Under The Angsana Tree: Social class divide among Singaporeans

Update 21 Apr 2020

What is Ho Ching's Salary then? If $99m is FALSE then what is the Truth?.....

Surprise surprise, there’s a social class divide in Singapore

Forget race. Forget religion. A survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that the social class divide among Singaporeans is more apparent than it seems. The survey found private housing dwellers tend to mix with people living in the same housing type, instead of those in public flats. On average, someone who stays in private housing has ties with 3.05 people who live in private housing and only 2.6 people who live in public housing. In comparison, on average, someone who stays in public housing has ties with 4.3 people who live in public housing and only 0.8 in private housing.

It’s not just housing. The survey also found that people who go to “elite” tend to socialise with those who went to similar schools. On average, someone who went to an elite school has ties with 2.7 people who also went to “elite” schools, and 2.1 people who went to a “non-elite” school. In comparison, on average, someone who went to a “non-elite” school has ties with 3.9 people who went to “non-elite” school and only 0.8 people who went to an “elite” school.

In short, the survey shows that there is a very strong tendency for people of the same social class to flock together. Dr Vincent Chua, one of the researchers behind the survey said:

“Even if you give people equal opportunities, they will still gravitate to hang out with their own kind. So we have to think of ways to disrupt this. People like to be with people like themselves”

read more

A STUDY ON SOCIAL CAPITAL IN SINGAPORE

We found at the end of “A Study on Social Capital” (2017) that diversity in social networks among Singaporeans strengthens social capital, trust, national identity and national pride.

We believe that more can be done to facilitate improved mixing, especially between people with different school backgrounds, and between those living in private and public housing.

Raising diversity in social ties is a collective effort. We wish to encourage Singaporeans to take up opportunities to interact and make friends with people outside of their usual circles centred on a common race, language, religion, educational and housing background. We also wish to encourage government agencies and community leaders to do more to create the structures and programmes that encourage such mixing.

read more

PM Lee sounds warning on growing social divide

Singapore’s politics will turn vicious, its society will fracture and the country will wither if it allows widening income inequalities to create “a rigid and stratified social system”, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“The issues of mitigating income inequality, ensuring social mobility and enhancing social integration are critical,” he wrote in a reply to a parliamentary question from Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC).

“This is why this Government will strive to keep all Singaporeans – regardless of race, language, religion or social background – together.”

read more

Tackling Singapore’s income inequality, social mobility and integration — Lee Hsien Loong

We must keep Singaporeans together. Maintaining social harmony is very much at the top of the government’s priorities.

There are three aspects of this issue: Income inequality, social mobility, and social integration. They are inter-related.

Over the last half century, income inequality has increased in almost all developed economies, including Singapore.

read more

Survey points to social class divide among Singaporeans

More than half of respondents to a survey said that they are more likely to mix with people of other races & ages than those in different social class. TODAY file foto

More than half of Singapore residents have a higher chance of mixing with people of other races & age groups than those of a different social standing, according to a new survey by local think tank, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

And the social class divide among Singaporeans is more apparent than it seems. The survey, called ‘A Study on Social Capital in Singapore’, examined social ties here & found private housing dwellers tend to mix with people living in the same housing type, instead of those in public flats.

People from so-called “elite” schools tend to socialise with those who went to similar schools. Dr Gillian Koh, IPS’ deputy director (research) & one of the three researchers behind the survey, said there is a “natural tendency for people to gather like with like”.

read more

MIDDLE CLASS AND POOR PEOPLE IN SINGAPORE

Seah Chiang Nee wrote in The Star, Singapore is a middle class city. An estimated 70 percent of citizens consider themselves middle class rather than working class. Most are, of course, university graduates or diploma holders, whose numbers and role in society had steadily increased because of strong growth and people’s determination to get higher education. In turn, it helped to shape Singapore into what it is – a rich, middle-class society. Who forms the middle class? There is no universally accepted definition, but Singaporeans generally base it on earnings. People who earn S$4000-S$7000 (RM9,800-RM17,200) are considered middle and upper middle classes.

Surveys in the 1980s showed that most Singaporeans described themselves as middle class, justifying that status by their ownership of a Housing and Development Board apartment and the substantial and secure savings guaranteed by their Central Provident Fund Account. Families in the middle-income ranges usually occupied two- or three-bedroom apartments that they were buying from the Housing and Development Board, participated in one or more formal associations, took an active part in planning and supervising their children's education, stocked their apartments with a range of consumer appliances, and had money to spend on hobbies, sports, or vacations. Automobile ownership was not common, and most middle-income Singaporeans used public transportation. Their mode of life rested on occupational skills and educational qualifications, secure employment in large, bureaucratic government or private organizations, or ownership of their own small business.

The upper levels of the society were occupied by a tripartite elite of high-level civil servants, local managers and professionals employed by foreign-owned multinational corporations, and wealthy Chinese businessmen who served as leaders in the associational world of the Chinese-speaking communities. The first two categories were marked by fluency in English, university-level education, often in Britain or the United States, and a cosmopolitan outlook reinforced by foreign residence and travel. Many of the Chinese businessmen were entrepreneurs who operated in an exclusively Chinese setting and often had minimal educational qualifications. Their sons, however, often were graduates of the best secondary schools and of local or foreign universities and worked either as English-speaking representatives of their fathers' businesses, as civil servants, or as professionals. Few of the elite had inherited their status, and all were aware that they could not directly pass it along to their children. Having themselves been upwardly mobile in a society more open to individual effort than most in the region, they valued that society's stress on competition, individual mobility, and success through hard work. In the domestic sphere, they expressed those values by devoting much effort to the education of their children.

read more

Who wants to be middle-class? Why Singapore has lost its drive for better

Good jobs are rare these days, especially in Singapore. A combination of the forces of globalisation, and a weakening domestic economy, have wreaked havoc on the country’s hard-working middle classes. The complaints of many families are that the advancement of technology and education means people are more skilled and expect a return on this investment, but the jobs are going to foreigners because they are willing to accept lower pay.

It is basic economics; as the supply of middle-class, educated and aspirational employees increases, the well-paying jobs these people seek and compete for will be harder to land. And where job security and mobility used to be the key defining factors for Singapore’s middle-income groups, National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Tan Ern Ser says such luxuries are on the decline.

These worries abound thanks to a lack of new jobs being created, fewer promotions, and the slow rise of wages in general. This leaves many middle class Singaporeans feeling stuck in their current jobs, hoping that the economy improves. Some are starting to consider finding work abroad.

read more

More efforts needed to bridge class divide in Singapore

The sharpest social divisions in Singapore may now be based on class, instead of race or religion, a study released by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) suggests.

About 3000 Singapore citizens and permanent residents were interviewed and asked to name the people they have ties with for the study, which is the first of its kind on such a scale here.

The Study on Social Capital In Singapore show that Singaporeans who live in public housing have, on average, about one friend or fewer who lives in private housing. On average, a typical Singaporean had 5.8 friends in his social network.

read more

A CLASS SOCIETY — THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF SINGAPORE

Singapore's economy is that of a colonial metropolis, dependent for its survival upon handling raw materials from a large primary-producing hinterland and manufactured goods from more industrialised countries. In this respect, it plays a vital entrepot role for Malaysia and Indonesia on one end and Japan, Western Europe, the United States, and Great Britian on the other. Imports from Malaysia and Indonesia — mainly rubber, minerals, timber and palm-oil — account for about 40% of Singapore's total import trade, while imports from Japan, Western Europe, the United States and Great Britian— almost entirely manufactured goods and components for assembly — comprise 31 % of all imports.

Firstly, while Singapore is still the entrepot centre of the Malay world emphasis on Britain and West Malaysia as entrepot partners has declined, while that on East Malaysia, Indonesia and the United States and Japan has increased.

Secondly, while Singapore is still a processing centre for 'traditional' primary materials gathered from the surrounding region — rubber, palm oil, and timber — the Republic is assuming a new role as one of S.E. Asia's main oil refining centres — if not the most important oil-refining state in the region.

read more

Social divide inevitable in Singapore, but a lot of it is caused by PAP

During a dialogue held at the National University of Singapore on Monday night, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said that a social class divide was inevitable in a maturing society like Singapore.

He was responding to pre-planted questions raised by a couple of students who had asked him what Singapore could do to narrow its income gap, and if he was worried about the growing social divide.

A social divide may be inevitable in Singapore, but what MM Lee does not acknowledge is that a lot of it is in fact caused by PAP policies that favour Big Business and the elites, and not merely due to the unstoppable tide of globalization.

read more

New study finds sharper divide among social classes in Singapore

The sharpest social divisions in Singapore may now be based on class, instead of race or religion, a study released on Thursday (Dec 28) suggests. The Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) Study On Social Capital In Singapore shows that on average, Singaporeans who live in public housing have fewer than one friend who lives in private housing.

People who study in elite schools also tend to be less close to those in non-elite schools, and vice versa. About 3,000 Singapore citizens and permanent residents were interviewed and asked to name the people they have ties with for the study, which is the first of its kind on such a scale here.

Researchers said the findings suggest a clear class divide in Singapore. They called for policies that encourage more mixing along class lines to mitigate this trend.

read more

Sharper divide among educational and housing status groups here

Those who studied in elite schools are less likely to befriend those from non-elite ones, a local study has found.

And those living in private homes are less inclined to form social relationships with their public housing counterparts.

