On the 7th of February I went along to the Bukit Brown cemetery to take part in a field trip for my course ‘The Geographies of Life and Death’. The excursion aimed to introduce us to two concepts that human geographers have increasingly turned to in the quest to better understand population geography. These terms are biopolitics and governmentality, and are associated with the late French philosopher Michel Foucault.
Bukit Brown cemetery has recently seen an increase in attention as part of it has been selected as the site for a new 8-lane highway in Singapore. The government claims to need to build this road to alleviate congestion in the surrounding areas. There are also several plans in place to build housing estates, which will in turn incur greater losses to the cemetery. The cemetery is of great significance to Singaporeans; it is a site that symbolises the country’s Chinese heritage and is where many of the first Singaporeans were buried. Nowadays it is a place where the living return to pay respects to their ancestors and carry out traditional rituals, the site is also used recreationally by dog walkers, runners and more. In addition the area is also environmentally important; it acts as a carbon sink, rainfall catchment area and area of natural biodiversity.
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| Bukit Brown Cemetery |
My lecturer runs field trips here, as she believes that the conflict over whether dead should retain any rights or if the needs of the living should be put first, demonstrates a biopolitical issue. Many would argue that the site should be kept in honour of Singapore’s heritage. It gives Singaporeans a sense of belonging and connects them to their roots. Yet, the government’s decision to make use of Bukit brown has been portrayed as highly important to the future of Singapore. The government’s plans are quick, however, to forget what may be important to Singaporean’s sense of place and identity. My lecturer informed us that prior to the 1970’s many people who lived in the local Kampongs (villages) worked as cemetery caretakers as they lived close by. As HDB (housing development board) housing was erected people moved away and started to become more detached from their heritage. To many people, the destruction of Bukit Brown would symbolise the lack of respect that the Singapore Gahmen (government) has for anything historic that cannot be commercialised. Regardless of what happens the controversy surrounding Bukit Brown has been important for civil society activists in Singapore as they have proved that with determination and persistence, their voices can be heard.
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| Traditional Chinese Grave at Bukit Brown Cemetery |
The concept of governmentality; the idea that individuals can be guided into acting in accordance with societal norms, has also been discussed in a Singaporean context. In class I have spoken to my Singaporean friends about the types of societal norms that have been reinforced with government policies. One example that struck me was that for a single Singaporean to buy their own HDB flat (80% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats), they must be over the age of 35 (Housing Development Board 2014). Singapore has an ageing population and as a result many policies are now focusing on encouraging Singaporeans to marry and have children. Therefore, making housing less accessible to those who are single reinforces the idea that one needs to find a spouse. Overall, my module and Singapore in general have enabled me to have a fuller understanding of the terms biopolitics and govermentality.
Housing and Development Board, Singapore Government (2014) 'Public Housing in Singapore' [Online], [Accessed 10 January 2015] Available from:
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10320p.nsf/w/AboutUsPublicHousing?OpenDocument
