Lim |1 Abigail Lim ANTH 305, Spring 2013 Professor Jessica Johnson Response Paper #1 11th April 2013

While we like to live in the delusion that we are in full control of our lives, the Foucauldian argument posits that we are in much less control than we would like, our behaviours and attitudes being controlled largely by an omnipotent, unseen yet all seeing power. Though it is easy to perceive of this power as functioning in a top-down system that is largely negative, Foucault argues that this cyclical system of power is actually a productive force which produces reality, domains of objects, and rituals of truth. The individuals subjected to this system are constantly subjected to power dynamics through mechanisms of discipline; these operate chiefly through techniques of hierarchized surveillance, which impose normalizing judgements through numerous devices, most commonly that of the examination. What I will focus on in this essay is the repercussions of the system of hierarchal observation in particular as sites of institutional racism which work to maintain constructions of the notions of nation, specifically pertaining to my personal experiences in school in Singapore since I am more familiar with it, having attended school there for about 11 years. Hierarchizing the disciplinary gaze, Foucault argues, allows for greater thorough implementation while being discreet enough not to weigh down with an inert mass on the activity to be disciplined, and not to act as a brake or an obstacle in order to increase its productive function (174). Central to this system of hierarchy is the idea that students can, and have to be, distributed according to ranks or grades (181) based on the fundamental idea of penality that deems non-conformity, inability, and incompetency to be infractions (179) that can be quantified as elements of the underlying gratification-punishment system (180). This leads to the construction of an ideal individual, or set of traits, which is promoted as the goal. It then

Lim |2 Abigail Lim ANTH 305, Spring 2013 Professor Jessica Johnson Response Paper #1 11th April 2013

naturally follows that individuals which are identified as such are placed higher on the hierarchy and received better privileges. This is very much the case in Singaporean schools. The way this is measured is through the apparatus of the examination which in school, are standardized tests, which are highly marginalizing systems due to many reasons, such as their catering to the dominant demographic, giving the dominant group a distinct advantage and leaving the rest at a great disadvantage. Singapore is a multi-racial country with four nationally recognized main ethnic groups. English has been made the predominant spoken language in the past few decades, and is usually the first language of most new-generation Singaporeans. However, there are some individuals, notably the less wealthy, whose parents were not part of the English education system (which was only implemented in 1987) and therefore, struggle with the current English-dominated education system. In addition, although most children start kindergarten at 4, children from less wealthy families may only start going to school at 7 since kindergarten is not compulsory. These children therefore struggle very much with learning since everything is taught in English while they may have been brought up with other languages or dialects. This problem is compounded by the fact that the education system is structured such that it is almost impossible for students to climb the ranks after their initial failure at the first of many major placement examinations. These streaming examinations take place in the third year of primary school, the sixth and last year in primary school, the second year of secondary school, the fourth and last year of secondary school, and the second and last year of junior college. In addition, students sit for four major intra-school examinations as well which determine which class they get into, and whether or not they get promoted to the next grade. It is important to realize that this does not occur in a bubble; the racial situation affects this system very much as well. The Chinese are the dominant demography, dominating the

Lim |3 Abigail Lim ANTH 305, Spring 2013 Professor Jessica Johnson Response Paper #1 11th April 2013

majority of the population at 74.2%, while the Malays, Indians, and Eurasians are at 13.2%, 9.2%, 3.4% respectively. Therefore by means of sheer size alone, they are the wealthiest demographic. This is apparent in the relatively marked racially segregated occupations of the various housing estates and school districts. The lowest ranked schools have much higher concentrations of racial and ethnic minorities while the highest ranked schools are mostly Chinese or Chinese-speaking. Because only top students from the better ranked schools are given access to resources like better teachers, lower student-teacher ratios, better school facilities, scholarship and internship opportunities, and even better reputations, they are much more likely to complete their education and advance to university. Even if the under-privileged students manage to qualify for university, precedence is given to the better-privileged students who are more likely than not, more qualified due to better access to resources. Therefore, there is a large skew in the percentage of Chinese entering the workforce, who are then able to eke out a living for themselves amongst the 5 million other people competing for resources in the 274 square mile island. Race does not merely factor in the system; racial segregation and hierarchy is propagated through the system. I am a Chinese, and was one of the many that benefitted from this system. Being removed from it presently, however, opened my eyes to the ways in which racial segregation affects and is affected by the hierarchical system implemented in the education system. Despite racial harmony day, and the various other public holidays we observe to commemorate various significant holidays for the various ethnic groups like Deepavali or Hari Raya, the construction of nation in terms of reproduction as discussed by Weinbaum shows that Singapore is in essence, as yellow as America is white, a construction that is buttressed by the education system.