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Lecture 1& 2: Introduction,

Module Overview

and Landscape Concepts

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Object ives

Module components

What are landscapes and why aregeographers interested in them?

Reading: Chapter 1 of textbook

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In th is module,

we are concerned with

Singapores built, cultural or physicalenvironment, an outcome ofpeoplesinteractions with each otherandpeoples

interactions with the environment.

More importantly, we are concerned with howSingapores myriad landscapes have changed

over the years, not only as a result of statepolicies but also the actions of ordinarySingaporeans, and regional and global forces.

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What is landscape?

Natural Sceneries?

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Well known structures and buildings?

What is landscape?

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Ordinary sites and environments?

What is landscape?

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Human activities over space?

What is landscape?

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Thus landscapes

Are not just the natural features of the earth's surfacesuch as a desert, glacial or mountain range, a ruggedcoastline, plains, beaches, jungles, volcanoes etc

But also features of the earths surface produced byhumans, both those that inspire awe (e.g. iconicstructures) and more ordinary scenes and environments.

Landscapes can also refer to spatialised individual andcollective human actions (e.g. shopping, makan, sports,aerobics, lepak-ing or hanging out etc) as much asthey refer to physical (built or natural) environment.

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Mater ial Landscapes :

Landscapes can be tangibly perceived aswell as represented in a book, on a

postcard, through a film, as a painting etc

Landscape can also be describedsymbolically by what it signifies, such aswhen it depicts abstract ideas.

Symbo l ic Landscapes:

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Why are Geog raphers

interested in landscapes?

Landscapes are expressions of physical processes,

personal/cultural values, social systems/practices,

individual/collective identities and ideologies.

Landscapes can thus be seen as repositories of how

societies function at any time as different eras of human

occupation/actions leave specific clues and traces in

landscape that can be detected/examined.

Landscapes therefore provide a window or a lens to

allow us an understanding of how society works.

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Why are Geographers

interested in landscapes?

Landscapes can also indicate the importance ofspatial scales to everyday geographies of people:

In the context of this module, local refers to the nation, which canthen be further sub-divided into the scale of the individual, family,ethnic group etc;

Regional scale refers to an area larger than a particular countrysuch as the space occupied by ASEAN or by the European Union;

Global scale refers to worldwide linkages between countries.

Interconnections between events occurring at different scales thelocal, the regional and the global obviously exist, oftenintertwined in complex ways

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As such

A landscape can be the result of individual choices, national

policies as well as regional and global forces.

Thus to understand a landscape, there is a need to consider notonly what is happening locally but also regionally andinternationally. Also, we need to consider how local incidentsaffect internationally.

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US Tragedy??

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Or Global Tragedies??

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Regional Implications

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Local Ramifications:

Singapore

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Can Landscapes help us

understand Change??

Landscapes also allow us to understand howsociety changes over time, i.e. as societychanges, so do landscapes, thus giving rise to

their dynamism

Thus, looking at a particular landscape, andby comparing how it was before, can also give

us important clues to the ways in whichsocieties have changed over time and howthey may be in the future.

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Landscape and Change

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Landscape and Change

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In Summary: Value of

Landscapes

Landscapes are not just sites that we

see/encounter

They are also sights provide a lensfor us to understand society and its

transformations

Landscapes (and their changes) areshaped by peoples and forces

functioning at different scalesfrom

global to regional to local.

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Landscape Concepts

Real Landscapes vs. Imagined Landscapes

Spectacular Landscapes vs. Landscapes of

the Everyday/ Ordinary Landscapes

Landscapes of Dominant Culture vs.

Alternative/ Marginalised Landscapes

Landscapes and Power

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Real vs. Imagined

LandscapesImaginary Landscapes Real Landscapes

Exist in the mind

Part of socialimagination

Created in myths,

legends, fiction,represented in paintingsand other media

Have a concrete,material basis

Part of socialexperience

Created as part ofnature or by humans

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Examples o f imaginary

landscapes

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The relationship between real

and imaginary landscapesImaginary landscapes and real landscapes areclosely intertwined. For example, imaginedlandscapes we see in movies such as LOTRpossess elements of the real world as the ideas inshaping those landscapes are drawn from what isseen and experienced in the real world.

Alternatively, the terrorist attacks on the WTC areclosely associated with scenes from Hollywoodmovies e.g. Die Hard; Blown Away.

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PoweroflandscapesThis relationship between real and imaginary landscapes shows the

power of landscapes.

