Reimaginging ageing in Singapore : 1960-2001

Abstract

In Singapore, for a large portion of time, diseases in the aged were regarded as a natural part of the ageing process. However, with the introduction of gerontology, diseases were no longer viewed as normal, but rather it became something to be feared and prevented. Drawing on the scientific discourse on ageing and mental illnesses, the paper argues that the emergence of gerontology intensifies the pre-existing fears of mental illnesses that was developed from social changes due to the increased in public engagement and awareness. More broadly, the paper suggests that with the emergence of gerontology, the imagination of ageing and the aged have altered, and along with the shift in views of old age, Singapore’s society and behaviours of the elderly have been shaped and influenced.