Civil religion and the invention of traditions: Constructing 'the Singapore nation'

• Main Author: KONG, Lily
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2007
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Religion; Sociology of Culture
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2241
• Institution: Singapore Management University

In this article, I adopt the concept of civil religion, and particularly those aspects that emphasize the importance of rituals and traditions in the construction of a ‘nation’, to examine the ways in which a particular nation—Singapore—is politically and socially constructed. Using two specific examples of invented rituals and traditions, I illustrate the ways in which the state attempts to build a sense of community and identity. The two examples I use are an annual choreography of spectacle and display to celebrate Singapore’s National Day, and the production of a tapestry currently on exhibition as a very public symbol of community and belonging.