Responding to a Socio-Economic Diversity Flashcards
How can individuals respond to socio-economic diversity?
In 2014 Mr Nizar Mohamed Shariff started a charity Free Food For All which provides freshly cooked meals to the less fortunate, regardless of their race or religion. They also provided fresh groceries and stock community fridges. In 2021 alone, the charity served more than 160,000 meals to their beneficiaries. By starting a ground-up initiative, Mr Nizar can inspire other Singaporeans to adopt a giving and caring attitude. He also set an example of individuals taking action to contribute to the needs of society and improving Singapore instead of waiting for governmental intervention.
How can community groups respond to socio-economic diversity?
Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT) is a formal community group which conducts programmes to help women aged 20-60 from low-income families upgrade their skills and find jobs. They conduct financial literacy programmes which help the women learn money-management skills and progress towards their financial goals. Formal groups such as DOT ensure that those who are less privileged in society can gain the necessary skills and knowledge to improve their economic conditions. This can improve their quality or life and give them chances for social mobility.
What is the Government-financed approach in Sweden?
Housing - Lower-income individuals and families get a housing allowance to pay for their homes if they live with children and pay more than $190 for housing. Elderly with low or no income are also given financial aid. By providing substantial assistance and financial support, all citizens of differing socio-economic backgrounds have access to services such as healthcare, education, and housing. This ensures that the needs of the elderly, citizens with illnesses or disabilities, and those with young children are provided for and there is less inequality as all citizens are assured a high quality of life.
What are some disadvantages of the government-financed approach?
The social benefits provided by the Swedish government have to be funded by high taxation with the top rate of income tax in Sweden being 57.2%, which is one of the highest in the world. With an ageing population in Sweden, the burden of tax will increase over time and the working population of the future will have to contribute even more taxes or lengthen their employment years, which leads to a drop in their quality of life.
What is the Shared-responsibility approach in Singapore?
Singapore’s government adopts multiple tiers of protection to ensure all Singaporeans have accessible and affordable healthcare. Government provides subsidies to reduce the cost to patients but citizens have to save and partly pay for their healthcare needs through their CPF accounts. All citizens have access to an insurance plan Medishield Life, while Medifund is used to help those who are unable to pay for healthcare even after subsidies. By providing multiple layers of assistance, the government is able to ensure that those most in need of help are well-supported, while emphasising that individuals have responsibility to provide for their own needs and can ensure their own socio-economic well-being through employment.
What are some disadvantages of a shared-responsibility approach?
However an ageing population has resulted in a growing demand for social services, which could mean increasing tax rates or extending retirement ages for those working. There are also limitations to upskilling and training which means Singaporeans might not be able to substantially increase their wages and support their own needs.