These were among the results drawn from "A Study on Social Capital in Singapore" by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), which surveyed 3,000 people - 82% of them Singaporeans & the rest permanent residents.

read more

First local study on social capital in Singapore shows clear class divide

As Singaporeans, we’re proud of our multicultural society.

While racial and religious lines can’t be erased, we live harmoniously with one another as well as we can.

A new study by The Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) has shown that, contrary to how we may think of race and religion as deep social fault-lines, the sharpest social divisions in Singapore now may actually be based on class instead.

read more

MCCY concerned but not alarmed about IPS survey findings on social class divide: Grace Fu

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth speaking to journalists on her ministry's year in review

The results of a recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) that showed a social class divide among Singaporeans are concerning, but not alarming, said Minister for Culture, Community & Youth Grace Fu. Instead, she pointed out the need to look at the study’s results holistically.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview on Wednesday (Jan 17), Ms Fu noted that the survey results do in fact also show a good diversity in Singaporeans’ social networks.

The nationwide survey, which was commissioned by MCCY, had asked 3,000 Singapore citizens & permanent residents about the nature of their social ties.

read more

The role of Singapore’s education system on the widening class divide

Education involves the denoting of ideologies and curricula, and the inculcation of knowledge, as well as the social reproduction of personalities and culture.[1] As can be seen, education forms an integral aspect of the social environment, and is one of the "necessary" ways of preparing children for adult life.[2] According to Giddens, education has consistently been seen as a means of equalisation.[3] This is because it has been said to help reduce disparities of wealth and power among able young people, by providing them with the skills to find their valued place in society. Sociological studies in the United States and the United Kingdom have shown that education tends to reaffirm existing class inequalities "far more" than it acts to change them.[4] Is this trend similar in Singapore and does education help to reduce the class divide, or does it only serve to further widen this gap?

In order to study the impact of education on class inequality, it is important to first discuss what is the nature of this inequality. Giddens defines class as a "large-scale grouping of people who share common economic resources, which strongly influence the type of lifestyle they are able to lead".[5] Class inequality therefore refers to the disparities between different groupings of people due to their varied economic resources and types of lifestyle. This form of structured inequality is less rigid than other forms of stratification due to the relative ease of social mobility, which is the "movement of individuals and groups between different socio-economic positions".[6] Social mobility can thus be seen as a mechanism for addressing class inequality as it aids in the migratory activity between the classes.

How then does education affect social mobility? Argyle argues that family influence, as well as motivation, contributes to this change in socio-economic status.[7] In addition, Kerckhoff sees socialisation as a process which prepares individuals for their occupation. This in turn affects a person's status and lifestyle.[8] Another important factor affecting social mobility is that of opportunity, which affects upward mobility as it influences a person's exposure to better facilities and networking prospects, improving his position in life.

read more

IPS Study on Social Capital in Singapore finds clear divide among social classes

The dividing phenomena between people from different categories of school origins and residential dwellings should never be a surprise (New study finds clear divide among social classes in Singapore; ST Online, Dec 28).

It is social behaviour observed since ancient times and in any corner of the world today, not just Singapore.

A society based on class also existed before one based on race.

I am not sure if the emphasis of this report is skewed towards the need to dilute the elite-school culture.

read more

The 2018 Limpeh Singapore social class survey

Hi guys, time for a more fun post - I've been ill, I've been talking about depressing stuff, let's write something fun to read for a change. Okay so my friend has shared this post on social media about this study which found a "evidence of a social class divide in Singapore". To which I just totally rolled my eyes and thought, are you guys for real?

Because for me, it is so evident that this social class divide has been there for decades - Singapore has never ever been some kind of socialist utopia like Cuba or China where social classes were eradicated. Hell no, just open our history books and see the way Singapore has thrived on the very essence of capitalism since the early days as a trading port soon after the British arrived in 1819.

Capitalism means that you will create distinct groups of the 'haves' and 'have-nots' in society, social inequality has always been a major issue in Singapore. Vincent Chua, one of the NUS researchers of this project claims that we used to be a society that has been divided along the lines of religion or race instead of class: yeah right. That's based on the presumption that you can treat a group like Chinese-Singaporeans or Muslim-Singaporeans as a cohesive, monolithic entity at least in the past, when really even within such a group, it is really class that divides them.

read more

Study finds evidence of class divide in Singapore

Despite the vast majority of Singaporeans living in public housing, private-housing dwellers had more ties with others who lived in private homes than with those who lived in public flats. FOTO: ST FILE

The sharpest social divisions in Singapore may now be based on class, instead of race or religion, a study released yesterday suggests.

The Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) Study On Social Capital In Singapore shows that Singaporeans who live in public housing have, on average, about one friend or fewer who lives in private housing.

People who study in elite schools also tend to be less close to those in non-elite schools, & vice versa.

read more

Poor in the Land of Crazy Rich Asians