Global History and Culture Centre Blog
Global History and Culture Centre Blog
05 Mar 2021
Hygienic Modernity: Reflections on the current pandemic from a historical perspective
What does 鈥榖eing modern鈥� mean? The current pandemic brings this perennial question once again to the fore. Is a strong centralised state that enforces strict public health measures to save lives 鈥榤odern鈥�? Or is a free society where people can make their own choices and control their own body 鈥榤odern鈥�? Is a population that firmly believes in science over all other values 鈥榤odern鈥�? Or is a society where there is no single fundamental assumption, but only constant scepticism and debate 鈥榤odern鈥�? Taking cues from Ruth Rogaski's Hygienic Modernity (2004), Bobby Tam seeks to complicate the idea of what 'modern' is based on his observations of the pandemic response in the UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore.