The Construction Of National Identity

This thesis focuses on the history of development of Singapore's national museums as the research subject,discussing how these museums reflect and participate the building of national identity in this multi-racial country out from a former British colony.The development of the Singapore museum system can be divided into three stages,each with a new museum being built around a new focus on national identity.The first stage was from 1965 to 1993,a period in which the former colonial Raffles Museum explored ways to transformed itself into a truly “national” museum.The milestone was the re-opening of the National Museum in 1985 with the “History of Singapore” gallery illustrating a “Singaporean Identity” following the governmental historic narrative.The second stage was from 1993 to 2015,marked by the completion of the Asian Civilizations Museum,which reflected the cultural policy of "Asian Values" thus indicating an "Asian Identity";The third stage was signified by the establishment of the National Gallery in 2015,showcasing a “Global Identity” in the country's drive to be a “Global City in Asia”.The thesis concludes that the "imagination" of these identities in Singapore is related to its geographical location and colonial influence.The three different identities of Singaporeans indeed are interconnected,pertaining to different emphases of different times,and essentially reflecting a Western domination in discourse around a global world system that has evolved from the colonial past with multiple facades of ramifications and complexities.The research is the first of its kind to center on history of national museums to discuss the relationships between museums and national identity.Furthermore,this thesis also indicates that the advocating of the Asian Values and Global City of Singapore could be driven by the building of its national identity.This differs from the typical discussion that these two national policies are merely decided by economic development,political determination and cultural motivation.This finding might lead to a new angle to look at national identity as a driving factor for national policy making,hence the museums that play a significant role in this nation-building process is not merely receptive and passive.The analysis on how museums could contribute to the constructing of national identity would also be helpful for better understanding of people's identities,especially in an ever-globalizing world.