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published_or_final_version / Comparative Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

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Diaspora invokes a way of living. Geographic displacement, either voluntary or forced, brings about heightened processes of negotiation between the past, the present and the future. Effectively, diaspora creates a space for dialogue about notions of individual subjectivity and group representation, as well as global and local belonging. These processes contribute pivotally to the identity development of diasporic people, and this plays out continually as is evident in the choices diasporic people make about the way they live. This thesis explores one aspect of the lives of elite diasporic Indian families in Singapore - cricket. The central question is how these diasporic people become 'Indian' through their participation in the sport. There are two major components - cricket and family. Firstly, I identify cricket as a site of diasporic negotiation in the lives of these Indians. I explore their practice of this activity as a physical and ideological space in and through which they negotiate their identity. In a country where cricket is not common practice, the Indian domination of the widespread 'public culture' of their country of origin reflects their intensified investment in Indianness. This results in the creation of a minoritized and largely exclusive social space. By participating in cricket, they play out their diasporic Indian identity. This is a myriad process of social construction and transformation of Indianness at individual and collective levels. Through active and concerted social labour in the cricket arena, translation of relevant Indianness into a foreign setting effectively creates a new Indian ethnicity. It is the very negotiation and mobilization of their ethnicity that facilitates the thriving of this elite Indian diaspora. The other major component in this thesis is that of the family in diaspora. This is important because most of the elite Indians moved to Singapore as nuclear family units. Decisions made and the structures of their lives take into account the impact upon the household at individual and collective levels. I explore and highlight the importance not only of families doing diaspora together, but that of the varied individual contributions of family members to cricket and how their various parts support one another's negotiation of their Indianness. Divided broadly into three categories of fathers, mothers and children (male and female), I look at their different ideals, attitudes and involvement in the sport. From my research, I found that fathers were the ideological spearhead and instigators of interest for cricket within families; mothers played support roles; and children participated for a variety of reasons. Boys played because it was deemed the natural thing for Indian boys as it is 'in their blood'. Girls on the other hand, played for a variety of different reasons which differed from their male counterparts. Their participation was a concerted effort in an attempt to get forms of Indianness that are reflected and constructed in cricket, 'into their blood'. This thesis is framed by the concept of doing Indian diaspora in Singapore. I explore the cricket arena as a key site of identity negotiation in three realms - the individual, the family, and the wider Indian network/community. This analysis seeks to highlight the importance of each realm in reinforcing and supporting one another's projects of constant and complex formation processes of Indianness.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-125). / ix, 125 leaves, bound col. ill. 29 cm

This qualitative research study analyses the causal conditions of educational, cultural and ideological issues that emerged as a result of Expatriate teaching experiences in secondary schools in Singapore. The study also examines how the foreign educational environment affects the performance of the Expatriate Teacher (ExT). Specifically, the results provide insight into how Expatriate Teachers (ExTs) conceive of notions of work, teaching and learning and how they come to terms with, and adjust to employment within a foreign teaching environment. Seven teacher-participants were selected on the basis of their individual experiences as an ExT or experiences working alongside ExTs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the UK, Singapore and Australia to explore teacher-participants' teaching conceptions and experiences. Two Pilot interviews were conducted prior to the Interview Schedules being made available to the participants. One pilot interview was subsequently included in the analysis. Aspects of Grounded Theory methodology, in particular the Constant Comparison method, were utilised to categorise and analyse data. Analysis of the data was also facilitated using the computer software programme NUD*IST 6. The findings identified three related and interwoven themes which categorised the issues as experienced by the seven teacher-participants. One is the Conditional Variables of the physical, structural and organizational setting. The second is the resident Proficiencies and Attributes of the ExT, which includes ideologies, values and expectations. The third includes Configurations of Culture such as work culture, subject culture and cultural adaptations. The study outlines how Incongruity and Dissonance can operate within and between these three themes and indicates implications for improving the experiences of ExTs and other stakeholders.

