Politics and Change in Singapore and Hong Kong: Containing Contention by Stephan Ortmann

Author:Stephan Ortmann [Ortmann, Stephan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnic Studies, Social Science, Political Science, Regional Studies, General
ISBN: 9781135244668
Google: 0WKPAgAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 17512509
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2009-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

Cognitive attribution and perceptions: the “colonial image”

The following will discuss three different aspects of the cognitive perceptions and the resulting behavior patterns of the members of the ruling elite groups (Table 6.4). The historical developments and the institutions summarized in Chapter 4 provide the basis for how Singapore's elite sees the world around it.

In terms of self-perception, the successful economic and social transformation of Singapore has generated a great sense of self-confidence within the ruling elite groups. People who succeed during their life often feel pride in their accomplishments. In a group setting this often translates to collective pride, especially when there is a strong sense of belonging to the group. These sentiments consequently become part of the values and norms of the ruling elite groups and are enshrined in the inner group culture. After some time, this becomes transformed into a self-perception of superiority, which is reflected in the elitism of the ruling class. The feeling that the ruling elite is the best to rule the country leads to the idea that it should guide the people for their own good. This will be described as the paternalist dispositions of the government. Finally, the impression that it is especially qualified to improve the lives of the people generates a great sense of legitimacy. While this legitimacy draws its major resource from the impression that the ruling elite has successfully managed the economy and averted a number of national crises, it also needs to be sustained through periodic elections.

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