Meaning of kampung spirit | Babel Free

Definitions

A sense of social cohesion in a community and a willingness of neighbours to co-operate with each other.

Singapore, uncountable

Examples

“In the [Malayan] Union, kampong people have the kampong spirit, and in rural Singapore villagers must have the village spirit in order to improve their living condition.”

“These [Housing and Development Board housing estates] must be the core areas where the concept of neighbourliness and the friendly smile and greeting can and must be promoted and the kampung spirit of 'gotong royong' preserved. [Quoting an editorial in the National Youth Leadership Training Institute Alumni's newsletter.]”

“The old kampung spirit of volunteerism is useful. But volunteers need to be organised so that in a fire outbreak, for example, they can carry out their specific roles, calmly, before help from supportive services arrive.”

“Some of that kampong spirit still survives in the clean, orderly HDB estates today. But for the most part, Malay-Muslim families depend on their own immediate members.”

“Attempts to re-ignite the kampong spirit of community were evident at every turn.”

“Everyone needs someone. When the kampong spirit is in evidence, nobody needs to feel alone or abandoned.”

“This constant engagement and interaction was the foundation of the kampung spirit.”

““If we fixate on the conventional idea of the kampung spirit, then we are not going to find much of it in the modern environment. So while we may not associate the same acts of neighbourliness with the traditional kampung spirit, it is not to say that we have completely forgotten how to be neighbourly,” he added.”

“He [Chua Beng Huat] says the talk about kampong spirit is worse than nostalgia. "If it's only nostalgic, you just feel romantic about it and you're done with that."”

CEFR level