New Books Network Ruth E. Toulson, "Necropolitics of the Ordinary: Death and Grieving in Contemporary Singapore" (U Washington Press, 2024)
Sep 7, 2025
Ruth E. Toulson, an anthropologist and trained mortician, delves into the complex relationship between death and state power in Singapore. She discusses how the government’s removal of burial sites alters traditional grieving practices, forcing families to confront loss under a modern, sterile system. Toulson explores the transformation of Daoist beliefs into a controlled form of Buddhism and its implications on cultural identity. Through vivid narratives, she highlights the impact on family ties and societal norms, revealing a poignant anthropology of death amidst rapid urban change.
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State Shapes Grief Through Everyday Life
- Singapore's state shapes intimate death practices without always legislating funerals directly.
- Everyday grieving choices become politicized through long-term state interventions and identity shifts.
Father Torn By A 'Bad' Death
- Mr. Bao's daughter committed suicide after hospitalization and his grief conflicted with state ideals of family success.
- He struggled to find an appropriate ritual expression for a death and life judged as 'bad' by others.
Policy Shifts Create Generational Rift
- Singapore's shifting language and family policies create contradictory expectations across generations.
- These contradictions surface painfully at funerals, producing ritual and emotional confusion.
