Introduction — Gross National Distress

Introduction

The starting point of this research is a haunting image of docility transformed: cackling, screaming, and resisting the relentless flow of the assembly line. In early 1973, female workers at a television assembly plant in Singapore were struck by episodes of Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI). While some fell into trances, others succumbed to fainting and fits of screaming—a phenomenon now viewed by many as a latent, somatic solution to factory tensions that had no other outlet.

At the time, Singapore was a burgeoning nation aggressively implementing an industrialisation program designed to entice foreign investment. The state’s primary offering was a disciplined, low-wage labor force. To ensure the success of this strategy, policies were enacted that prioritized corporate incentives over labor rights, aiming to solve mass unemployment through labor-intensive manufacturing.

For this economic engine to function, workers were required to internalise what the state termed “productivity consciousness.” Deemed vital for national survival, this mindset demanded the maximization of output and the ruthless elimination of "waste" and "inefficiency." Tasked with reshaping the very psyche of the workforce, unions became instruments of this behavioral shift. In response to this history, I have devised a web of methodologies—matchmaking archival imagery, reconstructing historical fragments, and conducting oral interviews.

This website introduces the reader to three core concepts that map the convergence of labour and the subconscious:

Productivity Consciousness: A term coined by the National Productivity Board of Singapore to instill an acute awareness of labor efficiency. We examine the specific strategies used to embed this consciousness within the management and the rank-and-file.
Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI): Using a socio-psychological framework, this research investigates these "outbreaks" not as medical failures, but as meaningful responses to the industrial environment.
Gross National Distress (GND): Here, the research takes a speculative turn. The term was originally used facetiously by C.V. Devan Nair (then Secretary-General of the NTUC and later President of Singapore) to describe the "distress" that would be felt if GDP growth failed to track with wages.

The heart of this project lies in the relationship between Productivity Consciousness and MPI. I propose that these findings be categorised under the reclaimed banner of Gross National Distress. Through the lens of artistic practice, GND posits that MPI was a pioneering, albeit involuntary, method for expressing unvoiced tensions.

By synthesizing research on negotiation, imagination, and presentation, GND evolves into a "living organism" that cultivates expressions of the unspoken.

Industrial Realizations to Experiences of a Friend: These sections address the primary research inquiries and historical findings.
Gross National Distress to Graveyard Shift Girls: These sections present these inquiries through a series of experimental audiovisual works.