Changi Airport as Landscape for Nation-Building PDF

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CHANGI AIRPORT AS LANDSCAPE FOR NATION-BUILDING WOON WEI SENG A0002916N Honours thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE AY 2014/2015 ABSTRACT With Changi Airport’s long...

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Changi Airport as Landscape for Nation-Building Wei Seng , Woon

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CHANGI AIRPORT AS LANDSCAPE FOR NATION-BUILDING

WOON WEI SENG A0002916N

Honours thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours)

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE AY 2014/2015

ABSTRACT

With Changi Airport’s long-running success, construction of upcoming Project Jewel and Singapore’s upcoming SG50 celebrations in 2015 as backdrop, this thesis explores Changi as landscape contributing to nation-building. Drawing on a mixedmethods approach, this thesis unpacks how the state mobilises Changi to symbolise or develop national identity amongst Singaporeans, through interwoven material, symbolic and discursive constructions of the nation in the landscape. Subsequently, this thesis proposes three kinds of reactions from Singaporeans consuming this landscape: acceptance of the state’s top-down impositions; indifference or resistance towards these impositions; and bottom-up nation-building developing organically through personal experiences, that arise in ways unintended or unmanaged by the state but without necessarily challenging the state’s nation-building intentions. This thesis studies the landscape’s multiple representations and unravels through Changi the ‘where’ and ‘how’ of nation-building, arguing for the importance of both top-down and bottom-up approaches to nation-building and the possibilities for both the iconic and the mundane in fostering the nation. This thesis also positions itself to address certain lacunae in the ‘airports’ literature, particularly the tendency for scholarship to privilege travellers over non-travellers, and to demonstrate how a highly-mobile, globalised space like the airport can serve nation-building purposes.

Keywords: landscape, nation-building, national identity, mixed-methods, Singapore, Changi Airport

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Table of Contents ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................ 2 LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................ 6 LIST OF PLATES / FIGURES ...................................................................................................... 7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 12 1.1

Point of Departure: Why Study Changi Airport?........................................... 12

1.2

Checking-in: Research Aims.............................................................................. 13

1.3

Thesis Outline ...................................................................................................... 14

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW & CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................... 17 2.1

Preamble: Screening the Literature .................................................................. 17

2.2

Scanning the Airport .......................................................................................... 17

2.3

X-Raying the ‘Nation’ ......................................................................................... 18

2.3.1

Geographies & Landscapes of the ‘Nation’ .................................................... 20

2.3.2

Locating the ‘Nation’ in the Airport .............................................................. 22

2.4

Frisking the Singapore ‘Nation’ & Changi Airport ........................................ 23

2.4.1

Unpacking Singapore‘s Nation-Building ...................................................... 23

2.4.2

Understanding Changi Airport ..................................................................... 25

2.5

Conceptual Framework ...................................................................................... 27

2.6

Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 29

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 31 3.1

Preamble: Now Boarding ................................................................................... 31

3.2

Structured Questionnaire ................................................................................... 31

3.3

Semi-Structured Interviews ............................................................................... 33

3.4

Photography as Research Method .................................................................... 37

3.5

Content Analysis, Discourse Analysis & Netnography ................................ 38

3.6

Ethics & Positionality ......................................................................................... 42

3.7

Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 43

CHAPTER 4: PRODUCING THE NATION THROUGH CHANGI AIRPORT ............................. 46 4.1

Preamble: Take-off .............................................................................................. 46

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4.1.1 4.2

Changi as Top-Down Nation-Building Project ............................................. 46

Material Construction of the ‘Nation’............................................................... 49

4.2.1

Changi’s Material Spaces ............................................................................... 49

4.2.2

Control Tower as Icon .................................................................................... 54

4.2.3

Banal Nationalism: Travelling Landscape-Objects ........................................ 56

4.3

Discursive Construction of the ‘Nation’........................................................... 60

4.3.1

Government Speeches & Publications............................................................ 61

4.3.2

The Mass Media ............................................................................................. 63

4.3.3

The Internet & Social Media .......................................................................... 67

4.3.4

National Education: Aviation/Airport Learning Journeys ............................ 69

4.4

Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 72

CHAPTER 5: CONSUMING CHANGI AIRPORT AS NATION-BUILDING LANDSCAPE ......... 74 5.1

Preamble: Touchdown ........................................................................................ 74

5.1.1

General Sentiments of Respondents ............................................................... 74

5.1.2

Netnography of Changi’s Digital Spaces ....................................................... 77

5.2

Acceptance of Top-Down Impositions ............................................................. 79

5.2.1

Ideological Hegemony: Imbibing Government Discourse .............................. 79

