SS Chapter 7 - Responses of Citizens to Socio-Cultural Diversity

NEGATIVE - How can individuals respond to socio-cultural diversity?

Amplifying their prejudiced beliefs which results in negative interactions with other groups (-ve)

Social Media Grand Prix Incident 2019

• Negative response

  • Social media influencer (~76k followers) published a controversial post online

  • She commented how there were two ‘obstructions’ that were in front of her, referring to 2 sikh men wearing turbans

  • Many of her followers & other social media users were quick to criticise her for the comment she made 

POSITIVE - How can individuals respond to socio-cultural diversity?

Develop an open-mind to show willingness in learning other cultures which creates positive relationships (+ve)

• Positive response

  • President of the Young Sikh Association of Singapore used the controversy to invite her to visit a Sikh temple

  • Following the controversy, the influencer accepted the request so as to enhance her awareness & understanding of Sikhs

  • Upon visiting the temple, she participated in Sikh activities like Sewa (making chapati)

  • After the opportunity, she made another post online acknowledging that her post was very insensitive & distressed a lot of Sikhs

POSITIVE How can community groups respond to socio-cultural diversity?

Community groups can respond by developing a spirit of mutual accommodation & trust between people of different socio-cultural groups

Welcome In My Backyard Campaign (WIMBY) 2020

• Youth-led group that aimed to:

  • Raise awareness about the lives of migrant workers

  • Promote positive interactions between them & the locals in Singapore

• Consists of 50 volunteers & partners with various schools in their Values-in-Action Projects to:

  • Address the issues faced by migrant workers

  • Write notes to welcome them into local neighbourhoods

How has government (France) responded to socio-cultural diversity?

France responds by releasing assimilationist policies:

• Immigrants are expected to adopt the beliefs & practices of the majority group of the host country

[Note: France’s policies are based on the concept of laïcité, state secularism, where religious affairs are separated from the country’s governance]

France - Educational Assimilation Policies

• Educational Policies

  • All children, including the children of immigrants, in France, must attend school until the age of 16

  • Children of immigrants have to undergo adaptation classes in order to learn the French language

  • No discussion of religion in school except for History, Art, Literature & Philosophy lessons

  • 2015 Course in Moral & Civic education helped promote France’s natural motto (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) & other important values among French students

France - Employment Assimilation Policies

•  2004 Diversity Charter raises awareness among employers to recruit employees from diverse backgrounds (esp. immigrants)

  • Note: Charter unsuccessful → 13.1% of immigrant workers were still unemployed compared to 7.8% of French natives in 2019

France - Naturalisation Assimilation Policies

• Naturalisation Policies

  • 4-day Civic Training Course in French principles & values as well as practical aspects of life in French Society

  • Up to 600 hours of free French-language learning lessons for immigrants to learn

Tensions from France’s Assimilationist Policies

• Controversy over 2004 French ‘Banning on Religious Attire & Symbols’ Policy

  • Details of Policy

    • Female Muslim students not allowed to wear their hijab (headscarf)

    • Jewish students not allowed to wear the kippas (skull caps)

    • Christian students not allowed to wear their crosses 

    • Sikh students not allowed to wear their turbans

  • Tension

    • Some believed it was necessary to uphold French national identity

    • Others believed in was disrespect to the cultures & religions of minority communities

How has government (Singapore) responded to socio-cultural diversity?

Singapore responds by release integration policies:

• Immigrants are able to practise their own individual cultures while forging common ground with the majority group in the host country

Singapore’s policies on National Identity

• Policies on National Identity

  • Bilingualism Policy 1966

    • Students must learn English & one of the official Mother Tongue languages (Chinese, Malay or Tamil)

Singapore’s Policies on Community Support

• Community Integration Fund 2009

  • Launched by the National Integration Council

  • Support organisations like People’s Association promoting interactions between Singapore Citizens & Permanent Residents (i.e. via house visits, block parties, festive celebrations)

Singapore’s Policies on Naturalisation

• Singapore Citizenship Journey Programme

  • Collaborative effort between MCCY, ICA & PA

  • Immigrants learn about Singapore’s history & development while also deepening their Singaporean values & beliefs

  • Receive citizenship certificates at a Citizenship Ceremony to become naturalised Singapore citizens

Singapore’s policies on Common Experiences

• National Service

  • Singaporean men aged 18 (including citizens & PRs) have to spend about 2 years serving in the country’s defense in areas like SAF, SPF & SCDF

  • Provides opportunities for locals & immigrants to interact with one another through rigorous physical training & strenuous exercise

Tensions from Singapore’s Integration Policies

• Institute of Policy Studies 2021 Survey on Immigration (-ve)

  • 38% of Singaporeans felt that immigration leads to social conflict

• Straits Time 2020 Article on “We the Citizens” (+ve)

  • Immigrants & Singapore citizens worked together during the Covid-19 pandemic to:

