chap 6- experiences & effects of living in a diverse society

• common spaces

  • physical location and/or social space where different group of people interact, cooperate/ collaborate on project/ activities
  • this allows people from different ethnicities, races, religions and socio-economic statuses to forge ties and establish mutual understanding + create shared experiences and memories
• examples of common spaces

  • physical locations such as HDB void decks, schools and community centres
  • social spaces such as social and cultural events and programmes for people to interact and develop relationships

  > HDB void decks -> provide common space for residents of the same hobbies to gather -> eg: bird enthusiasts gather there to enjoy the singing of songbirds -> allows people to gather regardless of race or religion -> provide opportunities for people to mingle and get to know people from other culture -> contributes to greater interaction
• understanding & appreciation

  • through culture exchanges, customs and traditions among people from different backgrounds->different ethnic groups have their own cultures & ways of life, can be seen in everyday life->interacting with other culture->learn & appreciate more
  • eg: observe the Malay community greeting family & friends with a handshake & place on their chest after->convey warm bonds between people
  • being open-minded & trying to understand the culture practises of other socio-cultural groups living in SG->deepen our understanding & appreciation of various cultural traditions in SG
• creation of new designs

  • through cultural exchanges (the sharing of ideas, customs and traditions among people from different backgrounds) ->inspiration for creativity
  • eg: Mr Mike Tay is a Singaporean designer & founder of design studio Onlewo. In his home furnishing products like curtains & wallpaper. he uses patterns inspired by the culture of various communities in SG & Asia -> fabric paint of Chinese dumplings, Malay kueh dadar & Indian ladoo -> the cultural exchange and appreciation resulted in a fusion in home furnishing designs
• cultural dilution

  • influence of other cultures could lead to dilution of culture & a possible loss of identity -> eg: increase in fusion food sold at Geylang Serai Hari Raya bazaar

  cultural appropriation

  • happens when aspects of culture are used without permission/ portrayed in an insensitive manner -> eg: a Singaporean peranakan restaurant introduced its version of Nasi Ambeng -> the Malay community felt that the name of a traditional dish of theirs was taken away & used without proper recognition-> also felt that the way the dish was plated in a rectangular box = misrepresented the dish
• development of research & development sector

  • through exchange of skills and knowledge -> foreign experts & scientists can share their knowledge and expertise with Singaporeans -> strengthen the research competencies
• development of research & development sector example

  • eg: Thermo Fisher is a multinational company & one of the world´s largest medical device makers->SGearns in the company are encourage to collaborate with employees from different cultures & expertise->younger technicians are mentored to produce high-quality equipment->openness to collaborate with employees of different cultures & expertise sharpened SGearns employees skills->significant outcomes when Thermo Fisher collaborated with MOH to produce PPE & PCR test kits during COVID-19->the openness expanded Singapore's research
• stereotype

  • assumption of a group of people
  • preconceived not necessarily based on evidence
  • eg: people in Africa can descent like fried chicken or all Chinese are good at math
• prejudice

  • negative attitude/ feelings of a group of people not based on evidence
  • eg: __ race likes to steal, so i dont like them
• discrimination

  • actions against another group based on preconceived negative attitudes
• how are stereotype, prejudice and discrimination related?

  • stereotypes creates prejudices and action on them which leads to discrimination
• managing stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination

  • with increasing diversity, people come from different cultural backgrounds and may have conflicting views -> cause misunderstandings and unhappiness and leads to negative sentiments causing people to jump into conclusion about others
  • challenge cuz it makes people irrational and difficult to change/ control people´s perception
• managing stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination

  • example

  > discrimination against interracial couple->a Chinese polytechnic lecture confronted an interracial couple & accuse the man on "preying on a Chinese girl" + ordered him to date "people of his own race"

  >eg: rental discrimination in SG->BBC reported that foreigners from India & China are not people who are very concerned about keeping their houses tidy -> Indians always cook smelly curries which affected other & PRCs don't clean weekly -> local landlords reluctant to rent to inconvenience to these foreigner to find a place
• ensuring sufficient resources for all

  • Singapore has finite resources + limited funds->allocating resources for one sector or community would mean taking away resources from other sectors or communities -> with many competing priorities, scarifies and trade-off have to be made
• ensuring sufficient resources for all

  • example

  >increase inflow of foreigners to make up for aging population & low birth rate in SG ->cause competition for resources

  >job opportunities ->increasing no. of foreigners in our workforce, SGearns fear losing their jobs->eg: many workers in low SES worry that hiring cheap foreigner labour=the locals losing jobs-> fuelled tensions as locals blame them for the problems

  >public transport -> due to increased foreign workers-> overcrowding in public transport->congestion during peak hours=taking away personal time=cause more stress
• addressing concerns about foreigner in SG

  • no. of foreigners employed in SG -> gov. is now stricter with foreign workforce controls -> tighten criteria for EP->slower growth in np. of EP holders each year + raised minimum qualifying salary for EP pass to keep place with rising wages
• addressing concerns about foreigner in SG

  • competition by foreigners in job market -> gov. now added fair consideration framework -> employers submitting EP and SGearns pass applications must first advertise their job vacancies on MyCareersFuture, an online portal for SGearns and PR + action is enforced against errant employer who carry out unfair hiring practises that flavour foreigners
• addressing concerns about foreigner in SG

  • availability of healthcare resources and public housing, congested public transport system -> land transport Master Plan 2040 aims to connect more places by trains, more cycle paths, more integrated transport hub -> rail network will increase to about 360km in 2030, 8 in 10 householders will be within 10min walk to train stations