Within the social, cultural and political contexts for arts education in Singapore today, this thesis describes a framework for the development of a dance curriculum for 13 to 16 years old secondary school students. This study considers the question: What kind of Dance Elective Programme will address the needs of the diverse communities in Singapore? The framework for the Dance Elective Programme that emerges from the research describes rationale, content, and approaches as identified by the research participants. Research data collected includes dance syllabi; dance journals; questionnaires and interviews with various individuals in Singapore. The significance of dance in the school curriculum is accentuated by several Singapore government reports where the issue of the promotion of arts education is raised. Currently in the secondary school curriculum in Singapore, the arts subjects offered are visual art and music; dance has yet to be offered as an academic subject. A comprehensive arts education should encompass other disciplines, so as to provide a holistic learning environment in schools. It is hoped that this suggested framework will provide an impetus for further development and implementation of dance curriculum in Singapore schools in the near future.

[Abstract]: Singapore schools had encountered little involvement with legal issues in the past, and there had been a general feeling of complacency amongst educators that the situation was unlikely to change. Yet many English-speaking countries across the world had been experiencing increasing exposure to legal issues in their schools, and the question was whether Singapore was likely to share the same experience over time. Strong indications were beginning to appear that the situation was indeed changing, including a number of reported incidents in schools and evidence of changing attitudesamongst parents and educators.The study set out, therefore, to examine the types of legal issues that were emerging on the international scene, and particularly in the major jurisdictions withrelevance to Singapore, and to understand what the implications might be for Singapore. Thus, it was intended to identify the legal issues that seemed likely tobecome more prominent in the Singapore education system, to draw comparisons with events in other countries, and to examine the strategies that school leaders might adoptin order to manage legal risk effectively.This exploratory study used a mixed-method design, including document analysis and legal research, exploratory pilot interviews, in-depth interviews with verbatim transcription, and Q Methodology, which combined quantitative and qualitative techniques in order to interrogate and understand opinion. The study was conducted in four phases, moving from a broad survey of developments internationally, through a detailed analysis of issues in Singapore schools, to a deep understanding of the strategy preferences for coping with legal risk amongst senior educators. This then gave rise to aset of recommendations that could be used by policy makers and implementers, and by senior personnel in schools, to avert and manage legal risk and incidence in schools.

UUProblem Members of the Singapore Heavy Equipment Spare Parts Industry face a multitude of challenges in developing their pricing strategy and practice, and in establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchanges. They are unable to obtain any guidance from the pricing or relationship marketing literature. These works are either too complex or too general to be of any use to industry members. Consequently, much of industry strategy and practice occurs without the benefit of theory. UUThe Method An extensive review of existing literature was conducted in the major subject areas of pricing and relationship marketing. Literature on other subjects of channels, marketing mix, strategy, value, commitment, trust, cooperation, and satisfaction were also reviewed. A survey instrument was developed and field research was administered to 35 channel members of the industry. The results were analysed using SPSS 11. The results were used to construct a model of the role of pricing in relationship marketing. The model was constructed using Factor Analysis, Correlation Analysis and Regression Analysis. UUThe Findings The findings are all based on the perception of the channel members. Nine factors were extracted. These non-trivial factors to the Singapore Heavy Equipment Spare Parts Industry are: - Downstream supply considerations; - Product/Stock allocations; - Price gap resolution; - Perception of value/profitability; - Business volume; - Intermediate business relationships; - Leads and referrals; - Favourable pricing; and - Long-run relationships. At 5% significance (2-tailed), 4 construct paths were supported. These are: - Support gap correlates with actual price; - Support gap correlates with value; - Support gap correlates with price gap; and - Price gap correlates with value. At 5% significance (2-tailed), 8 hypotheses were supported. These are: - Price gap resolution correlates with commitment; - Price gap resolution correlates with cooperation; - Price gap resolution correlates with satisfaction; - Importance of constructive acts correlates with improved business volume; - Expression of intention to increase business correlates with increased business; - Importance of value correlates with increased business; - Value (through profitability) correlates with increased business; and - Importance of value correlates with improvements in: - Trust; - Commitment; - Cooperation; - Satisfaction; and - Increased business. UUConclusion Pricing has a profound and multi-faceted role in relationship marketing. It is a powerful tool. It has a role as a market tool with new relationships, as a development tool in the growth phase of relationships, and as a control tool in the mature phase of bilateral relationships between first and second echelon distributors. The study recommended that channel members utilise this tool concept and the management of value, price, and support gap in relational exchanges. / thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2003.

Thesis (M.Env.Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Environmental Studies, 2002. / "March 2002" Bibliography: leaves 97-103.