Masculinizing national service: the cultural reproduction of masculinities and militarization of male citizenship in Singapore

ABSTRACT

As a conscription-based military, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) fulfils an important role in transforming Singaporean boys from various classes and ethnic backgrounds into adult men. At a time when there is interest in the production and performativity of military masculinities in countries that have abandoned conscription, this article examines how, as a rite of passage into manhood, compulsory enlistment in the SAF reproduces hegemonic masculinities denoting ruggedness, perseverance, leadership, muscular manliness and self-discipline. Whilst the SAF can be represented as a site for hegemonic masculinities in the authoritarian Southeast Asian city-state, this work articulates a framework for theorizing how military masculinities are responsible for gendering male citizenship in Singapore. It also suggests that military masculinities can be conceptualized as cultural capital that allows Singaporean males to construct masculinity and assert a male identity in various social settings whilst gaining access to elite networks of power.

KEYWORDS:

• Singapore
• military
• masculinities
• gendered citizenship
• conscription

Acknowledgments

The author thanks the editor and anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. He also extends thanks to his Teaching Assistant (Ms Zhou Siyuan) and students of GDRS 4007 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (AY 2018/19) for their questions and interest in lectures that provided inspiration for this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John Lowe

John Lowe completed his PhD at the University of Birmingham, UK. He is currently Senior Research Associate in the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at City University, Hong Kong and a part-time lecturer in the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Gender Studies Programme. He has previously published in high impact SSCI journals such as Patterns of Prejudice, Critical Asian Studies, Deviant Behaviour, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies and Bijdragen tot de Taal, - Land - en Volkenkunde.