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‘Sites’ of resistance: alternative websites and state‐society relations 1
Author(s) -
Ho K. C.,
Baber Zaheer,
Khondker Habibul
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the british journal of sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.826
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1468-4446
pISSN - 0007-1315
DOI - 10.1080/00071310120109366
Subject(s) - civil society , the internet , state (computer science) , population , politics , resistance (ecology) , diversity (politics) , mainstream , negotiation , restructuring , censorship , sociology , political science , ethnic group , law , political economy , media studies , public relations , ecology , demography , algorithm , world wide web , computer science , biology
ABSTRACT Much attention has been focused on Singapore's attempt to use information technology to build a knowledge‐based economy. This paper examines the implications of the unintended consequences of the Internet in the restructuring of state and society relations in Singapore. We use the data on Singapore‐based and Singapore‐related websites to show (a) the diversity of positions expressed by civil society organizations, fringe groups and even mainstream segments of society; (b) the negotiation process between the state and civil society over various rights and how developments in cyber‐space have implications for ‘reality’; (c) how censorship and content regulation itself is a more complex multi‐dimensional process such that while local politics is regulated, the multi‐ethnic character of the resident population has led to greater religious tolerance such that religious groups banned in some countries have found a safe haven in Singapore and have used the city‐state as a strategic Internet node.