Chapter 7 Flashcards
What are the three integration strategies that Singapore has adopted?
Naturalisation initiatives, common experiences and community support.
DExA naturalisation initiatives,
Naturalisation initiatives refer to programmes that help immigrants develop basic knowledge about life in the host country. It can involve learning the local language and civic education of the host country.
The Singapore Citizenship Journey is a three-part programme designed through collaboration between the National Integration Council, the people’s Association and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore. New citizens have two months to complete this programmed before they can receive their Singapore identity cards and citizenship certificates.
New Singapore citizens learn about their new home as they explore the key historical, cultural and relational experiences in Singapore. Integration will thus be easier for new citizens to relate to locals and get along with one another. Emotional attachment and a sense of belonging to Singapore can be fostered and deepened among new immigrants.
DExA common experiences.
They are situations which new citizens and locals do the same thing. They are opportunities for immgrants to interact with locals, which will help them to adapt to being part of Singapore society.
All male Singapore citizens and permanent residents are required to serve National Service for two years to ensure Singapore’s security and sovereignty. NS brings people from diverse racial, religious, language and educational backgrounds to train, live and serve together in the SAF, SPF or SCDF.
During NS, immigrants develop the sense of collective interests above the self. Such common life-shaping experiences have helped to foster greater cohesiveness among our people and help create a strong national identity. Fulfilling the NS obligations is a critical indicator of identity and integration as it shows that new immigratns embrace this rite of passage that is distinctive for Singaporean men and their families.
DExA community support.
Grassroot clubs organise events and activities that help new immigrants adapt to the Singapore way of life by addressing specific target audiences or needs.
“SG Sauce” is a mobile applicatio that provides users with information about the Singaporean way of life.
Immigrants who receive information and attempt to understand and learn more about local history, culture and social norms would find it easier to relate to locals.
State the three methods of healthcare approaches and give an example of a country that uses each one.
Market-based approach in USA, shared responsibility approach in Singapore and government-financed approach in Sweden.
DExA market-based approach.
The government gives ctizens the freedom to decide how much they wish to pay for healthcare and allows the market to determine the provision of services to meet healthcare needs.
For example, a mammogram in New York may be less than US$100 or more than US$1700.
Low SES groups may not be able to cope with costs due to the self-reliance the market-based approach brings. Not all Americans are able to buy medical insurance to receive and pay for medical treatment. Thus it is not very effective in ensuring that the different socio-economic groups receive healthcare. Americans with high SES can afford better quality healthcare services that they need.
DExA shared responsibility approach.
The government intervenes through the provision of basic healthcare services and shares the costs of some aspects of healthcare. There is a balance between personal responsibility and the role that the government plays in providing for healthcare.
Singapore’s healthcare system is made up of both public and private healthcare service providers. Primary care services are provided by the government in polyclinics, and in the private sector by general practitioners. About 85% of inpatient beds are in public hospitals, and the remaining are in private specialist hospitals.
Healthcare costs are kept affordable by the provision of heavy government subsidies, collective responsibility by society through risk-pooling, with individual and family responsibility still important. Most socio-economic groups would be able to receive healthcare so the shared responsibility approach is effective.
DExA government-financed approach.
The government provides substantial subsidies and services for most of the healthcare needs of its citizens. This sometimes means that some of the healthcare services could be free.
In Sweden, patients above age 20 are charged 9 euros per day for hospitalisation. They pay full cost of prescribed drugs up to 122 euros, after which the government pays 100%.
It is effective as the cost of providing this comprehensive and subsidised approach is sustained through heavy personal taxes on the people. The taxes are used to ensure access to healthcare for all the socio-economic status groups, in particular, the lower income groups. If the personal taxes can be afforded, healthcare becomes cheap for citizens from all socio-economic groups.
