Masculinizing national service

The cultural reproduction of masculinities and militarization of male citizenship in Singapore

Bibliographic Data

ID3608224
AuthorsJohn Lowe (0000-0002-8468-9276)
Year2019
Volume28
Issue6
Pages687-698
Publication date2019-08-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Gender Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0958-9236 • E-ISSN: 1465-3869
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09589236.2019.1604329
OpenAlexW2936205322
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited49

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

Authoritarianism · Citizenship · Cultural capital · Democracy · Elite · Hegemonic masculinity · Hegemony · Masculinity · Militarization · Military service · Performativity · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Subaltern · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Socioeconomic Development in Asia