chap 6

• what are the positive impacts of living in a diverse society ?

  • exchange and appreciation of culture
  • exchange of skills and knowledge
• why is exchange and appreciation of culture positive impact of living in a diverse society ?

  • diverse society provides people with many opportunities to interact and learn from those who come from different countries and cultures
  • this leads to distinct experiences such as fusion between local culture and foreign ideas
  • fusions can result in interesting outcomes and more variety in society
• what is an example of how exchange and appreciation of culture being a positive impact ?

  • fusion foods
  • chef willin low creates fusion between local dishes with european influence
  • dishes include soft shell chilli crab with squid ink and laksa pasta
• what is the outcome of exchange and appreciation of culture ?

  • an open and respectful attitude towards interacting with those with different cultural backgrounds facilitate meaningful exchanges
  • this can help them gain a deeper appreciation of one another's culture
  • this benefits singaporeans with more enriching experiences and variety in daily life
  • positive experiences increases global awareness and deepen cross- cultural skills which are relevant in sustaining economic development in a globalised world
• why is exchange of skills and knowledge positive impact of living in a diverse society ?

  • provides people who have different expertise with many opportunities to interact and collaborate
  • many opportunities for exchange of skills and knowledge in the research and development industry
  • foreign scientists can share their knowledge and expertise to strengthen research competencies and collaborations with singaporeans
• what is an example of exchange of skills and knowledge being a positive impact ?

  • thermo fisher scientific
  • they are one of the largest medical device makers and collaborated with ministry of health (MOH), temasek holdings and economic development board (EDB)
  • this is produce personal protective equipment (PPE) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits
• what is the outcome of exchange of skills and knowledge being a positive impact ?

  • meaningful exchanges can occur through the sharing of knowledge and expertise between locals and foreigners
  • this helps to strengthen each other's research competencies
  • the openness and willingness to learn and work together with overseas experts increases the scope of development in the research industry
  • this can lead to development of industries that help diversify singapore's economy, create jobs and generate economic growth
• what are the negative impacts of living in a diverse society ?

  • prejudice & misconception
  • discrimination
  • competition for resources
• why is prejudice & misconception a negative impact ?

  • when there are differences in cultural backgrounds, it may cause misunderstandings
  • this leads to differing or conflicting views on values, beliefs and customs
  • negative sentiments can arise when people jump to conclusions and make incorrect judgements due to insufficient understanding and generalisations (stereotypes)
  • stereotypes or prejudices can arise from misconceptions linked to nationality, race and ethnicity, religion or socio- economic status
  • this leads to exclusion and discriminations against a certain social group
• what is the outcome of prejudice & misconception ?

  • if actions and opinions are expressed in an irresponsible manner, it may lead to misunderstandings and weaken social cohesion
  • this may result in social unrest if the issue is not addressed
• what is an example of prejudice & misconception ?

  • in 2014, a former PR sent his luxury sports car to be fixed and he and his son travelled via MRT
  • he posted a picture of his son on the MRT with the caption "daddy, where is your car and who are all these poor people"
  • people who saw his post were outraged and though he tried to apologise, it was seen as insincere
  • as a result of intense public criticise, the former PR lost his job, and he and his family left singapore
• what is an example of discrimination being a negative impact of living in a diverse society ?

  • a nurse who had been on good terms with his neighbours for 6 years faced discrimination from his neighbours in 2021 during the covid- 19 pandemic
  • his neighbours had learnt that the nurse and his wife were frontline workers
  • the neighbour repeatedly harassed them and called them 'virus' before proceeding to spray their daughter's face with disinfectant
  • the parents were verbally abused and the neighbours were later charged in court and pleaded guilty to their actions
• what is the outcome of discrimination ?

  • it will cause the recipient to be hurt, embarrassed and humiliated
  • this promotes disharmony and enmity against the different races and might lead to clashes
• why is competition for resources a negative impact of living in a diverse society ?

  • the resources can come in the form of opportunities or availability of infrastructure
  • this can lead to negative interactions and tensions between singaporeans and foreigners in singapore
  • with the inflow of foreigners in singapore, they are concerned about lower standard of living and social mobility in the country
• in what areas are singaporeans concerned about competition for resources with foreigners ?

  • employment
  • living spaces and infrastructure
• why are singaporeans concerned about competition for employment ?

  • the increasing number of foreigners in singapore's workforce creates competitions for jobs and promotion opportunities
  • especially for singaporeans with white collared jobs as the inflow of foreigners on employment pass and S pass create competitions to those holding PMET positions
  • lower skilled foreign workers may be a reason for wages to remain low for singaporeans in the lower income group as employers would rather hire foreign workers as they are cheaper
• why are singaporeans concerned about competition for living space and infrastructure ?

  • the influx of foreigners in singapore also affects living space and infrastructure
  • it is evident in singapore's increasingly congested public transport system and increased competition over health care resources
  • it has caused unhappiness over foreigners coming to singapore
• what is the outcome of competition for resources "?

  • this leads to negative interaction between singaporeans and foreigners as competition causes singaporeans to feel apprehensive and view them negatively
  • this affects the way singaporeans interact with foreigners leading to tension and disharmony in society
  • the growing unhappiness can lead to xenophobia against foreigners that could be detrimental to our economy as we may face severe manpower shortage if foreigners refrain from coming to singapore
• what are the concerns and measures taken by the government to reduce the tension between singaporeans and foreigners ?

  • competition in the job market
  • implemented fair consideration framework
  • stricter workforce controls
  • increasingly congested public transport system
  • land transport master plan 2040
• how is employment concerns addressed by the government by tightening workforce controls?

  • implemented stricter foreign workforce controls to manage inflow of manpower
  • they tightened the criteria for employment pass resulting in slower growth in the number of EP holders each year
  • they raised the minimum qualifying salary for the S pass to keep pace with rising wages
  • this means that foreigners needs to earn a minimum salary to be considered for a pass
• how is employment concerns addressed by the government by implementing fair consideration framework ?

  • measures are put in place to promote local hiring and ensure employers give fair consideration to singaporeans based on merit
  • employers submitting EP and S pass applications must first advertise their job vacancies on MyCareersFuture portal to facilitate job searches for Singaporean citizens and PR
  • action is enforced against errant employers who carry out unfair hiring practices that favour foreigners
• what is the outcome of employment concerns being addressed by the government ?

  • it will reduce the inflow of foreign manpower to singapore
  • it will reduce the inflow of higher- skilled foreign manpower to singapore, and encourage local firms to find ways to employ and train singaporeans to take on these jobs
• how is public transport system concerns addressed by the government ?

  • land transport master plan 2040
  • aim to provide connectivity for people between their homes, communities and workplaces
  • wants to have a convenient, well- connected and fast system for commuters
  • connecting more places by trains (jurong region line and cross- island line)
  • more integrated transport hubs
  • more cycling paths
  • priority for busses via bus lane