5.2.2

Verification through Personal Experience ...................................................... 81

5.3

Alternative Representations: Bottom-Up Nation-Building ........................... 83

5.3.1

The Airport as ‘Home’ .................................................................................... 83

5.3.2

Childhood Shared Memories: Airport as Memoryscape ................................. 85

5.4

Nonchalance & Resistance ................................................................................. 87

5.4.1

Indifference: Airport as Simply Functional ................................................... 88

5.4.2

Voicing Displeasure: The Vocal Minority? .................................................... 89

5.5

Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 93

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 96 6.1

Arrival: Revisiting Thesis Aims & Arguments ............................................... 96

6.2

Thesis Contributions ........................................................................................... 97

6.3

Implications & Future Directions ...................................................................... 98

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 100 APPENDIX A: STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................................... 112 APPENDIX B: STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES ................................................ 116

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APPENDIX C: AIDE-MEMOIRE FOR INTERVIEWS & AUTO-PHOTOGRAPHY ..................... 118 APPENDIX D: PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET & CONSENT FORM .......................... 120

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LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Profile of Survey Respondents. ........................................................................ 33 Table 3.2: Profile of Interview & Auto-Photography Respondents.............................. 35 Table 3.3: Screenshots of Some Social Media Platforms Managed by Changi Airport Group. ................................................................................................................................... 41 Table 4.1: Timeline of Changi Airport’s Operators. ....................................................... 47 Table 4.2: Open-Ended Questions on Impressions of Changi Airport. ....................... 50 Table 4.3: Open-Ended Question on People, Places & Things in Changi Airport. .... 51 Table 4.4: Close-Ended Question on Sources of News on Changi Airport. ................ 64 Table 4.5: Close-Ended Question on Types of News Seen on Changi Airport. .......... 65 Table 5.1: Likert-Scale Questions on National Identity.................................................. 75 Table 5.2: Likert-Scale Questions on Ideological Hegemony. ....................................... 80

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LIST OF PLATES / FIGURES Cover: Photograph by Author of Changi Control Tower. ............................................. i Figure 1.0: Photograph by Author of Entrance to Terminal 2 Departure Hall. ......... 11 Figure 2.0: Photograph by Pearl of Security Checkpoint in Terminal 1. ..................... 16 Figure 2.1: Conceptual Framework. ................................................................................. 28 Figure 3.0: Photograph by Author of Singapore Airlines Plane in Changi Airport. . 30 Figure 4.0: Photograph by Author of Plane Taking-Off from Changi Airport. ......... 45 Figure 4.1: Photograph by Author of National Day Decoration next to Hari Raya Puasa (Ketupat) Decoration in Terminal 3. ..................................................................... 51 Figure 4.2: Photograph of Singapore Girl in Terminal 3. .............................................. 52 Figure 4.3: Photograph by Author of Kopitiam Bowl (Printed with ‘True Singapore Taste’) in Terminal 3. .......................................................................................................... 52 Figure 4.4: Photograph by Author of Departure Hall (With Map of Singapore on Right) in Terminal 3. ........................................................................................................... 53 Figure 4.5: Photograph by Ella of Greenery in Terminal 2 Transit Area. ................... 53 Figure 4.6: Photograph by Sue of Orchids in Terminal 1 Baggage Collection Area. . 53 Figure 4.7: Photograph of Changi Control Tower. ......................................................... 55 Figure 4.8: Advertisement in The Straits Times on National Day featuring Changi Control Tower (Bottom-Left) Alongside Other Singapore Icons. ................................ 55 Figure 4.9: Photograph of Postcard of Changi Control Tower. .................................... 56 Figure 4.10: Postage Stamp of Changi Control Tower to Commemorate Changi Airport’s Opening. .............................................................................................................. 57 Figure 4.11: Photograph by Author of ‘Inquring into Our World’ Social Studies Textbook showcasing Changi Control Tower................................................................. 57 Figure 4.12: Photograph by Author of New 20-Cent Coin Embossed with Changi Control Tower. .................................................................................................................... 58 Figure 4.13: Screenshot of Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Website Showing Old S$100 Banknote with Changi Airport Image. ......................................... 58 Figure 4.14: Photograph by Author of Chinese Medicinal Product Sold at Watsons in Terminal 1. ........................................................................................................................... 59 Figure 4.15: Aviation-Related Article in The Straits Times by Karamjit Kaur, Aviation Correspondent. ................................................................................................... 66 Figure 4.16: Photograph of Dark Clouds Looming over Changi Control Tower. ..... 66 Figure 4.17: Screenshot of Changi Airport’s Facebook Page on 8 November 2014. .. 68 Figure 4.18: Screenshot of Changi Airport’s Instagram Profile on 24 August 2014. . 68 Figure 4.19: Screenshot of Changi Airport’s Facebook Page on 9 August 2014. ........ 69 Figure 4.20: Photograph by Author of Changi Aviation Gallery’s Introduction. ...... 71 Figure 4.21: Photograph by Author of a Changi Aviation Gallery Exhibit. ............... 71 Figure 5.0: Photograph of Singapore Airlines Plane Approaching Changi................ 73

