Abstract
One may suppose that in a ‘competitive, lean and modern state’ such as the Republic of Singapore, with a relatively high per capita gross domestic product and a reputation for efficiency and enterprise, the religious aspiration would be presumably secondary to the material one or nonexistent. But such a presupposition is surprisingly off target. Religion is an important ingredient in the lives of the 4 million. Indeed, religiosity may be said to be a dominant feature of Singapore, and for many of its citizens religion is a source of spiritual, social and even cultural nourishment. In addition, for Singaporean Sikhs, Malays and Parsis, religion is a definition of their identity. For the Chinese and Indians, it is a major part of their cultural life, as seen in the mass celebrations of annual local festivals such as the Moon Cake Festival, Deepavali and Thaipusam.
I would like to acknowledge the help given by my two research assistants: Yeo Yew Hock and Betty Wee; as well as the grant from the Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore for part of the data collected in this study.
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© 2010 Phyllis Ghim-Lian Chew
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Chew, P.GL. (2010). Metaphors of Change: Adolescent Singaporeans Switching Religion. In: Omoniyi, T. (eds) The Sociology of Language and Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230304710_8
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