新加坡式的多元文化主義：以新加坡國家博物館（National Museum of Singapore）民族誌為例

Abstract

新加坡共和國是1965年成立的年輕島國，主要人口包含華人、馬來人、印度人和歐亞人等四大族群，並在長年一黨獨大的新加坡政府治理之下，攜手共創亞洲經濟奇蹟和穩定和諧的社會秩序。另一方面，新加坡也是一個遍布展示中心的博物館之都──與大臺北面積相當的新加坡本島即有逾五十間大大小小的博物館展示各種類型的物質文化，由四大族群所表徵的「多元族群文化」更不曾在國家級博物館等相關機構之歷史敘事中缺席。 新加坡國家博物館主要透過收藏、展示和活動等三種方式再現新加坡歷史，企圖培養新加坡人的文化品味和習性、規訓新加坡人對本國族群和歷史知識的掌握和認同、建構多元文化博物館景觀。其中，透過共同體的想像，新加坡人能達成國家對個體的期待、協調自身所處的社會位置和族群關係，使博物館成為新加坡故事的重要接觸地帶。 本研究藉由民族誌研究方法對新加坡國家博物館進行案例分析，研究發現新加坡為求促進國家發展的集體利益而闡揚多元族群文化的內涵與價值，博物館等國家文化機構則極度仰賴國人的「參與式敘事」，目的在於讓本地觀眾成為展示的詮釋者，並成為能充分表現展品特性和故事的載體。新加坡本地觀眾能在「新加坡人」和「華人／馬來人／印度人／歐亞人」之雙重身分之間，進行快速且符合國家利益的選擇和轉換，同時呈現出現代新興國家政府與人民之間既合作又分離的微妙關係特性。

The Republic of Singapore claimed its independence in 1965. There are four major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malays, Indians and Others) living altogether in this young nation. Experiencing the one-party governmental ruling for years, people of diverse ethnicities have been fighting for a stable economy and peaceful social order. In addition, Singapore is a museum-dotted city state. The country’s territory is about the same size of Greater Taipei, and there are more than 50 museums exhibiting Singapore’s material culture. Multiculturalism is never absent in the historical discourses among national museums and related cultural organizations. From collections, to exhibitions, and museum events, we are able to witness that the National Museum of Singapore aims at cultivating the Singaporeans’ taste and habitus, disciplining their ethnic and historical knowledge and identity, and establishing a multicultural museumscape. The power of imagined community enables them to continue situating themselves in the society, and reflecting on their relationships with other ethnic groups, and thus making the museum a significant contact zone for Singapore stories. This research utilizes ethnography on the National Museum of Singapore as a case study. For improving the nation’s development, the Singaporean government puts emphasis on multiculturalism. As a result, museums and many kinds of national cultural organizations eagerly rely on the citizens’ “participating discourse,” allowing the local audience to be the interpreters of museum displays, and becoming the medium to fully visualize the exhibits’ characteristics and stories. The Singaporean museums allow the local audience to easily switch their identities between being Singaporean and being Chinese/Malay/Indian/Other when facing the national discourses represented by museums, in order to cater to the national interest. Finally, the museum also showcases the modern country’s subtle relationship between the government and its citizens, which can be described as “cooperation with separateness.”