The Future of Singapore: Population, Society and the Nature of the State

Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir · Bryan S. Turner

may 2014 · Routledge

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Singapore, like many other advanced economies, has a relatively low, and declining, birth-rate. One consequence of this, and a consequence also of the successful economy, is that migrants are being drawn in, and are becoming an increasing proportion of the overall population. This book examines this crucial development, and assesses its likely impact on Singapore society, politics and the state. It shows that, although Singapore is a multi-ethnic society, migration and the changing ethnic mix are causing increasing strains, putting new demands on housing, education and social welfare, and changing the make-up of the workforce, where the government is responding with policies designed to attract the right sort of talent. The book discusses the growing opposition to migration, and explores how the factors which have underpinned Singapore’s success over recent decades, including a cohesive elite, with a clearly focused ideology, a tightly controlled political system and strong continuity of government, are at risk of being undermined by the population changes and their effects. The book also compares the position in Singapore with other East Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, which are also experiencing population changes with potentially far-reaching consequences.

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Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir is Assistant Professor of Sociology in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Bryan S. Turner is Presidential Professor of Sociology in the Graduate Center, City University of New York and Professor of the Sociology of Religion at the Australian Catholic University (Melbourne).