I.e. Landscapes can capture our imaginations and shape our ideasas much as we have the power to transform, and effect changes inlandscapes.

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Spectacular vs. Ordinary

LandscapesLandscapes of Spectacle Ordinary Landscapes

Aim to impress

Visual effect moreimportant

Associated withdominant power

Familiar, encountered

on a daily or regular basis

Fields of care (Tuan)

Associated with thepeople

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Examples of ordinary landscapes

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Tensions between spectacu lar and

ord inary landscapes?

Landscapes may have multiple uses and canmean different things to different people, which

sometimes come in conflict with one another.

Landscapes of spectacle are constructed forimage and usually cater to the more privileged.

For these reasons, there can be tensions andcontestations in these landscapes.

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Dominant vs.

Alternative Landscapes

Landscapes of DominantCulture

Alternative Landscapes

Landscapes of inclusion

Created by and for the

majority culture

Landscapes of exclusion

Created by and for

minority culture

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Landscapes o f Dom inant Cul ture

These are landscapes that are produced by elites(e.g. the state or other dominant groups withnecessary resources) and usually for the majorityof a particular country.

Who are the elites in Singapore today?

Who forms the majority in Singapore today?

What then happens to those who are not in themajority?

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Examples o f Landscapes of Dom inant

Cul ture

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A lternat ive landscapes

These are landscapes that are produced by and

belongs to marginalised groups within societies

because of their lack of access to rights andresources in the country.

Their everyday experiences also show that theymay be subjected to discrimination.

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Examples of A l ternat ive

Landscapes

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Landscapes and Power

Power can be expressed, maintained andenhanced through manipulation of landscapesimpacting upon the practices of everyday life.

Power may be exercised by a range of groups,

from state to capital to social groups such asgender, racial and religious groups.

Dominant groups may use landscapes to inscribeideologies and values they believe in and wish to

propagate by producing certain landscapes.

Landscapes can also serve to hide what dominantgroups do not want others to know.

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Landscapes and Power

Hegemonic role of landscapes

By manipulating landscapes, dominant groups can alsostructure ways of life as landscapes are experienced and

tangible. As such, landscapes can help to naturalisedominant values and ideologies and construct social norms.

Thus, people arepersuadedto accept something ascommonsense rather than forced through more coercive

measures.

Interests? Agendas?

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How is Power Expressed and

Maintained in/throughlandscapes?

The 4 Ps of Power Promotion

Prohibition

Projection Provision

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Promotion

Power can be expressed through

landscapes by the promotion of certain

ideal values.

People are thus encouraged to conform

to practices and lifestyles that are

favoured by the elite majority.

HDB

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HDB:

Affordable Housing for

Everyone?

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Prohibition

Landscapes can also be manipulated to

prohibit the conduct of certain actions

and practices.

Can be explicit (through laws and

punitive measures) or more subtle

(CCTVs)

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Singapore is a Fine City

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Surveillance and Prohibition

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Provision

Power can also be exerted and

maintained through the provision of

certain services/amenities/infrastructure

Satisfy needs of the peoples for the

fulfillment of the interests of the elites.

P idi h t

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Providing what

Singaporeans Need?

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Projection

Projection of certain values/ideologies

through landscapes at a variety of

scales (from local to global) can also

function as a form of power

To cement and further strengthen the

dominant ideas championed by stateelites.

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Projecting Power

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Con tes ted landscapes

As mentioned, landscapes are crucibles tomultiple values, meanings and functions.

Thus, use, values, ideologies and

meanings inscribed in landscapes willalways be resisted/contested.

As such, all landscapes are potentiallycontested landscapes.

Resistance can be symbolic, overt orsubversive.

L d d

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Landscapes and

Resistance Landscapes are sites in which contestations overideologies, values and meanings can take place

and are expressed.

Symbolic resistancerepresents peacefulcontestations of a cultural norm, value andideology.

Overt resistance open struggles over control oflandscapes that take place to preserve an ideology,value and meaning.

Alternative landscapes.

Examples of symbolic

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Examples of symbolicresistance

E l f t i t

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Examples of overt resistance

A lternat ive landscapes as

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A lternat ive landscapes as

resistance

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Learn ing Object ives o f

modu le

Appreciate geographys way of looking atlandscapes as an analytical tool tounderstand how society works.

Sensitise you to different landscapes inSingapore and their dynamism to gaininsights into Singapore society.

Notice that inherent in landscapes andlandscape change is the play of processestaking place at different spatial scales.