Building a civilised nation of kind citizens : a study on the Singapore kindness movement (SKM)

Since independence, the government has continuously attempted to build a gracious and inclusive society. This research focuses on how Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), as the forefront organisation, attempts to nurture kind and gracious Singaporeans. Previous literature revealed that pushing for “one gracious society” was in fact a social behaviour crisis manufactured by the government to further its legitimacy and Singapore’s development. Using Foucault’s governmentality and Elias’s civilizing process, this paper analyses how SKM contributes to the government’s legitimacy. By analysing the results collated from a participant observation and seventeen semi-structured interviews with SKM’s partners’ representatives, Facebook followers and employees, this study affirms a growing acknowledgment and support of SKM and its initiatives from the respondents. Given such acknowledgment and aligning values with the government’s, SKM could be arguably viewed as a “microphysics of power” contributing to the government’s legitimacy through its efforts to inculcate civilised and gracious conduct in citizens.Bachelor of Art