Cities in Motion: Urban Life and Cosmopolitanism in Southeast Asia, 1920–1940In the 1920s and 1930s, the port-cities of Southeast Asia were staging grounds for diverse groups of ordinary citizens to experiment with modernity, as a rising Japan and American capitalism challenged the predominance of European empires after the First World War. Both migrants and locals played a pivotal role in shaping civic culture. Moving away from a nationalist reading of the period, Su Lin Lewis explores layers of cross-cultural interaction in various spheres: the urban built environment, civic associations, print media, education, popular culture and the emergence of the modern woman. While the book focuses on Penang, Rangoon and Bangkok - three cities born amidst British expansion to the region - it explores connected experiences across Asia and in Asian intellectual enclaves in Europe. Cosmopolitan sensibilities were severely tested in the era of post-colonial nationalism, but are undergoing a resurgence in Southeast Asia's civil society and creative class today. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 Maritime Commerce Old Rivalries and the Birth of Three Cities | 27 |
2 Asian PortCities in a Turbulent Age | 47 |
3 Cosmopolitan Publics in Divided Societies | 95 |
4 Newsprint Wires and the Reading Public | 138 |
5 Playgrounds Classrooms and Politics | 181 |
Other editions - View all
Cities in Motion: Urban Life and Cosmopolitanism in Southeast Asia, 1920-1940 Su Lin Lewis No preview available - 2018 |
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Anuman architecture argued Asia’s Asian Asian port-cities Asian Studies associations Aung Bangkok Bangsawan Barmé became Books British Buddhist Burma Research Society Burmese Burmese women Cambridge China Chinese cinema civic colonial commercial communities connections cosmopolitan debates diverse Eastern Courier elite emerged Empire English ethnic European films global History Hong Ibid imperial increasingly India Office Records Indian intellectual interaction Journal journalists Khaing Khin Myo Chit Kuala Lumpur labour language literary London Magazine Malay Malaya Maung middle class migrant models modern girl movement multi-ethnic municipal Muslim nationalist networks newspapers nineteenth century organisations Oxford University Press Paris particularly Penang Free School political popular culture post-colonial Prince promote prostitution public sphere racial Rangoon University region religious rickshaw role royal Sampheng Shanghai Siam Siam’s Siamese Singapore social Southeast Asia Straits Echo Straits Settlements Straits-Chinese Tamil Thai Thailand tion trade urban urbanites vernacular Western woman writers Yangon young