CRIME AND CUSTOM IN AN ORDERLY SOCIETY: THE SINGAPORE PROTOTYPE

Based on five months of field work in Singapore, this study examines the style of law and order in a densely populated, island city‐state. In addition to providing descriptive accounts of what some now regard as a highly regimented, if not repressive society, the relevance of Singapore to criminological theory is explored. How police‐community relations have altered as a result of massive urban renewal programs is set forth. Further clarification is given several of Black's propositions regarding the behavior of law and to Adler's critique of low‐crime nations. An interpretation of Singapore systems of social control from a conflict theory stance is discussed.