    • Distribute masks to vulnerable Singaporeans

    • Provide supplies to foreign workers

How can individuals respond to socio-economic diversity? #1

Contributing time, money & effort in order to help those in need in society

Mr Nizar Mohammed Shariff

• Started charity called ‘Free Food for All’ in 2014

• Offers different food options (i.e. RTE meals, groceries) & collaborate with other food businesses to cater RTE meals for beneficiaries

• Served >160,000 meals in 2021

How can individuals respond to socio-economic diversity? #2

Adopting an attitude of grit & perseverance to overcome economic challenges & helping the needy in society

Ms Fiona Ke

• Grew up in a low-socioeconomic environment

• Wanted to give her single mother a comfortable life

• Became a nurse; then had to undergo surgery; develop empathy for patients

• Volunteers with ‘Happy People Helping People’ to provide food for elderly cardboard collectors

How can community groups respond to socio-economic diversity? #2

Provide support to the needy in society in the form of financial aid & resources

Keeping Hope Alive

• Informal group where volunteers help less-privileged Singaporeans

• 50-60 volunteers every Sunday conduct door-to-door activities to one- or two-room rental flats

• Volunteers look out for residents in need & help them (e.g. cleaning homes, fixing appliances, providing haircuts)

How can governments (Sweden) respond to Socio-Economic Diversity?

• Provision of Affordable Healthcare Services

• All families are covered by the medical protection scheme

• Dental care is free for local residents up to 23 years old & subsidised for those aged 24 & above

How can governments (Sweden) respond to Socio-Economic Diversity?

• Provision of Affordable Education

• Free school lunch for students aged 6-16

• Tuition fees are fully subsidised for Swedish students pursuing tertiary education

How can governments (Sweden) respond to Socio-Economic Diversity?

• Provision of Allowances

• Families can receive housing allowances if they have children & pay more than 1,400 Swedish Kronor for their housing

• Elderly with low income are entitled to housing supplements that financially support them

How can governments (Sweden) respond to Socio-Economic Diversity?

• Provision of Employment Services

• Swedish Public Employment Services 

  • Individuals must have registered with them as a job seeker & are >25 years old, or <25 years old with a disability or >18 years old with difficult employment circumstances

  • Free vocational courses to train individuals for industries that lack skilled workers
    
    

Challenges of Sweden’s government Financed approach

• High Taxation Rate

• Needed to provide social benefits

  • Highest income earners pay income taxes of up to 57.2%

  • Valued-Add-Tax, an indirect form of tax, was 25% in Sweden in 2019

Challenges of Sweden’s government Financed approach

• Ageing Population

• Total cost of elder care in Sweden was 126.4 billion Kronor in 2018

• Projected by 2030 that 22% of their population will be >= 65 years old

Challenges of Sweden’s government Financed approach

• High Immigrant Unemployment Rates (~33.7% as of 2026)

• Mismatch between skills & jobs

  • Lack of education in home countries means that immigrants would lack the necessary job skills & would struggle to qualify for jobs in Sweden

• Difficulty in accessing skills

  • Foreign qualifications among immigrants results in employers having difficulty in assessing their competency which could result in delays or rejection in getting jobs [assessed by Swedish Council for Higher Education]

Singapore’s shared responsibility approach

• Subsidised essential services

• Affordable healthcare

  • Healthcare Subsidies

    • Goes up to 80% for hospitalisation in public hospitals

  • Medishield Life

    • Pays for large hospital bills & selected outpatient treatments

  • Medisave

    • Pays for personal or family members medical expenses

  • Medifund

    • Helps those individuals unable to pay their subsidised medical expenses

Singapore’s shared responsibility approach

• Affordable education

• Anchor Operator Scheme

  • Families earning <= $3000 qualify for the scheme where they pay $3 per month at preschool centres

Singapore’s shared responsibility approach

• Affordable public housing

• CPF Housing Grant

  • Up to $120,000 for families who are first-time HDB flat buyers

Singapore’s shared responsibility approach

• Permanent GST Voucher Scheme

• Cash payouts in August every year providing low-income families with the required cash to meet their basic needs

Singapore’s shared responsibility approach

• Opportunities for Upskilling & Training

• SkillsFuture

  • Provides SkillsFuture credits for individuals aged 25 & above so that they can try out many different courses; continuous learning

  • Enables individuals to select their own courses & learn the relevant industry skills that would enable them to be more qualified to enter higher-paying & more advanced jobs

Challenges of Singapore’s shared responsibility approach

• Ageing Population

  • Percentage of the population that will be >=65 years old in Singapore will be 23.8% by 2030

• Increase in Taxation

  • Singapore government increased GST from 7% to 9% from 2023 to 2024 so as to get more government revenue to help meet population’s needs

  • Higher income earners pay proportionally higher tax where higher personal income tax was 22% in 2021

• Limitations in Upskilling & Training

  • Annual pre-budget 2020 Feedback Exercise conducted by REACH

    • Many respondents aged >=60 years old were worried that attending courses would not be sufficient to increase their chances of employment

    • These respondents pushed for a change in mindset in employers instead to value mature workers