issue 3 (diversity)

chapter 5

factors that shape the identities of people and contribute to the diversity of society

race and ethnicity

• usage of CMIO categorization in Singapore

  • GRC (group representation constituency)

    • ensure that minority races are properly represented in Parliament

    • at least one of the MPs in the group must belong to a minority racial community

  • EIP (ethnic integration programme)

    • promote interaction and harmony among ethnic grps in Singapore

    • prevents the rise of ethnic enclaves

    • ensures a mix of various ethnic grps in each HDB block, creating opportunities for people to interact w/ each other.

socio-economic status

• KidSTART programme

  • equips parents with relevant knowledge and skills to nurture their child’s early development

  • offered to families with a household income of 2.5k or less or a gross monthly per capita income of less than 650

nationality (in terms of culture)

• Haka

  • a dance and chant originating from the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand

  • often performed by the New Zealand rugby team as a display of team pride and strength during matches

• Singlish

  • a form of creole language native to Singapore

  • mixes English with words and phrases from the other languages and dialects of the many racial groups in Singapore

nationality (immigrants)

• Mrs Helene Le Chatelier

  • immigrated to Singapore during 2010

  • appreciated the diversity and multiculturalism, where they’re able to meet people of different nationalities and ethnicities

• Mr Joy Sudip Bhadra

  • worked in Singapore for 11 years in a range of jobs and industriess, ranging from construction work to SMRT maintenance

  • set up a vocational training institute in his hometown using funds he earned from his work here

chapter 6

6A: interactions in a diverse society and common space
6B: experiences and effects of living in a diverse society

common spaces

• void decks

  • open and sheltered areas on the ground floor of most HDB flats

  • provide residents opportunities to meet, interact and bond

• MOE-OBS challenge

  • allows students from different backgrounds to have a common ground to interact with each other through a 5d4n adventure camp where they get to engage in land/water expeditions

  • facilitates interaction and bonding between people of different backgrounds

social spaces

• IRCC (inter-racial and religious confidence circles)

  • formed in every constituency to promote racial and religious harmony

  • deepens work of trust-building, understanding and confidence amongst communities through activities that promote inter-faith and inter-ethnic interactions

• PA (People’s Association)

  • aims to promote racial harmony and social cohesion

  • offers a wide range of community service, sports and cultural programmes that bring people tgt

  • programmes are carried out through a network of over 2k grassroot organizations, 100 community clubs, 5 community development councils, National Community Leadership Institute and PAssion WaVe.

cultural exchange and appreciation

• ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF)

  • fellows commit themselves to forging closer partnerships and strengthening connections with other leaders cross-regionally

  • also committed to enacting positive change within communities and countries in ASEAN

    • deepens understanding and appreciation of the uniqueness, commonalities and differences amongst people

• Singapore’s Master Potter, Dr Iskander Jalil

  • integrates Japanese and Islamic styles into his pottery

  • influenced by wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that champions the appreciation of the beauty of imperfections

  • awarded the Cultural Medallion—S’pore’s highest art accolade—-and also awarded the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun award from the Emperor of Japan for his significant cultural exchange between both cultures

    • deepens the appreciation of other cultures, contribute to the shaping of the local cultural and arts landscape

cultural fusion is fashion and art

• Ms Oniatta Effendi

  • founder of Baju by Oniatta

  • incorporates classically Javanese motifs like the parang, wahyu temurun ,with more contemporary patterns like the Japanese sashiko motifs

• Mr Mike Tay, founder of Onlewo Studio

  • uses patterns inspired by the heritage, places and cultures of the various communities in Singapore and Asia in home furnishings

cultural appropriation

• 2019

  • large Italian fashion company plagiarised the traditional designs of the Oma ethnic minority group

  • digitally duplicated and printed their designs directly onto their dresses, skirts and blouses, that of which were identical to the traditional Oma designs

  • also did not acknowledge the Oma in their marketing, labelling or display of the clothing collection, nor did they provide compensation to the Oma people.

exchange of knowledge and skills

• Thermo Fisher Scientific

  • An MNC with over 2000 employees in Singapore and 80k globally

  • Singaporeans are trained with leadership skills

    • encouraged to collaborate with employees with different cultures, who have different skills and expertise

  • enables employees to sharpen their skills by sharing and learning from each other

  • allows younger technicians to be mentored to produce high-quality equipment

• COVID pandemic

  • collaborated with MOH, Temasek Holdings and the Economic Development Board

  • produced PPE and PCR test kits.

discrimination and prejudice

• 2014

  • PR living in Singapore sent his luxury sports car to a car workshop, so he and his son had to commute via MRT

  • posted a photograph of his son on the MRT with the caption ‘Daddy, where is your car and who are all these poor people?’

  • posted another caption after getting back his car reading ‘Normal service can resume when I have washed off the stench of public transport’

  • faced massive backlash from public outrage, was fired from his job and had to leave Singapore later

• 2021

  • interracial couple of mixed descent where the lady was chinese-passing, were strolling down Orchard Road

  • local Chinese polytechnic lecturer confronted the couple and accused the man of ‘preying on young chinese girls’ and telling him to ‘date people of his own race’

  • couple shared that they felt extremely humiliated and embarrassed by being treated this way by a Singaporean

  • polytechnic lecturer was later fired from his position and charged in court.