Race and Multiculturalism in Singapore Essay

By definition, rave is the categorization of people with similar and inherited physical characteristics (Barkan, 2011). These characteristics may range from the color of the skin, a person's stature, and the facial features. Scholars have always held different opinions on whether the categorization of people in races is done according to social or biological structures. For most people, the answer to this question is pretty straightforward. For most the traits that denote race are ubiquitous and any visually able person can tell them apart. And since these traits are passed down generations, a race is considered to be a biological category.

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However, sociologists have another idea on race. According to them, race is just but a social construct. It came into existence since the Europeans started to colonize other parts of the world. According to sociologists, what rules out the possibility of race being a biological construct is the difference in definition of races according to different cultures. For instance, a person that may be considered white in a black majority African country might not be considered white in Europe. Since colonization, a race has been used as the primary categorization of human identity (Smedley, 1998).

In Singapore, there officially are four different types of races; the ethnic Chinese, ethnic Indians, the Malays and others (Huat, 2003). Consequently, Singapore uses the Chinese-Indian-Malay-Others (CIMO) model when categorizing people according to race. The Chinese make up about 76.2% of the population, the Malays about 15.0 %, Indians at 7.6% of the population.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity too is a complex term that can be interpreted in several ways. Some sociologists define ethnicity as similar social, cultural and historical experiences (Barkan, 2011). This shared constructs must come from similar national or regional origins that differentiate one social group from another. The shared similarities may include all or some of the following; traditions, language, and religion. As such, an ethnic group is defined as a social group with common social, historical and cultural experiences and whose members have a sense of belonging to the subgroup. Summarily, ethnicity eschews the biological connotations with social groups.

The categorization of people by ethnicity and race usually overlaps (Little et al. 2012). For instance in Africa, Irish, Russian and American would all be considered as whites. However, the ethnic group, Americans is composed of people from all types of races, whites, blacks, Asians, among others.

Race and Ethnicity in Singapore

In categorizing people of Singapore into races, the results will vary according to the model used in the classification. If the ancient model of black, white or Asian is used, then almost all of the population of Singapore would pass off as Asians. This is because the Chinese and Indians in Singapore make up the largest portion of the population. Combined, they form around 83% percent of the populations. In a racial categorization, the Malays may also be considered to be Asian.

In ethnicity, Singapore has various diverse ethnic groups. There are the Chinese, the Indians, the Malays and other ethnic groups such as Eurasians. Contextually, Singapore can be described as a multiracial and multiethnic country. All cultures in Singapore are treated equally, and instead of coerced assimilation, Singapore allows all cultures to maintain their cultural identity while borrowing ideas that they deem important from the other cultures (Huat, 2003). The multicultural acceptance of the country is perhaps what has made it to peaceful and successful.

Multiracialism in Singapore

Several world leaders like Merkel, Cameron, and Sarkozy have controversially admitted that multiculturalism has failed. They take on multiculturalism especially coming from such countries with people of diverse races and ethnic backgrounds, leaves one with numerous questions on the viability of multiculturalism. Can a country be fully multicultural? Is multiculturalism a black hole that is will surely swallow the countries that practice it? Or maybe it is the method of implementation in the failed countries that is to blame?

A keen look and study of Singapore would easily disprove the myth that multiculturalism is an untenable policy. Singapore has continued to flourish for 51 years since independence by practicing multiculturalism. A majority of the people say 90 percent, when asked affirmed that they were comfortable living and working with people of other cultures and races. This is the reason behind the numerous milestones the country has achieved. More recently, when the Deputy Prime Minister was questioned on what Singapore's biggest pride and success story was, he did not say economic or political gains. Instead, he quoted social harmony as the best milestone that the country has achieved. It is true that Singapore has experienced almost zero ethnic, cultural or racial conflicts. In fact, since Singapore gained its independence, it has never faced any major terrorist threat.

However, the global terrorism index has been on the rise with countries that were previously thought to be averse and the safest from terrorism being stricken. A perfect example is France. With this trend, there is no way to tell whether the terrorism wave will reach Singapore (Vasu, 2008). Also, another emerging issue is the possible disintegration of multiculturalism in Singapore. For instance, Singapore's Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam is quoted to have spoken out the worst fears that Singaporeans have been holding deep within them. At a symposium that he was in attendance, Shanmugam said that in view of the racial demographics of the country, Singapore might experience majoritarianism. In this scenario, the majority (Chinese) might start engaging in racial politics. He warned that this issue was a ticking time bomb unless the Singaporean government together with the majority took a firm stand against the matter. As of such, Singapore should double its efforts in maintaining the long-standing multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural traditions of the country.

