper, however, we realize that our understanding of national loyalty is superficial, made ever more shaky by today’s ease of international travel, increasingly porous territorial borders, and images of the global citizen who is at home anywhere in the world. Academically, our understanding of national loyalty has also been mired in intellectual, philosophical, and rhetorical debates over the concept of the nation and national identity. Still, the realization that national loyalty is particularly vital during times when the nation-state is at some major cross road, or faced with the greatest challenge ever yet, is not lost on political leaders throughout the world, especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center in New York. What, then, is national loyalty? How is it able to coexist with our claim to be global citizens and free-floating individuals who belong nowhere and everywhere? And how may we reinforce this feeling of national belonging, especially in a world that encourages flexibility and fluid identities? ii This study starts with the premise that all of us are, to a greater or lesser degree, national loyalists at heart. Using Albert O. Hirschman’s exit-voice-loyalty concepts as the organizing framework, this dissertation systematizes and contributes to a more nuanced understanding national loyalty by elaborating on and adapting Hirschman’s concepts to today’s context of international migration, in addition to developing a typology of national loyalists. This typology is further fine-tuned, using information gathered from in-depth, one-on-one interviews with Singapore emigrants and residents. Finally, this study analyzes the participants’ responses in the light of Singapore’s cultural, political, and institutional contexts, and proposes several policy recommendations with the aim of enabling the Singapore government to better foster national loyalty among its emigrants and residents. iii Dedicated to Singapore loyalists all over the world iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would never have seen light of day, if not for the numerous individuals who offered kind words of encouragement, emotional support, and sound advice, constantly cajoling and reminding me to “just put that final full-stop to the dissertation!,” and the generous funding and support I received from various institutions. I am greatly indebted to the following individuals and funding sources: — My dissertation committee: Professor R. William Liddle (adviser and chair), for coordinating my paperwork from across the Pacific and his friendly but firm reminder, in the summer of 2006, that it was time I finished up; Professor Anthony Mughan, for putting up with my long periods of absence from cyberspace and his not-too-subtle prodding to get on with the suggested revisions; and Emeritus Professor Patrick Mullen, for encouraging me to soldier on to the finish line. I am grateful for their explicit suggestions on revisions, which helped me produce this much-improved version of earlier drafts. Their support and patience were instrumental to my completing this long, arduous journey — from initial proposal and research, to fieldwork and writing up; — Dr. Garry Rodan, Director of Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University, for providing office facilities and suggestions of people to approach for interviews during the time I spent in Perth; v — The Ohio State University’s Department of Political Science for funding a major portion of my graduate studies through graduate assistantships and the grants I received from the Program for the Enhancement of Graduate Studies (PEGS); — The Ohio State University Alumni and the Mershon Center for International Security and Public Policy for providing research grants that enabled me to spend an extended period of time conducting field research in Singapore and Perth; — The Ohio State University Graduate School and Office of International Education for providing partial funding for my final quarter; — My sister, Serene, for reading and editing my numerous drafts, her invaluable insight, and willingness to engage in intellectual discussions into the wee hours of the night; brother-in-law Bryan and niece-and-personal-cheerleader Sonya for putting up with my irregular hours and vigorous hammering at the keyboard in the early hours of the morning. Over the years, they have seen me through periods of hope, self-doubt, and despair, but never once gave me the chance to call it quits; — My parents for holding their counsel as they watched me struggle through graduate school, despite being totally bewildered at my decision to abandon a promising career for the life of a poor graduate student; — My childhood friend, Grace, for her constant encouragement and urging to “make sure you graduate with your Ph.D!” and the countless days and nights she spent formatting my dissertation draft to both our satisfaction; and — All Singapore loyalists who directly and indirectly participated and contributed invaluable insights, shared their personal and most private thoughts, and provided rich data for this dissertation. vi VITA 2003 Master of Arts (M.A.) (Political Science) The Ohio State University, Department of Political Science 1998 Master of Arts (M.A.) (Journalism) The Ohio State University, School of Journalism & Communication 1993 Bachelor of Social Science (B.Soc.Sci.) (Economics) (Honours) National University of Singapore, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences 1992 Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (Economics, Mathematics) National University of Singapore, Faculty of Science * * * * * 2007 Course Chair and Adjunct Faculty, SIM University (Singapore) Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences 2006 Judge, Policy Papers Section, Singapore Youth & Media Conference 2006, organized by Ngee Ann Polytechnic (Singapore) (May 25, 2006) 2005-2006 Adjunct Faculty, Singapore Management University School of Economics and Social Sciences, Department of Political Science 2004 Graduate Research Associate, The Ohio State University, Mershon Center for International Security & Public Policy 2001-2003 Instructor, The Ohio State University, Department of Political Science 2000-2001 Graduate Teaching and Research Associate, The Ohio State University, Department of Political Science & National Regulatory Research Institute 1999-2000 Graduate Research Associate, The Ohio State University, Department of Political Science 1997-1998 Kiplinger Fellow, Kiplinger Fellowship for Mid-Career Journalists, The Ohio State University, School of Journalism and Communication vii PUBLICATIONS Lim, Selina. “Book Review: ‘Home and Hegemony: Domestic Service and Identity Politics in South and Southeast Asia,’ edited by Kathleen M. Adams and Sara Dickey.” Folklore Bulletin, 17, 3 (Fall 2001): 5-6. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Political Science (Comparative Politics) Minor Field: Folklore Studies Regions of Specialization: Southeast Asia and South Asia viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract.............................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. v Vita ................................................................................................................................... vii List Of Tables .................................................................................................................xiii List Of Figures................................................................................................................ xiv Prologue — Returning “Home” .................................................................................... xv Chapter 1 — Introduction................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of Study.......................................................................................................................7 Research Question ....................................................................................................................8 Subsidiary Questions............................................................................................................8 Significance of Study ...............................................................................................................9