Major Cultural Groups in Singapore Flashcards
Share about the Malay race.
The Malays in Singapore are a part of a very close-knit community.
The majority of Malays are Muslims, and the key festivals of Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji see this close-knit community come together in a colourful celebration of their culture and religion.
Like many Asian culture, the Malay culture in Singapore emphasizes on family values and are a close-knitted community. Malay culture offers strong attractions – membership of the majority Muslim community, wider social links and connections with Southeast Asian Islamic movements.
According to Inglehart‟s (2000) view on the enduring influence of cultural traditions, this may suggest that Singapore Malays are more likely to place greater emphasis on values in favour of religious commitment, moral/ethical behaviour and conformity than people of the other ethnic groups.
The corresponding emphasis of Islam (which is the religion that overwhelming majority of the Singapore Malays believe in) plays a major influence in how Singapore Malays overcome adversity.
The Malay culture practices “Salaam”, an act of respect of a young person to someone older than him or her. This sign of respect is performed with the touching of forehead and kissing the elder’s hand, and is done within the family and among the same gender only. The second cultural practice is Fasting during the Ramadan, which is done for the cleansing of sins and for spiritual growth. Able-bodied Muslims are expected to abstain from eating, drinking, and having sexual relations from dawn to sunset each day of the month. Fasting lasts 30 days before Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. The third cultural practice is the Muslim funeral, where the burial of the deceased will take place within 24 hours after death. During the funeral, relatives and mourning family members are encouraged not to wail. The mourning period lasts 100 days. Mourning women of the family has to adopt pastel coloured dressing when they return to work. They are to not shop, attend weddings or other joyful occasions.
Share about the Indian race.
The Indians in Singapore are one of the Indian community’s largest population overseas.
The Indians are Singapore’s third largest ethnic group, and the community here boasts one of the largest overseas Indian populations.
Many came here from the Southern part of India after the British settled in Singapore in 1819. Today, almost 60 per cent of the Indian residents here are of ethnic Tamil ancestry. More than half of Singapore’s ethnic Indians are also Hindus.
Known for their entrepreneurial instincts, many Indians set up businesses here, trading everything from textiles to jewellery. Today, they are also well represented in political and professional circles.
“The traditional Indian family unit is the extended family. Each child has an abundance of blood and relatives to share the responsibility of child rearing.
The first cultural practice unique to the Indians is Theemethi, “Firewalking”, a Hindu religious practice held at Sri Mariamman Temple where devotees walk across a 3-metre fire pit barefooted in exchange for a wish or blessing to be granted by Goddess Draupadi. The second cultural practice is Thaipusam, a day dedicated to Lord Subramaniam that occurs on the full moon day in the Thai, the 10th month in the Tamil Almanac. It usually falls on January and February and signifies his triumph over evil forces. Thaipusam is a day of prayers and penance and Hindus show their gratitude by undergoing self-mortification. Devotees carry “kavadi” to keep a vow or offer to Lord Subramaniam and chant hymns with family and friends. Devotees have their flesh pierced as purification. The third cultural practice is the celebration of Deepavali, “Festival of Lights” that is celebrated in October/November. Hindus celebrate for 5 days, light diyas, wear new clothes, and exchange gifts and heartfelt wishes. The festival signifies the victory of good over the evil, and they worship their gods like Goddess of Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.
Share about the Peranakan culture.
The Peranakans in Singapore are a fascinating blend of cultures around the region.
The term Peranakan refers to people descended from marriages between Chinese or Indian men and local Malay or Indonesian women who can be found throughout Southeast Asia.
The Peranakan Chinese, or Straits Chinese, in Singapore can trace their origins to 15th-century Malacca, where their ancestors were Chinese traders who married local Malay women.
There are also Chitty Melaka, or Peranakan Indians, descendants of marriages between South Indian Hindu merchants and local women, and Jawi Peranakans, who trace their ancestry to intermarriage between South Indian- Muslim traders and women of the local community.
Many of the early Peranakans were traders and shopkeepers, while others were involved in the real estate, shipping and banking sectors.
While many of the Straits Chinese have assimilated into the broader Chinese community, they still retain distinctive cultural traits – most notably in their food and traditional dress.
A large part of Peranakan customs comes from traditional beliefs inherited from their Chinese ancestors. Their strict observance of these beliefs sometimes supplants even the Chinese themselves.
The family unit is an important facet of the Peranakans, and family members within the same tree can usually be found living under one roof much like their Chinese counterparts.
Nevertheless, the true feature that defines the Peranakans is their ability to embrace modern thinking. For instance, unlike the traditional Chinese who in the past, favoured male offspring, Peranakans deemed both sons and daughters equal rights to the family fortune.
Unique to the Peranakans is Dondang Sayang, a traditional poetic art, where it sees a small group singing poems of a certain theme or subject accompanied by musical instruments such as violin, malay hand drums, and the gong. Dondong Sayang could be performed at weddings or at friends’ homes, where wit is pitted at the table, forming on-the-spot rebuttal as the poems play out. The second cultural practice is Soja, a customary Chinese New Year greeting where the younger generation kneels in front of an elder and wish “Pasir panjang omor (long life)”. The third cultural practice is the celebration of a baby’s first month, where the family and relatives come together to have a popiah (rice paper rolls) party, and have the baby’s hair and nails trimmed for the first time.
