Key Content: Experiences and effects of living in a diverse society
Socio-cultural diversity
cultural exchange and appreciation
prejudice and misconceptions
socio-economic diversity
exchange and appreciation of ideas, skills and experiences
competition for resources
POSITIVE EXPERIENCES/BENEFITS
(1) CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND APPRECIATION THROUGH INTERACTIONS AMONG DIVERSE GROUPS
With an increase in the number of migrants in Singapore, Singapore has become much more diverse. It is therefore essential to ensure harmonious interactions between these different groups.
Our country needs to cultivate and promote more social interactions and stronger national identity.
Government to create common spaces that bring communities together, allowing different nationalities, races and ethnicities, religions and SES to come together to work, live and play and have common experiences.
E.g. OnePeople.sg creates common space by holding the Orange Ribbon Walk yearly, bringing together people from different self-help groups, workplaces and schools to interact with one another and learn about the different cultures in Singapore from the cultural booths, stage performances and ethnic cuisine.
Such common spaces encourage meaningful interactions among diverse groups in Singapore, fostering deeper understanding and friendships.
With friendship and goodwill among diverse groups, it results in harmony and social stability in Singapore
(2) EXCHANGE AND APPRECIATION OF IDEAS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCES
Richer experiences, more choices and variety that indirectly affect the quality of life of society.
An attitude of openness allows people to respect and appreciate diversity, which facilitates meaningful exchanges, especially when there is an understanding of the meaning behind cultural practices of other socio-cultural groups.
Our diverse society provides people with opportunities to interact which can result in fusion of local and foreign cultures in areas e.g. food, music, fashion
e.g. Singaporean Chef Willin Low’s dishes – fusion between European dining and Singaporean cuisine such as Char Siew Pork burger
Such openness in trying out different varieties of food shows that we are open to learning about the cultures of others, and sharing our culture with others, facilitating deeper understanding and appreciation for differences.
Beyond culture, there are also exchanges in skills and knowledge in the workforce or in research and development.
Foreign scientists can share knowledge and expertise to strengthen research competencies and collaborations with Singaporeans
E.g. Biomedical Research Council of the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) funds and supports public research initiatives in Singapore
Hence, Singapore was able to develop new discoveries such as the H1N1 flu vaccine that help develop the capabilities and competencies of their industry
Due to Singapore’s openness to learn and collaborate, this has led to robust research and significant discoveries made in Singapore.
It enhances Singapore’s position as a regional biomedical hub, in turn attracting more breakthroughs in scientific discoveries.
Exchange of skills and knowledge makes Singapore highly advanced in the research and development field, which also enhances our reputation in the world.
NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES / CHALLENGES IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY
Actions, opinions and feelings expressed irresponsibly can erode trust and weaken social cohesion.
(1) PREJUDICE AND MISCONCEPTIONS
In a diverse society, differences in cultural background leads to differing and sometimes conflicting views on values, beliefs and customs.
Interactions between people can lead to prejudice and misconceptions.
Negative sentiments can arise when people jump to conclusions about other cultures and make incorrect judgements without knowing them well enough
When one social group makes a generalized assumption about another group, it is called stereotyping.
Negative stereotypes are called prejudices.
Prejudices can arise from having wrong views about people from other different backgrounds and origins and hurtful remarks may be made as a result of such prejudices.
This may in turn lead to discrimination against victims, who will be hurt or excluded from interactions in society.
E.g. February 2012 – a Chinese student Sun Xu, who was given a scholarship to study in Singapore called Singaporeans “dogs” on his blog.
This is an example of a foreigner being prejudiced against Singaporeans, leading to much anger online with Singaporeans making prejudiced comments against people from China.
E.g. Religious and racial prejudice has led to discriminatory behavior towards certain groups of people.
Arabs and Muslim Americans became victims of hate crimes after the 9/11 terrorist attacks
Tension amongst everyone will disrupt the cohesiveness of society, hindering progression and affecting national prosperity.
If unresolved, this may lead to further conflicts which destroy our harmony and stability we now enjoy
Prejudice therefore threatens the social fabric and is particularly damaging to the peace and harmony of multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies such as Singapore.
(2) COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES & CONCERNS OVER STANDARD OF LIVING
The increased number of foreigners creates competition for employment, transportation, living space and availability for infrastructure for Singaporeans. This will also result in greater competition for resources.
As the Singapore population faces growth, competition heightens in terms of opportunities.
Many Singaporeans fear that foreigners are taking away Singaporeans’ jobs. This comes from the assumption that employers would rather hire foreigners as they are willing to work for lower wages
Thus, when more and more foreign laborers come into Singapore under work permits, Singaporeans in the lower income groups blame foreign workers for causing wages to remain low.
Therefore, the presence of low wage migrants also raises concerns on social mobility.
Social mobility refers to the movement of people low to high SES or vice versa.
This has traditionally been possible because the Singapore government emphasizes education and the learning of new skills (upskilling) to enable Singaporeans to develop relevant and employable skills for the workforce.
Many Singaporeans feel that social mobility is limited and some may even be unhappy because they find themselves suffering in this socioeconomically diverse country.
Some Singaporeans believe foreigners affect their ability to earn a living and cope with rising costs
Some (those who are capable of doing so) also consider the option of migrating to another country, thereby influencing our population structure and creating new manpower needs.
Some regard foreigners as a threat to a comfortable life and an obstacle for Singaporeans to rise up the socioeconomic ladder
To ensure social mobility is possible, Singapore upholds meritocracy to reward people the most deserving, which encourages Singaporeans to do their best and work hard for their best interests
To close the income gap, the government also imposes taxation on the wealthy people and provides financial assistance and subsidies for the needy
Some Singaporeans are also unhappy over the competition for living space and infrastructure due to the inflow of foreigners.
Greater population numbers place greater demands on e.g. public transport overcrowding, and causes greater competition over healthcare resources, availability of public housing.
The government has since tightened the immigration framework and put in place foreign workforce controls such as the foreign worker’s levy etc
However, it must be noted that foreign manpower also brings in much needed expertise, skills and knowledge, and helps boost our economy and productivity.
Case Study: Upskilling in Singapore - SkillsFuture programme (2015)
“Skillsfuture is a national movement to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential throughout life, regardless of their starting points.”
There are four key thrusts in the SkillsFuture program:
Help individuals make well-informed choices in education, training and careers
Develop an integrated high-quality system of education and training that responds to constantly evolving needs
Promote employer recognition and career development based on skills and mastery
Foster a culture that supports and celebrates lifelong learning
According to SkillsFutureSG (SSG), 500,000 individuals benefited from various programmes in 2019, suggesting that people are starting to take up courses to learn more things.
This is partly because the Singapore government decided to give every Singaporean at least S$500 of credit (and a further recent top-up of up to S$1,000) to take courses
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