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‘Asian values’ as reverse Orientalism: Singapore
Author(s) -
Hill Michael
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
asia pacific viewpoint
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.571
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1467-8373
pISSN - 1360-7456
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8373.00114
Subject(s) - legitimation , orientalism , politics , attribution , political science , asian values , sociology , political economy , economy , development economics , geography , economics , law , social psychology , psychology , archaeology
It is possible to demonstrate, using Singapore as a key example, the way in which the attribution of a set of ‘Asian values’ represented a Western project which is best labelled ‘reverse Orientalism’. This process entailed the attribution of a set of cultural values to East and Southeast Asian societies by Western social scientists in order to contrast the recent dynamic progress of Asian development with the stagnation and social disorganisation of contemporary Western economies and societies. The contrast provided legitimation for some of the nation‐building policies of political leaders in such countries as Singapore and was incorporated in attempts to identify and institutionalise core values.