8. "Triumph over adversity": Singapore mobilizes Confucian values to combat SARS
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Ian Weber
Abstract
This chapter explores how the Singapore government worked hand-inhand with the media to draw the nation together under the banner of a modified and popularized version of Confucianism during the SARS crisis in 2003. Specifically, it focuses on the ways governmental leaders used civic discourse to renegotiate citizenship through the media’s discursive practices in order to gain public compliance with government directives. Employing Gee’s (2002) discourse analysis framework, this study examines reports published by Singapore’s flagship newspaper, the Straits Times, to discover the relevant discursive themes that link into and perpetuate the national mythology of “triumph over adversity.” The study found that communication strategies contributed significantly to the enrichment of a self-sustaining mythology that symbolically ties citizens to national goals. By demonstrating how socially responsible citizens can contribute directly to the nation, the mythology helped Singaporeans to identify with national strength and character exemplified by the heroism of the medical community during the SARS crisis. Adding successful management of the SARS crisis to Singapore’s mythic lore of “triumph over adversity” should reinforce the government’s efforts to motivate citizens to be socially responsible whenever the next crisis challenges Singapore’s national character.
Abstract
This chapter explores how the Singapore government worked hand-inhand with the media to draw the nation together under the banner of a modified and popularized version of Confucianism during the SARS crisis in 2003. Specifically, it focuses on the ways governmental leaders used civic discourse to renegotiate citizenship through the media’s discursive practices in order to gain public compliance with government directives. Employing Gee’s (2002) discourse analysis framework, this study examines reports published by Singapore’s flagship newspaper, the Straits Times, to discover the relevant discursive themes that link into and perpetuate the national mythology of “triumph over adversity.” The study found that communication strategies contributed significantly to the enrichment of a self-sustaining mythology that symbolically ties citizens to national goals. By demonstrating how socially responsible citizens can contribute directly to the nation, the mythology helped Singaporeans to identify with national strength and character exemplified by the heroism of the medical community during the SARS crisis. Adding successful management of the SARS crisis to Singapore’s mythic lore of “triumph over adversity” should reinforce the government’s efforts to motivate citizens to be socially responsible whenever the next crisis challenges Singapore’s national character.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Constructions of SARS in Hong Kong
- 1. Hong Kong's multiple constructions of SARS 17
- 2. A hero story without heroes: The Hong Kong government's narratives on SARS 33
- 3. "SARS" versus "atypical pneumonia": Inconsistencies in Hong Kong's public health warnings and disease-prevention campaign 53
- 4. Internet press freedom and online crisis reporting: The role of news web sites in the SARS epidemic 69
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Part II. Constructions of SARS on the Chinese mainland
- 5. Party journalism vs. market journalism: The coverage of SARS by the People's Daily and Beijing Youth News 93
- 6. Construction of nationalism and political legitimacy through rhetoric of the anti-SARS campaign: A fantasy theme analysis 109
- 7. SARS discourse as an anti-SARS ideology: The case of Beijing 125
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Part III. Constructions of SARS in Singapore and Taiwan
- 8. "Triumph over adversity": Singapore mobilizes Confucian values to combat SARS 145
- 9. Singapore at war: SARS and its metaphors 163
- 10. Reporting an emerging epidemic in Taiwan: Journalists' experiences of SARS coverage 181
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Part IV. Cross national constructions of SARS
- 11. Newspaper coverage of the 2003 SARS outbreak 203
- 12. Effects of rationality and story attributes on perceptions of SARS perception 223
- Index 241
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Constructions of SARS in Hong Kong
- 1. Hong Kong's multiple constructions of SARS 17
- 2. A hero story without heroes: The Hong Kong government's narratives on SARS 33
- 3. "SARS" versus "atypical pneumonia": Inconsistencies in Hong Kong's public health warnings and disease-prevention campaign 53
- 4. Internet press freedom and online crisis reporting: The role of news web sites in the SARS epidemic 69
-
Part II. Constructions of SARS on the Chinese mainland
- 5. Party journalism vs. market journalism: The coverage of SARS by the People's Daily and Beijing Youth News 93
- 6. Construction of nationalism and political legitimacy through rhetoric of the anti-SARS campaign: A fantasy theme analysis 109
- 7. SARS discourse as an anti-SARS ideology: The case of Beijing 125
-
Part III. Constructions of SARS in Singapore and Taiwan
- 8. "Triumph over adversity": Singapore mobilizes Confucian values to combat SARS 145
- 9. Singapore at war: SARS and its metaphors 163
- 10. Reporting an emerging epidemic in Taiwan: Journalists' experiences of SARS coverage 181
-
Part IV. Cross national constructions of SARS
- 11. Newspaper coverage of the 2003 SARS outbreak 203
- 12. Effects of rationality and story attributes on perceptions of SARS perception 223
- Index 241
