social studies

chapter 4 and 5

what is a socio-culturally diverse society?

when people are of different races and ethnicities, religions and nationalities

what is a socio-economically diverse society?

when people have different socio-economic backgrounds due to different levels of education, income and wealth

what does race refer to?

the biological classification of people, which includes their physical characteristics 

what does ethnicity refer to?

the culture of a group of people who share the same ancestry, customs and traditions that distinguish them from other groups in society

what is CMIO used for?

the government used the CMIO categorisation to make decisions regarding policies related to race and ethnicity like representing the interests of minority groups and encourage integration

how is the CMIO used in the Group Representation Constituency?

the GRC was established in 1988 to ensure that minority races in Singapore are represented in parliament. A group of Members of parliament (MPs) represents the interests of residents in the constituency. At least one of the MPs in the group representing a GRC must belong to the Malay or Indian community, or another minority racial community

how is the CMIO used in the Ethnic Integration Policy?

the EIP was introduced in 1989 to promote interaction and harmony among ethnic groups in Singapore and prevent ethnic enclaves. The EIP ensures that there is a mix of various ethnic groups in each HDB block, based on the ethnic make-up of Singapore. Since different ethnic groups live in the same block, they have opportunities to interact with one another

what is religion?

religion refers to an organised collection of attitudes, beliefs, values, practices and world views

how does religion contribute to the diversity of Singapore?

Singapore is a multi religious society. The different religions can influence their respective follower’s beliefs, values, practices and ways of life, thereby shaping their identities which contribute to the diversity of Singapore

what does socio-economic status refer to?

an economic situation shared by a group of people in society

what is an example of how Singapore helps the families with lower income?

To ensure children have stood start in life, the Singapore government introduced the KidStart programme as added support for children aged six and below and those with a household income of $2500 or less, or a gross monthly per capita income of $650 or less. They equip parents with relevant knowledge and skills to nurture their child’s early development.

how does nationality contribute to the diversity of Singapore?

people may feel more connected to other members of the same nationality as they  identify with and share a common history, language and culture which may result in a shared sense of national identity and belonging to their country 

what are some cultural examples?

Haka

Angklung

Beijing opera

Singlish

how do foreigners contribute towards the diversity of Singapore?

Foreigners who settle permanently in Singapore are known as immigrants. 

The presence of economic opportunities and a stable social environment are some reasons why immigrants and migrants are attracted to Singapore. As they come to live and work in Singapore, they bring along their distinct identities and practices unique to their country of origin, contributing towards the diversity in Singapore.

what is the citizen’s jury?

a form of deliberative engagement, which involves the community in the decision-making process on an issue that affects them or is of significance to the wider citizenry

what is civic participation?

citizens actively taking part in public affairs

how can citizens work together with the government as individuals to address the needs of society? what is one example?

citizens can initiate their own efforts or actively tap on the resources and programmes provided by the government and community groups

Ms Gillian Tee notices that senior citizens found it difficult to find caregivers and created the Homage app to connect the elderly to caregivers

How can citizens work together with the government as community groups for the good of society? what is an example?

citizens can create new community groups to further attend to the specific needs of society that have not been addressed

RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers, a formal community group organised by citizens that actively engages senior citizens in volunteerism identified that elderlies need to learn how to detect scams so that they would not fall prey to scammers. therefore, they recruited volunteers to serve as anti-scam advocates and collaborated with Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre for Project Praise to support seniors and conduct free talks to teach elderlies about the dangers of scams

how can the government address the needs of society? what is an example?

the government can create opportunities for the community and show care to those around them by setting up national programmes and providing resources

the government introduced Silver Support Scheme to financially support senior citizens with low income

how can citizens and the government work together to influence decision making in public affairs?

the government will be able to better understand citizens’ concerns and challenges from different perspectives and tap on their knowledge and experiences to improve policies and programmes

Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home is a national feedback and engagement unit where citizens raise issues of concern to the government and respond to the government’s requests for feedback on certain public policies. REACH consolidates the feedback received through various channels and shares them with relevant government agencies

How can citizens work together with the government as individuals to strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging?

Mr Cai Yinzhou and Mr Jeremy Ho started a project called Between Two Homes to preserve the memories of Dakota Crescent, which would be redeveloped as part of the renewal plans for older public housing estates and created an interactive website to document the stories of Dakota Crescent residents

how can citizens work together with the government as community groups to strengthen citizen’s sense of belonging?

various volunteers joined the Between Two Homes initiative and maintained the interactive website and help educational workshops in schools to discuss how plans for redevelopment and relocation can be improved. This allowed Singaporeans to learn more about and appreciate the heritage of Dakota Crescent, making citizens feel that they are doing something meaningful to society

how can the government strengthen citizen’s sense of belonging?

the government listened to the citizen’s feedback and decided to preserve the Dove playground and some buildings in Dakota Crescent because it holds special meaning and significance for the residents. The preserved buildings helped to remind citizens of Singapore’s past and strengthen their identity and belonging towards the country