2194/01 Social Studies, Bonding Singapore Slides- Challenges that face a multi-ethnic society and the measures to resolve these issues

1. BONDING
SINGAPORE

2. Singapore- Who are we?

8. Or are we…

10. Are we still….

12. What do you need to know?
• Challenges of a multi-ethnic society
• Measures to manage diversity in society

13. Challenges facing a multi-ethnic society
Threats from external
forces
Managing
perceptions of
different religious
groups
Managing
perceptions of
different racial
groups

14. What do you need to know?
• If challenges are managed well, you will see
indicators of bonding such as
• Social cohesion
• Unity
• Increased understanding
• Mutual respect
• Peace & prosperity

15. Watch this video to find out why
Singapore needs social cohesion!
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-iTl84lO4

16. Managing perceptions of different
racial groups
• Policies introduced by the government could
be interpreted differently by different racial
groups.
• This could be due to influences by external
forces like foreign country and the media.
• For example, PAP's resettlement programme
in 1964 was mis-quoted as anti-Malay by
some UMNO leaders and the Utusan Melayu,
leading to misunderstanding and the race riot.

17. Managing perceptions of different
racial groups
• Managing perceptions of different racial
groups is an important challenge because
• it will ensure that the people understood the
government considers the needs of all race.
• This leads to higher level of tolerance and
efforts at co-existence, leading to peace and
prosperity for the country.

18. Managing perceptions of different
religious groups
• Issues could be interpreted differently by
different religious groups.
• Issues which are seen initially as non-religious,
can lead to reaction from religious groups.
• For example, the Maria Hertogh court
proceeding and judgement was perceived by
the Muslims as insensitive to the Muslim
community.

19. Managing perceptions of different
religious groups
• Managing perceptions of different religious
groups is an important challenge because
• it will ensure that the people understood the
government is fair and just to all religious
groups.
• This leads to increased appreciation and
support of government policies and decisions,
leading to peace and prosperity for the
country.

20. Threats from external forces
• External threats can have an effect on a
country's peace.
• For example, international influence led to JI
operations in Singapore leading to fund-
raising, purchase of materials for making
bombs and plans to bomb several places like
the MOE building.

21. Threats from external forces
• Threats from external forces is an important
challenge because
• it can lead to misunderstanding and tension
in a country.
• However, when handled tactfully, it can also
lead to people establishing greater bonding,
leading to peace and prosperity.

22. Measures to manage diversity in society
Safeguarding
interests of minority
groups
Building common
space
Building a national
identity

23. Measures to manage diversity in society
Building a national
identity

24. Building a national identity
• Multi-racialism
• Common practices
• Bilingualism

25. What you need to know?
When national identity is built, you will see
• Increased sense of belonging
• Rootedness to nation
• Feeling of one nation, one people, one
Singapore
• Inculcation of national pride

26. What does this photograph show you about
the relationship between the different races?

27. Multi-racialism
• No special rights is granted to any particular
racial or religious group.
• Everyone is given equal opportunities to
succeed.

28. Multi-racialism
• The policy of multi-racialism is an effective
mean to achieve national identity because
• it leads to people feeling wanted and
developing a sense of belonging to the nation.

29. Why is it important for us to sing the
national anthem together daily?

30. Common practices
• Common practices in Singapore include
singing the national anthem, taking the pledge
and attending flag raising ceremony in
schools.

31. Common practices
• Common practices are an effective means to
achieve national identity because
• they inculcate loyalty and national pride
among the people.
• Doing things together allow them to feel for
the nation as one, leading to increased sense
of belonging and rootedness to the nation.

32. Why is bilingualism important?

33. Bilingualism
• By the policy of bilingualism, students learn
their own Mother Tongue and English in
schools.
• While the Mother Tongue allows the students
to appreciate the culture, English allows them
to have a common language to communicate
with one another.

34. Bilingualism
Bilingualism is an effective mean to achieve
national identity because
•the use of English allows for increased
communication among the people of various
races.
•This allows for more contact and interaction,
allowing the people to feel as one nation and
establishing a national identity.

35. Measures to manage diversity in society
Building common
space

36. Building common space
• Grassroots organizing events and programmes
• Opportunities offered by educational
institutions
• Common living space provided by public
housing
• Activities conducted by IRCCs and HCs
• Shared experience through NS

37. What you need to know?
• Common space allows for
• Increased bonding
• Increased camaraderie
• Increased interaction and understanding
• Mutual respect
• Peaceful co-existence

38. Shared experience through NS
• National Service provides opportunity for
people of various races and religions to go
through military training together.
• Able-bodied male 18 years and above will be
required to go through National Service.

39. Shared experience through NS
National Service is an effective common space
to manage ethnic diversity because
•it allows Singaporeans to put aside their
differences and work towards completing the
national service together.
•This establish greater camaraderie and bonding
among the people.

40. Activities conducted by IRCCs and HCs
• The IRCCs carry out activities such as visits to
places of worship for the community.
• The HCs plans such inter-ethnic activities at
the workplace.

41. Activities conducted by IRCCs and HCs
The activities by IRCCs and HCs are effective
common space to manage ethnic diversity
because
•the activities develop stronger bonds among
Singaporeans and allow people to appreciate
one another.
•This in turn lead to peaceful co-existence.

42. Common living space provided by
public housing
• The ethnic integration policy of 1989 puts a
limit on the proportion of races in every
neighbourhood and block.
• This has created a common living space of
various races and religions.

43. Common living space provided by
public housing
Common living space at public housing is an
effective common space to manage ethnic
diversity because
•it provides opportunities for people from
different ethnic groups to interact.
•This leads to better understanding of each
other and peaceful co-existence.

44. Opportunities offered by educational
institutions
• Education institutions are open to every
Singaporean, regardless of race, language or
religion.
• CCA programmes in schools involve students
of various races and religions.

45. Opportunities offered by educational
institutions
Opportunities offered by education institutions
is an effective common space to manage ethnic
diversity because
•students get opportunities to work closely with
and understand one another.
•This develops greater teamwork and bonding
among them.

46. Grassroots organizing events and
programmes
• For example, a homestay programme which
allows for stay opportunities with a host
family of another ethnic group is organised for
students.

47. Grassroots organizing events and
programmes
Grassroots organising events and programmes is
an effective common space to manage ethnic
diversity because
•it allows the participants to gain a better
understanding of the cultures and customs of
other races.
•This leads to mutual respect and strong
friendship

48. Measures to manage diversity in society
Safeguarding
interests of minority
groups

49. Safeguarding interests of minority
groups
• Self-help groups
• Minority representation

50. What you need to know?
• Minority representation helps ensure
-issues related to minority groups are
represented properly
-that Singaporeans are able to compete on
equal footing
-minorities receive help to improve social and
economic status

51. Self-help groups
• Self-help groups like SINDA play an important
role in helping members of their community
who are less fortunate to get aid in their
studies and training for their jobs.

52. Self-help groups
Self-help groups safeguard the interest of
minorities because
•it helps Singaporeans to cope and compete with
one another on equal footing.
•This allows the minorities to improve their social
and economic positions in the society and taking up
good positions in jobs and society.
•This way they are able to safeguard their interest.

53. Minority representation
• The policy of minority representation gives
minority groups a say in the government.
• This has led to the Presidential Council of
Minority Rights and the GRC which ensure
needs of the minorities are looked into, and
the minorities are represented in the
government.

54. Minority representation
Minority representation leads to safeguarding of
minority interest because
•it ensures that the issues related to minorities
are discussed and correctly represented in the
government.
•This way, the interest of the minorities are
safeguarded.