Singapore's History as A Home for All People

Singapore attained its independence in 1964. Before then it was part of the Federation of Malaysia (present day Malaysia). Just before its independence, the country had experienced several ethnic clashes that left tens dead and scores others injured. After it gained independence, the leaders soon realized that Singapore was made up of a large percentage of immigrants and was surrounded by some hostile nations. As of such, if Singapore was to survive the conflicts that were doomed to plague it, then an integration policy had to be introduced and implemented in the country. In a speech, Lee Kuan Yew said that Singapore was neither a country for the Malay, nor a country for the Chinese, nor a country for the Indians. Instead he Singapore was going to be a country of all cultures, languages, and religions. All would have equal social, economic and political status before the government. These statements have been reiterated numerous times by Singapore's leaders in not only words but also in actions. Consequently, all policies touching on races have been based on these words. The Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong is quoted saying that the recent opening of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) as a perfect example of multiculturalism in Singapore (Strait Times).

The Difference between Multiculturalism and Other Models

There are several differences between multiculturalism and other models used in handling plural societies like for instance, pluralism. Pluralism will be used as a representation of the other models in contrasting it with multiculturalism.

First, multiculturalism promotes equality and fairness. According to multiculturalism, all races and cultures are equal and deserve the same attention/respect (Taylor, 1994). An attempt to uphold the cultural values of the majority over or impose them on the minority is not allowed in multiculturalism. Pluralism also allows the existence of minority cultures. However, these cultures are supposed and treated as 'inferior' to the culture of the majority. There is no attempt to equalize all cultures.

Some sociologists have argued that, while pluralism is founded on the principle of the majority set the community values, multiculturalism is instead founded on the lowest common denominator values (Barkan, 2011). What this means on the part of multiculturalism is that the values of the majority are as important as those of the majority; they are all at the same level (that of the minority).

Social Stratification in Singapore

Despite the fact that Singapore has been the perfect picture of multiculturalism, equality, and tolerance, new studies have shown that some cracks have appeared in the country. A recent study done by the Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) revealed some shocking truths about the country. However, unlike many other European and Asian nations, Singapore's stratification is not based on race or culture; instead, it is based on social classes.

Social stratification from social classes has been a growing phenomenon in the country according to the results of the study. For the longest time possible, Singapore has practiced meritocracy. This concept is drawn from the expectations that no matter your social class, opportunities both economic and political are issued on a merit basis. It seeks to equalize the people by stripping them off the gown of classes. This concept is quite popular among people of all classes in Singapore (Anwar, 2015). However, the study by IPS has revealed that Singapore's meritocracy is somehow flawed.

IPS did a study on the social ties of the Singaporean population. For instance, according to the study, people who went to non-elite schools associated less often with their counterparts from elite schools. People who lived in public housing also interacted less with those who lived in private housing (IPS, 2011). However, the case is a bit different for those of a higher social class. They seemed to almost balance the level of interaction between them and other high-class individuals and that between them and individuals of a lower social class (IPS, 2011). The results of the study revealed that those of lower social classes might feel inferior when they compared themselves to those of a higher class. There obviously is the need for the government to draw up and implement drastic measures to prevent the situation from growing any worse.

References

Anwar, N. D. B. (2015). Negotiating Singapore's meritocracy: a subtle shift?

Barkan, S. E. (2011). Sociology: Understanding and changing the social world. Flat World Knowledge, Incorporated.

Boyd, R. (2004). Uncivil society: the perils of pluralism and the making of modern liberalism. United Nations Publications.

Huat, C. B. (2003). Multiculturalism in Singapore: An instrument of social control. Race & Class, 44(3), 58-77.

International Policy Studies (IPS), 2011. Class and social orientations: key findings from the social stratification survey 2011.

Little, W., Vyain, S., Scaramuzzo, G., Cody-Rydzewski, S., Griffiths, H., Strayer, E., & Keirns, N. (2012). Introduction to Sociology-1st Canadian edition. BC Open Textbook project.

Smedley, A. (1998). " Race" and the construction of human identity. American Anthropologist, 100(3), 690-702.

Stait Times, May 19, 2017. Singapore's approach to diversity has created a distinctive identity across ethnic groups: PM Lee Hsien Loong. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/singapolitics/pm-whether-chinese-malay-or-indian-a-singaporean-can-spot-a-fellow-citizen

Taylor, C. (1994). Multiculturalism. Princeton...