Social relations embedded in economic behavior : a case of a local coffee shop scene in Singapore.

Abstract

A kopitiam in Singapore is a suitable site for social relations to be forged and maintained. The mechanisms underlying these relations and its connections to the economic sociology can be observed under careful analysis. In this paper, trust and reciprocity are observed to play an essential role in the low bureaucratic system, serving as a form of lubricant to ensure less conflict of interest and better working relations. Reciprocity is also displayed in the other extreme, when people retaliate to others who take the respect for granted. It serves to discipline and set the boundary of the acceptable behaviors at the site. This paper is to explore how the concept of trust and reciprocity can be applied to the Singapore’s context and to explore the potential of the kopitiam as a site where cultural, religious and social elements are in competition negotiate meanings attached to the actors.