Managing Chineseness (eBook)

Daphnee Lee is Assistant Professor of Education Policy and Leadership, The Education University of Hong Kong.

Acknowledgements 6
Contents 8
LIST OF ACRONYMS 9
LIST OF FIGURES 11
Chapter 1: Managing Chineseness as Identity Grafting 12
Identity Grafting: Accelerated Development and Dual Hegemony 13
The Management of Chineseness 18
Managing Chineseness 26
The Inquiry Journey 28
ECI: Microcosm of Global Political Economy 32
Demographical Constructs 42
Linguistic Primacy 44
Childhood Socioeconomic Status 47
Working Backwards on the Education Timeline 49
Ethical Considerations 54
Outline of Managing Chineseness 56
Notes 58
Bibliography 61
Chapter 2: Sleepy Fishing Village Overrun by Immigrants? 66
Pre-Independence Singapore 68
Post-Independence: Proactive Ethnic Management 72
The Function of Ethnic Management in the Singapore Political Economy 75
Phase 1: English-Speaking Labor—At a Fraction of the Price 76
Phase 2: Speak Mandarin—Singapore as the Gateway to Asia 78
Phase 3: GLC—Hallmark of Reliability 80
Phase 4: Economic Diversification—Obsolescence of CMIO Social Compact 82
Economic Excellence: The Basis for Ethnic Management 86
Conclusion 87
Notes 88
Bibliography 91
Chapter 3: Typologizing Chineseness 95
Situational Chinese 101
Born-Again Chinese 105
Integrated Chinese 108
Repressed Chinese 111
A Typology of Chineseness 113
Transnational Professionalism 114
Singapore Teachers 117
Conclusion 119
Notes 120
Bibliography 121
Chapter 4: The Complex 122
I Have Very Few Managers Who Believe they Compare Equally to Westerners 123
Repressed Chineseness—We Always Regard the Westerners as More Superior 125
Transcending Orientalism—I Am in for the Kill to Close the Deal 128
Identity Grafting of Chineseness upon an Economic Base of Accelerated Development 134
Conclusion 143
Notes 144
Bibliography 145
Chapter 5: The Boys Wear High Heels with Platforms 147
Echoing China’s No 148
Born-Again Chinese—You Don’t Like Our Food but We Don’t Like Your Sausages Either 152
Integrated Chinese—Being a Part, Yet Apart 156
Identity Grafting of Chineseness within a Dual Hegemonic Framework 161
Conclusion 166
Notes 167
Bibliography 168
Chapter 6: Sunshine, Bananas, and Coconuts 171
‘Lazy Native’: Subjugation by Peer Orientalism 175
‘Willful Native’: Peer Oriental as Threat 177
Peer Orientalism at ECI 181
Identity Grafting and Peer Orientalism 187
Conclusion 192
Notes 192
Bibliography 193
Chapter 7: Singapore Society in Transition, Really? 196
Social Constructions of Chineseness 198
Recipients and Makers of Education 202
Policy Implications 209
Theoretical Implications 219
Notes 234
Bibliography 236
Chapter 8: Indeed 240
An Afterthought on Identity Grafting 251
Notes 256
Bibliography 256
Bibliography 258
Index 259