History Education and the Construction of National Identity in Singapore, 1945–2000

Abstract

The half-century since the end of the Second World War has been witness to momentous historical events, namely, the end of colonial empires and the transition to statehood of colonial territories; the rise, first of internationalism, and later of globalization and transnationalism; technology-driven economic change; and the emergence of China and India as new centers of economic and military power. Events in the recent past, most notably the attack on the United States in September 2001 and the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the doctrine of unilateralism and preemptive military action, the decline of the influence of the United Nations, and the rise of an activist political Islam that transcends national borders, suggest a period of uncertainty in international relations and a strengthening of the role of individual states in guaranteeing the rights and security of the individual citizen within the nationstate. It is also the case that the promise of widespread development and democratization that shone so brightly in the 1960s has failed to materialize for many states in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Europe, and Central and South America. Some postcolonial states are fragmenting and the politics of identity are once more coming to the fore. East and Southeast Asia, by contrast, have shown more promise of sustainable socioeconomic development and the emergence of strong and credible states, yet the politics of national identity has not been subsumed by economic prosperity. Throughout East Asia, many states have sought to define the parameters of national identity and to promote among their citizens a profound sense of patriotism. History education has been one of the most important means by which these states have sought to achieve such goals, and Singapore has been no exception.