COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: HAWKER CENTRES VS FOOD COURTS
Differences:
LOCATION - Hawker Centres are usually located next to a wet market and together they are found usually in residential areas/ housing estates. Food Courts on the other hand, are almost always found in a shopping mall, or other commercial areas.
-> Convenience is vital to Singaporeans; food courts as ‘rich man’s’ hawker centres, ‘higher class’ compared to hawker centres.

CONDITION - Hawker centres utilize the open-air concept while Food Courts are air conditioned. Food courts are also generally cleaner although much efforts have been placed by the government to upgrade Hawker centres and make them more orderly and clean.
-> Reflects Singaporean’s, or more likely the government’s desire to constantly ‘upgrade’ and to be better than before/others. The government’s need to show or portray to other countries Singapore’s advancement/refinement.
-> upgrading of hawker centres – would it eventually lead to their ‘take over’ by food courts? Difference of opinions: yes because food court’s advantageous more attractive and would eventually ‘buy’ over customers. No because hawker centres intrinsically ‘singaporean’. Until singapore becomes so affluent that the government can tax more of our money to upgrade all hawker centres to be food courts, hawker centres will still be around.-> government wants to upgrade? Maybe. Does the inclusion of air condition naturally change a hawker centre into a food court?

CUSTOMERS - Hawker centres, probably due to their location, attract the residents, the locals. Food courts although also attract some of the same people, also attracts a more 'international' array of customers.
-> the current plans of upgrading hawker centres as a means to attract more ‘international’ customers as well. To ‘trick’ people of their money. Marketed as a tourist attraction to entice customers.
-> purely economical reasons? Foreigners see singapore’s government as just a ‘money making machine’?

FOOD - Hawker Centres almost distinctively only serve local/traditional food (there is the random western food stall but hey, that can be considered a 'local' creation as well no?). whereas food courts, on top of local fare, also have other countries' cuisine like for example a stall selling 'jap food of korean food or indonesian food etc. Hawker centre stalls tend to specialise in one type of food to sell, like a wanton mee stall only sells wanton mee. but in a food court it is not strange to find a stall that sells, asides from wanton mee other kinds of noodle dishes. The food served in Food courts generally tend to be served faster than in the Hawker Centres, as it also employs a method of 'self-service', customers are not required to wait long. In Hawker Centres, not all food are served fast/immediate. customers are served at their tables so are required to wait and at times can wait up till 45 minutes.
-> serving of other counties’ cuisine not only a reflection of singapore’s globalisation and increasing cultural diversity, it also subtly reflects the government’s need to cater to everybody and it’s usage by the government as a mechanism of maintaining racial harmony.
-> government’s desire to educate singaporeans to be globalised?
-> reflection of Singapore’s desire to be good in everything – Jack of all trades, master of none.
-> self/fast service a reflection the importance of efficiency to singaporeans.

COST - hawker centre’s food are normally relatively cheaper than food court’s due to the lack of amenities
->cater to different classes of singaporeans

HAWKER - Hawkers in Hawker centres tend to be masters of their own craft. can't really say the same for the cooks in food centres.
-> with the passing of current hawkers, would there be continuation/ passing down of their ‘culinary’ skills? Could this lack of people interested in the hawking business signal the end of hawker centres and the eventual take over by food courts?
-> reflects singaporean mindset of wanting to always change for the better and ‘disregard their roots’
-> for the sake of air condition, hygiene and efficiency, singaporeans are willing to give up quality?

SIMILARITIES:
AIM – both to provide cheap food alternatives to restaurants etc.

LAYOUT - Individual stalls, communal dining
-> singaporean’s want to have the best of ‘all’ worlds

LOCATIONS: widely spread out across the island
-> singaporean’s need for convenience