History of barbering in Singapore

• Main Author: Abdul Rahim, Khairu Anuar
• Other Authors: Koh Keng We
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73565
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Barbering, as a profession and service, in Singapore has been a prevalent business venture since the country’s independent inception in the mid-20th century and will continue to do so for many generations to come. The history of barbering is furthermore an intriguing one as it evolves synonymously with the country. Singapore underwent a tremendous socioeconomic transformation in the last five decades. Under the stewardship of former Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore has essentially transformed from a third-world to a first-world nation in a mere fifty years, undergoing a liberal economic shift from one dependent on low-skilled, labor intensive for survival to a high-tech manufacturing business hub we are currently thriving on today. Similarly, the barbering industry in Singapore has evolved in accordance with the country’s sociopolitical and economic transition. The “old-school” roadside barbers of the 1950s have gradually made way for the modern Gentlemen’s Barbershop of today, a manifestation of evolution through innovation. The barbering industry in Singapore is a largely unexplored topic in the country’s historical field hence this research seeks to cast a light on this age-old profession.