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Figure 5.1: Article in The Straits Times on Changi Control Tower Voted as Top Buildings ‘Sacred’ to Singaporeans................................................................................... 76 Figure 5.2: Photograph by Wayne of Changi Control Tower. ...................................... 76 Figure 5.3: Screenshot of Changi Airport’s Facebook Page on 16 July 2014. .............. 78 Figure 5.4: Screenshot of Changi Airport’s Instagram Profile on 17 November 2014. ................................................................................................................................................ 78 Figure 5.5: Photograph by Nathan of Atrium between Terminal 2 & MRT Station. . 82 Figure 5.6: Photograph by Sunny of ‘Flipboard’ in Terminal 2. ................................... 86 Figure 5.7: Screenshot of Post on SG Heart Map’s Website on 27 November 2014. .. 87 Figure 5.8: Screenshot of The Straits Times’ Facebook Page on 16 November 2014. . 91 Figure 5.9: Screenshot of The Straits Times’ Facebook Page on 19 December 2014. .. 92 Figure 6.0: Photograph by Author of Immigration at Arrival in Terminal 2. ............. 95

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AOHD:

Archives and Oral History Department

CAAS:

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

CAG:

Changi Airport Group

DCA:

Department of Civil Aviation

DG:

Director-General (of CAAS)

LJ:

Learning Journeys

MOE:

Ministry of Education

NDR:

National Day Rally

NE:

National Education

NLB:

National Library Board

PAP:

People’s Action Party

PM:

Prime Minister

SG50:

Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence

SIA:

Singapore Airlines

ST:

The Straits Times

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This was the first and last section that I wrote, to make sure I remember to thank everyone who made this thesis possible. This yearlong journey (or flight) of research, discovery, joy and anguish would not have been possible without the following: My supervisor Dr Harvey Neo: my deepest gratitude for your helpful and prompt guidance and encouragement. It has been great pleasure working with you. Hope to have future opportunities to work with you! My previous supervisor Dr Zhang JJ: thank you for starting me off on the thesis journey, and all the best to you in University of Hong Kong. Professors I have consulted during the idea conceptualisation phase in GE3240: A/P Chang TC, Dr Jamie Gillen, A/P Elaine Ho, A/P Pow CP, Prof Jonathan Rigg, Prof James Sidaway & Dr Woon Chih-Yuan. Not forgetting Prof K Raguraman from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and especially newly-minted Dr Lin Weiqiang: thank you for advice and chit-chat on aviation (and aeromobilities)-related matters. My secondary school Geography teacher Miss Esther Cheong: thank you for longstanding support and encouragement; your guidance since Secondary 1 and especially your mentorship for 3 years of Humanities Research Papers have been immensely helpful. I won’t be where I am today without your guidance. Thank you also for feedback on my draft! My CAAS and CAG friends and colleagues, especially during my internship, for support, background information & great times: Evelyn, Tuang Hin, Charmaine, Yeu Shinq, Chao Han, Farah, Waner, Michelle, Werner, Wei Jim, Meaveen, Guan Han, Christina, Shimin, Edmund, Zhao Dong & Yiran. My survey, interview & auto-photography respondents (who must remain anonymous): your contributions are deeply appreciated. Without your opinions, I would not be able to write this thesis. Thank you also to those who helped with snowballing/referring research participants. My friends for encouragement and support (whether emotional, proofreading, sharing or snowballing): Aisha, Aloysius, Andre, Andy, Brendan, Cheryl, Fang Yu, Muhammad, Wei Xin, Wen Bin, William, Yang Yang, Yu Lin and many more, including seniors Rachel, Rebecca & John. Not forgetting NUS SAVE members & the Superputtie Gang! My close & extended family: thank you for understanding and supporting me through this challenging time. I apologise if I inadvertently left anyone out. Thank you to everyone who played a part in one way or another!

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Figure 1.0: Photograph by Author of Entrance to Terminal 2 Departure Hall.

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Point of Departure: Why Study Changi Airport?

To travel, send-off ...