Lecture 1& 2: Introduction, Module Overview and Landscape Concepts

Objectives
Module

components

What

are landscapes and why are geographers interested in them?

Reading: Chapter 1 of textbook

In this module, we are concerned with

Singapores built, cultural or physical environment, an outcome of peoples interactions with each other and peoples interactions with the environment. More importantly, we are concerned with how Singapores myriad landscapes have changed over the years, not only as a result of state policies but also the actions of ordinary Singaporeans, and regional and global forces.

What is landscape?
Natural Sceneries?

What is landscape?
Well known structures and buildings?

What is landscape?
Ordinary sites and environments?

What is landscape?
Human activities over space?

Thus landscapes

Are not just the natural features of the earth's surface such as a desert, glacial or mountain range, a rugged coastline, plains, beaches, jungles, volcanoes etc
But also features of the earths surface produced by humans, both those that inspire awe (e.g. iconic structures) and more ordinary scenes and environments. Landscapes can also refer to spatialised individual and collective human actions (e.g. shopping, makan, sports, aerobics, lepak-ing or hanging out etc) as much as they refer to physical (built or natural) environment.

Material Landscapes:

Landscapes can be tangibly perceived as well as represented in a book, on a postcard, through a film, as a painting etc

Symbolic Landscapes:

Landscape can also be described symbolically by what it signifies, such as when it depicts abstract ideas.

Why are Geographers 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.

Why are Geographers interested in landscapes?

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

In the context of this module, local refers to the nation, which can then be further sub-divided into the scale of the individual, family, ethnic group etc; Regional scale refers to an area larger than a particular country such 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 the local, the regional and the global obviously exist, often intertwined in complex ways

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 not only what is happening locally but also regionally and internationally. Also, we need to consider how local incidents affect internationally.

US Tragedy??

Or Global Tragedies??

Regional Implications

Local Ramifications: Singapore

Can Landscapes help us understand Change??

Landscapes also allow us to understand how society changes over time, i.e. as society changes, so do landscapes, thus giving rise to their dynamism
Thus, looking at a particular landscape, and by comparing how it was before, can also give us important clues to the ways in which societies have changed over time and how they may be in the future.

Landscape and Change

Landscape and Change

In Summary: Value of Landscapes

Landscapes are not just sites that we see/encounter They are also sights provide a lens for us to understand society and its transformations Landscapes (and their changes) are shaped by peoples and forces functioning at different scalesfrom global to regional to local.

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

Real vs. Imagined Landscapes

Imaginary Landscapes

Real Landscapes Have a concrete, material basis

Exist in the mind

Part

of social imagination
Created

Part

in myths, legends, fiction, represented in paintings and other media

of social experience
Created

as part of nature or by humans

Examples of imaginary landscapes

The relationship between real and imaginary landscapes

Imaginary landscapes and real landscapes are closely intertwined. For example, imagined landscapes we see in movies such as LOTR possess elements of the real world as the ideas in shaping those landscapes are drawn from what is seen and experienced in the real world. Alternatively, the terrorist attacks on the WTC are closely associated with scenes from Hollywood movies e.g. Die Hard; Blown Away.

Power of landscapes
This relationship between real and imaginary landscapes shows the power of landscapes. I.e. Landscapes can capture our imaginations and shape our ideas as much as we have the power to transform, and effect changes in landscapes.

Spectacular vs. Ordinary Landscapes

Landscapes of Spectacle Aim to impress
Visual

Ordinary Landscapes Familiar, encountered on a daily or regular basis

Fields

effect more important

Associated

of care (Tuan)

with dominant power

Associated

people

with the

Examples of ordinary landscapes

Tensions between spectacular and ordinary landscapes?

Landscapes may have multiple uses and can mean different things to different people, which sometimes come in conflict with one another.
Landscapes of spectacle are constructed for image and usually cater to the more privileged. For these reasons, there can be tensions and contestations in these landscapes.

Dominant vs. Alternative Landscapes

Landscapes of Dominant Culture

Alternative Landscapes

Landscapes of inclusion Landscapes of exclusion

Created

Created

by and for the majority culture

by and for minority culture

Landscapes of Dominant Culture

These are landscapes that are produced by elites (e.g. the state or other dominant groups with necessary resources) and usually for the majority of 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 the majority?

Examples of Landscapes of Dominant Culture

Alternative landscapes
These are landscapes that are produced by and belongs to marginalised groups within societies because of their lack of access to rights and resources in the country. Their everyday experiences also show that they may be subjected to discrimination.

Examples of Alternative Landscapes

Landscapes and Power

Power can be expressed, maintained and enhanced through manipulation of landscapes impacting upon the practices of everyday life. Power may be exercised by a range of groups, from state to capital to social groups such as gender, racial and religious groups.
Dominant groups may use landscapes to inscribe ideologies and values they believe in and wish to propagate by producing certain landscapes. Landscapes can also serve to hide what dominant groups do not want others to know.

Landscapes and Power

Hegemonic role of landscapes

By manipulating landscapes, dominant groups can also structure ways of life as landscapes are experienced and tangible. As such, landscapes can help to naturalise dominant values and ideologies and construct social norms. Thus, people are persuaded to accept something as commonsense rather than forced through more coercive measures. Interests? Agendas?

How is Power Expressed and Maintained in/through landscapes?

The 4 Ps of Power
Promotion
Prohibition Projection

Provision

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: Affordable Housing for Everyone?

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)

Singapore is a Fine City

Surveillance and Prohibition

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.

Providing what Singaporeans Need?

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 state elites.

Projecting Power

Contested landscapes

As mentioned, landscapes are crucibles to multiple values, meanings and functions. Thus, use, values, ideologies and meanings inscribed in landscapes will always be resisted/contested. As such, all landscapes are potentially contested landscapes. Resistance can be symbolic, overt or subversive.

Landscapes are sites in which contestations over ideologies, values and meanings can take place and are expressed. Symbolic resistance represents peaceful contestations of a cultural norm, value and ideology. Overt resistance open struggles over control of landscapes that take place to preserve an ideology, value and meaning. Alternative landscapes.

Landscapes and Resistance

Examples of symbolic resistance

Examples of overt resistance

Alternative landscapes as resistance

Learning Objectives of module

Appreciate

geographys way of looking at landscapes as an analytical tool to understand how society works. you to different landscapes in Singapore and their dynamism to gain insights into Singapore society.

Sensitise

Notice that inherent in landscapes and landscape change is the play of processes taking place at different spatial scales.