Navigating Differences: Integration in Singapore

by Terence Chong (Editor)

Ethnic and religious differences, a widening socio-economic divide, tension between foreigners and locals. These are some of the contemporary challenges to integration in Singapore. How we navigate them will determine the type of society we become. This book gathers the best social scientists in Singapore to examine issues of ethnicity, religion, class, and culture in order to understand the many different fault lines that run across the multicultural city-state. These essays are written in an engaging manner and are designed to present the authors’ expertise to a wider audience.

Genres: Society

272 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Terence Chong is a Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute where he is coordinator of the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme. He is a sociologist and his research interests include Christianity in Southeast Asia, heritage, cultural policies and politics in Singapore, and new Chinese immigrants in CLMV countries. He has published in academic journals such as Journal of Contemporary Asia, Critical Asian Studies, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Modern Asian Studies and Asian Studies Review.

Reviews

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comes off as an academic book publishing a series of essays by different academics— essays I might have studied as a university student. Still, I found this book accessible, covering a variety of issues, and would recommend it to every Singaporean (I've already shared this with 5 others) to revise and reflect on the different facets of society in 2019/2020.

14 essays are published across 4 key themes: Religious Communities, National and Ethnic Communities, Political Divides and Diverging Economic Worlds. I found the third theme consisting the weakest essays; the rest — especially the first two themes — on race and immigration extremely worth reading, especially in a Covid world where anti-foreigner sentiment is arising.

Very interesting perspectives were presented on the different types of immigrants, and me the big ignoramus was educated a lot more on the social issues that Malays face (I cannot believe that tudungs are actually still banned in public schools; then again I was in a SAP school for 6 years — possibly another legacy of the past worth revisiting). For me the standout revelation was on Christian activism (Essay 3) and how Christians tend to be of Chinese ethnicity, tend to be better educated and speak English, and as a result are more vocal about their religion on social media compared to other religions (!!). It was something I previously accepted uncritically...

One of the criteria of a good book, as proposed by my sister, is how much it makes you reflect on your life. Some reflection points for me was:
1/ That divisions in Singapore might not be about race but about class (how good schools are in expensive neighbourhoods, how we hardly socialize outside of our 'class', and how 'parentocracy' might be a problem — i.e. parents' resources and upbringing will greatly affect the chances their children will have in life, going against meritocracy
2/ What channel do you use to make a change? By joining politics or joining private institutions? Making a change is important to me but it seems I have diverged far from the former track, which almost seems decided at the Junior College level
3/ The justifiable anxiety of PMETs, the awkward 35+ segment which might not have enough skills to be at a leadership position, yet if retrenched is too expensive for the level of skills they provide. Internet companies in China apparently don't bother hiring over-35s because they are expensive, lack the stamina for work and have too many responsibilities
4/ Middle class anxiety (the essay which by far I resonated the strongest with): how do we weigh competing desires? On one hand one wants to give back, yet on the other hand not to "fall behind" the same cohort that one graduated with/ not to lose out. Is there a to-do or guiding principles be an "enlightened middle class" (so to speak?) Possibly an idea for a book...
5/ The declining premium of university education as more parents wish to send their kids to the academic track in hopes that they will do well in life; will we end up like China, India or Europe then, where a Bachelor's degree means nothing and most people have to do a a Masters' afterwards?
6/ Taking care of your ageing parents... I am guilty of the description of the child who is already working overseas and is highly likely to migrate in the future. How do I take care of my parents, what care structure do I establish, are Singapore's healthcare facilities enough, how do I ensure they continue to have a social life, what can we do about dementia etc.

An excerpt from Essay 12: The Future of the Middle Class in Singapore which could be a factor why many of the educated choose to vote for the incumbent in the General Elections:

Why the health of the middle class matters: The middle class is recognized in a capitalist society as the force for socio-economic progress with its belief in education, paid work, entrepreneurship and the market. It is also expected to enliven democratic development through its commitment to the rule of law and within that, its desire for political pluralism and its tolerance for diversity of all kinds. This is a segment that lies between the rich and the poor; it is not demoralized, dependent or fatalistic that might cause the former to withdraw from proactive efforts at improving their lot in life. Yet they are not so well-heeled as to assume that success is a foregone conclusion but feel assured that they have the resources to take care of themselves and their families. They depend on "the system" to work as it should to achieve success and intergenerational mobility. In other words, the health of the middle class in society provides the ideological moorings for a progressive, liberal and capitalist governance system.

While this is not a perfect book by far, with some essays emerging far stronger than the others, and some "hypotheticals" present in many essays, this is definitely a book worth checking out.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would encourage anyone who considers Singapore their home to read this book. Published this year, it feels fresh and reflects many of the conversations currently buzzing in our local communities and on social media. Diversity and inequality were key issues in the recent election, and this book offers thoughtful material for informed discussion on things that really really matter to people.

Don’t be put off by the academic appearance. The essays in this book are accessible - they grip your interest because they all touch on issues that are familiar, that touch our daily lives. It is too easy sometimes to repeat the popular opinions around us without questioning ourselves - these essays help us unpack our thoughts and understand a little more about how we got to this point, the complexity of the challenges, and the imagination we all need to create a better future together.

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read though it can be quite academic at times.