published_or_final_version / History / Master / Master of Philosophy

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / Humanities and Social Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Comparative Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

This thesis is a study of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore from 1819 to the 1950s. It begins by situating the diasporic subject in a historical context, highlighting some of the key moments in the diaspora's development, such as the advent of colonialism during the nineteenth century, and the formation of an ethnic enclave in the settlement. The discussion then calls into question the construction of the Chinese subject in colonial discourses, and interrogates the ways in which the diasporic population was constituted within the framework of colonialism. The main purpose has been to examine how the diaspora in Singapore has evolved, and to explore the adequacies, or inadequacies, of existing diasporic theories in the ways they relate to the Chinese experience. This is achieved by recapitulating the theoretical implications of existing diaspora frameworks, and questioning the tensions and limitations generated by such discourses. Simultaneously, this study takes into consideration the construction of a "Chinese identity", and does so by presenting possible ways of conceptualisng what it means to be "Chinese" for subjects of the diaspora. In discussing the extent to which the subject's sense of "self" and belonging has been shaped by its immigrant past, this research draws on and studies the writings, both literary and non-literary, that have emerged from the community. A central concern in all this is the identity and subjectivity of the diasporic subject, and the point here is that not every subject experiences diaspora in the same way, but that these alterities are important in the constitution and formation of a Chinese identity. As I note in the introduction, the issue of what it means to be Chinese, and indeed, the issue of home and belonging, is one that is always contested for people in the diasporic community, and the aim of this thesis has been to continually deconstruct the idea of a "single" Chinese diaspora, and to expose it as a heterogeneous, fragmented, and internally differentiated construction.

Loo Choon-hee. / Summary in Chinese. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 78-80. / Chapter Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter II --- TRENDS IN THE RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFHONG KONG AND SINGAPORE --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter III --- SINGAPORE'S INVESTMENT CLIMATE --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter IV --- REASONS FOR HONG KONG INVESTORS TO INVEST IN SINGAPORE --- p.40 / Chapter Chapter V --- PROFILE OF HONG KONG INVESTMENT IN SINGAPORE --- p.53 / Chapter Chapter VI --- CONTRIBUTIONS OF HONG KONG INVESTMENT TO SINGAPORE ECONOMY --- p.65 / Chapter Chapter VII --- CONCLUSION --- p.73 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.78

手稿本. / Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學. / Shou gao ben. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 655-663). / Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue. / 引言 --- p.1 / Chapter 第一章 --- 语音 --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- 描寫语音 --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- 歷史音韻比較 --- p.75 / Chapter 第二章 --- 句子的成份 --- p.115 / Chapter 2.1 --- 主语和謂语　 --- p.117 / Chapter 2.2 --- 宾语 --- p.156 / Chapter 2.3 --- 修饰语 --- p.188 / Chapter 第三章 --- 谓補結構 --- p.213 / Chapter 3.1 --- 結果補语 --- p.216 / Chapter 3.2 --- 狀態補语　 --- p.225 / Chapter 3.3 --- 強化補语　　 --- p.233 / Chapter 3.4 --- 方向補语 --- p.239 / Chapter 3.5 --- 能性補语　 --- p.258 / Chapter 3.6 --- 肯定與否定補语 --- p.267 / Chapter 3.7 --- 重叠式補语 --- p.272 / Chapter 3.8 --- 谓語性補语 --- p.278 / Chapter 3.9 --- 黏附性詞組補语 --- p.290 / Chapter 3.10 --- 謂補結構中的宾语　 --- p.296 / Chapter 第四章 --- 體詞類 --- p.309 / Chapter 4.1 --- 概说 --- p.309 / Chapter 4.2 --- 名词 --- p.314 / Chapter 4.3 --- 專有名称 --- p.322 / Chapter 4.4 --- 地方词 --- p.327 / Chapter 4.5 --- 時间词　 --- p.335 / Chapter 4.6 --- 定词 --- p.341 / Chapter 4.7 --- 位词 --- p.357 / Chapter 4.8 --- 代词 --- p.367 / Chapter 4.9 --- 量词 --- p.383 / Chapter 第五章 --- 谓词類及其他 --- p.391 / Chapter 5.1 --- 谓词 --- p.391 / Chapter 5.2 --- 介词 --- p.473 / Chapter 5.3 --- 副词 --- p.491 / Chapter 5.4 --- 連词 --- p.515 / Chapter 5.5 --- 嘆词 --- p.522 / Chapter 5.6 --- 助词 --- p.527 / Chapter 第六章 --- 外来词 --- p.555 / Chapter 6.1 --- 概说 --- p.555 / Chapter 6.2 --- 外来词的来源 --- p.557 / Chapter 6.3 --- 借用的方式 --- p.563 / Chapter 6.4 --- 语音的对譯　 --- p.571 / Chapter 6.5 --- 词義的變遷　 --- p.598 / Chapter 6.6 --- 文法的適应　 --- p.606 / Chapter 附錄： --- 星加坡閩南話的外來词词彙 --- p.613 / 參攷書及譌文目錄　 --- p.655

