SEMINAR: Asian Studies Seminar Series

James F. Warren is the author of two critically acclaimed social histories of the city: Rickshaw Coolie: A People's History of Singapore, 1880-1940 (1986) and Ah Ku and Karayuki-san: Prostitution in Singapore, 1870-1940 (1992). In this seminar, Warren considers the two books’ reception in Singapore, then and now. Described as a ‘powerful corrective to the romantic image of colonial Singapore’, his research has been considered as a pivotal juncture in an emerging post-colonial social history of the city. Warren’s talk will focus on methodological approach and sources for uncovering Singapore’s social history and women’s history, including prosopography and micro-history. He will also discuss how Singaporeans have read and re-presented his own works.