history is fun

The intention of this section of your project is to give glimpses of how people went or in this instance go about their everyday lives in Katong. How did people amuse themselves in this area and how now? How did people perform religious rituals and what were their customs and can your photographs now tell you anything? What kind of homes did they live in and what about now? What and where did they eat? Are these places still around serving the same food? What was school life like and what about the school now? What was family life like and how has it changed? As a whole we are asking you what was Katong like in the past, in terms of peoples, places and cultures; and what is Katong like now?

Through this endeavour, we hope to take you away from what is often written about Singapore history – its political and economic development – and see for yourself how life has gone about over the years. We are talking about a way of life that is of Katong – some has vanished and some still remain. The concept of change and continuity.

You may say that we are creating a sense of nostalgic; looking for a Katong that only the older Singaporeans remember. But, by drawing on our historical imagination, these photographs will tell us more stories of the people you interviewed. What were/are the tensions and contradictions they faced? How has life changed for them? Are they still able to continue or revisit their past in our fast-paced society?

Of the places you studied, the photographs will be able to give you a sense of time as a place may be thought of as a process, a ‘process of becoming’ (Pred, 1984).
Of the cultures you came across, the photographs will draw your attention to change and continuity. Are cultural practices, events and celebrations still acted out collectively or have they become more individualistic and voluntary?

Look at them through the historical, sociological and anthropological lenses and let your imagination tell you more about the social history of Singapore.

Details:
Requirement:
1. Acquire 8 to 10 photographs (e.g. 2 of the past, 7 of the present);
2. Provide a short write-up for each photograph (one or two lines will suffice);
3. Hand in the hardcopy (i.e. either scanned images on A4 or photographs pasted on A4

Marking scheme:
1. Effort (number of photographs submitted) 10%;
2. Aesthetic values (current photographs, i.e. those you have taken) 30%;
3. Write-up (you need to know what you are submitting e.g. inferrence of the photograph and a short description of what you have taken) 30%
4. Relevance (to your topic) 30%

Given the above, you won’t fail as long as you do your part and we do ours.

Deadline: 07/03/08


You may acquire your photographs from books, newspaper cuttings, magazines, internet, postcards, archival and private collections for the old photographs. Of course, those you have personally taken too.

All in all, this section may sound easy. But, to make sense of history, places, people, culture, processes, change and continuity may be difficult – be selective!

I will be posting some photographs for you as a guide soon.

Thank you.

Leo