[Truncated abstract] It has been argued that the demand for a product is largely dependent on price and quality (Dodds, Monroe & Grewal, 1991) and that it is possible to provide a global product with a universal brand, as consumers desire reliable and quality products at low prices (Levitt, 1983). As global companies extend their reach around the world and such “global” products become available world wide, it is important for marketers to understand if other factors play a significant role in consumers’ purchase processes, especially in Asia where cultural and social influences can be very different from Western societies . . . Since numerology is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, the present study was undertaken to examine the impact that two important numbers (4 and 8) had on Chinese consumers’ value perceptions when used in sub-brand extensions. These numbers were chosen as Ang (1997) had noted the numbers represented “death” (4) and “prosperity” (8) in Chinese numerology and, consequently, may have a negative or positive impact on the value Chinese consumers attach to a product. While there are many types of products available to consumers and possible juxtapositions of numbers are almost endless, the present study was restricted to examining the impact that the numbers 4 and 8 had on the value Chinese consumers attached to cars and mobile phones to ensure the study was manageable. The study was undertaken in Singapore, but it was hoped that the results could be translated to other Chinese markets so more cost-effective and efficient approaches could be developed for such markets.

published_or_final_version / English / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis is an investigation into the socio-economic effects of English literacy among the Chinese of Singapore between 1945 and 2000. Through the use of oral history, statistical evidence, and existing secondary literature on the conditions of everyday life in Singapore, it explores how English literacy as a life chance has played a key role in shaping the class structures that exist among the Chinese in Singapore today. Adopting a 'perspective from below', this study provides a historical account that surveys the experiences of everyday life in Singapore through the stories of everyday life. It seeks to present an account that more accurately reflects the nation's nuanced past through defining eras in Singapore's post-war history 'Singapore Stories' in the plural, as opposed to the singular. Viewing the impact of English literacy through the prism of Max Weber's concept of life chances allows an examination of the opportunities in the lives of the interviewees cited within by distinguishing between negotiated and corralled life chances. The overarching argument made by this study is that in the later stages of Singapore's postwar history and development, English literacy was a critical factor that allowed individuals to negotiate key opportunities in life, thus increasing the likelihood of socioeconomic mobility. For those without English literacy, the range of possibilities in life became increasingly restricted, corralling individuals into a less affluent economic state. While acknowledging the significance of structural forces, and in particular the shaping influence of industrialisation, economic policy, and social engineering, this study also demonstrates how regarding the Singapore Chinese as possessing a variety of distinguishing social and economic characteristics, all of which serve to segment the community as an ethnic group, adds a new and critical dimension to our academic understanding of the nation's social past and present. By locating areas of resistance and the development of life strategies by an individual or household, this thesis illustrates how language, literacy, and class operated within the reality of undefined and multilayered historical spaces among the Chinese of Singapore.