Inequality Flashcards
National Pledge
“ We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people regardless of race, language or religion…”
English and mother tongue in Sg
A series of reforms was undertaken to unify standards, most crucially, by mandating that English would be the medium of instruction in schools, such that it would be neutral in the eyes of all races.
Yet, the idea was not to paper over the ethnic diversity. On the contrary, in a nod to ethnic heritage, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew made the study of a “mother tongue” — Mandarin, Malay or Tamil, depending on race — compulsory.
Freedom of religion in Sg
Freedom of religion in Singapore is guaranteed under the Constitution. This is in contrast to countries such as Myanmar and China who prosecute those who do not believe in the majority faith or worship illegally.
Stats on racism
A survey on Singaporeans’ attitudes toward other races from the Institute policy of studies done in 2016 showed that while all races believed in racial equality, racism still remains a problem. For example, six in ten have heard racist comments. This shows that while there are indeed policies to promote racial equality and most Singaporeans have bought into these policies, our implicit biases have yet to be removed.
Gender equality in education in Sg
In Singapore, all girls are afforded the same opportunities in primary,secondary and tertiary education; in fact, more than 50% of students enrolling in tertiary institutions in 2017 were female. While there have never been legislative restrictions against women receiving an education in Singapore, what is notable is the sea change in attitude that has accompanied the passing of time, as even the most traditional families have realised the value of allowing their female members to attain social mobility through education.
Gender inequality in Sg
Singapore has continued gender inequality as seen in leadership positions, legal protection and political representation. The World Bank Women Business and Law database also noted that Singapore currently does not have laws mandating non-discrimination based on gender in hiring, or laws stipulating equal pay for work of equal value. Hence, there is still discrimination against women in the corporate, law and political spheres.
“This is what inequality looks like”- Tuition
“This is what inequality looks like” by sociologist Teo You Yenn suggests that parents with ample means use tuition to help their children from the get-go and on a regular basis while parents with moderate means hire tutors in crucial exam years and/or on subjects especially tough for their kids. Meanwhile, low-income parents are unable to help the kids with their schoolwork because they are mostly lowly educated and are unable to hire tutors.
“This is what inequality looks like”- Meritocracy
While meritocracy in Singapore could seem as an aspect of equality, when we look closer, inequality is in fact, a logical outcome of meritocracy. What the education system does when it selects, sorts and hierarchizes, and when it gives its stamp of approval to those ‘at the top’, is that it renders those who succeed through the system as legitimately deserving. An indirect message of this is that those at the bottom have failed to be deserving.
Government interventions to relieve income inequality
Some government initiatives to relieve income inequality include the Ministry of Education’s Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), Goods, Services and Tax voucher scheme and much more. By the time a Singaporean turns 16, he would have received over $180,000 of education subsidies.
No. of countries where same-sex marriage is legalised
As of 2020, 28 UN member states have legalised same-sex marriage, while 32 recognise some form of gay civil partnership.
Laws against LGBT rights in Sg
Under Section 377A of the penal code, sex between men is illegal (even if consensual and committed in private).
Same-sex relationships are not recognized under the law, and adoption of children by same-sex couples is illegal.
Government intervention to reduce inequality felt by older workers
The Government’s roll-out of the Progressive Wage Model has scaled up incomes in the cleaning, landscape and security sectors. (where there are many older workers).
Also, the workfare supplement, paid by the state, tops up the wages of eligible low-income older workers
Ageism worldwide and in Singapore
The World Health Organisation pointed that ageism exists worldwide.Over 60 per cent of the elderly population worldwide feel that they are not being respected. In Singapore, where our aging population results in more elderly workers, the problem of ageism in the workplace becomes more prevalent.
Gini coeff SG
In SG, the Gini coefficient, based on household income from work per household member has risen since 2012 and was hovering at 0.46 before falling to 0.452 in 2019, before taxes and transfers.
Furthermore, the difference between the average income in the top 10% compared to the bottom 10% has been widening since 2009
