Examining Prejudice and Discrimination in Singapore

Examining Prejudice and divergence in capital of SingaporeIn this essay, we lead be explaining and giving the definitions of mischief and contrast. Also, we testament go in depth and elaborate exactly about the mixed kinds of disagreement in todays society much(prenominal) as gender, handicap, size, looks, monetary, attitude, edu flushion, informal and racial distinction. After which, we imparting give solutions and panaches to reduce racial distinction in Singapore. Fin tout ensembley we will end with a round up of conclusion.Prejudice and in tinctity is a rising issue in todays society. tally to Dictionary.com, prejudice is an unfavor able-bodied opinion or feeling formed before or without knowledge, archetype, or reason. Discrimination is the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the conference, class, or form to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual deserve racial an d religious intolerance and dissimilitude.To be prejudiced is to throw off a cultural mindset and that is relied on negative or unpleasant stereotypes about individuals or aggroups because of their ethnic, religious, racial or cultural background. To discriminate is to collect an industrious denial of desired goal from a certain(p) group of great deal. The group terminate be based on sex, ethnicity, nationality, religion, lecture, or even class. to a greater extent recently, disadvantaged groups now as well include those based on gender, age, and bodily disabilities.Prejudice and discrimination atomic number 18 very common at both the individual and societal levels. Any attempt to eradicate or make the problem of prejudice and discrimination must(prenominal) thus deal with preponderating beliefs or ideologies, and social structure.Gender- at that place atomic number 18 legion(predicate) types of discrimination. Gender discrimination, withal known as sexism is very common. In most societies, women stick out been viewed as the weaker sex who is in constant need of protection from the rough world. Women be to a greater extent delicate by nature compargond to men, and argon often dupes of physical, stimulated and psychological abuse. Gender discrimination does not only apply in communities and somewhattimes families only if besides a lot of times in determineplaces. In Chinese Culture, boys be more wanted than female childs as they bay window pass down the family name. According to BBC unseasoneds, around a million girl fetuses ar aborted and tens of thousands of girl babies are abandoned in China, every year. A boy will bring status and he will alike continue the family line. Families also throw big celebrations for baby boys while neglecting the less-wanted girls. The taste perception for boys is tied up in the Confucian belief that male heirs are necessary to carry on the family name and take care of the family spirits. A Chin ese family worries that if thither is no son no one will look later on them and keep them comp any in the afterlife. Confucius once said, There are three dashs of existence disloyal to your ancestors. Not carrying on the family name is the worse.In early Japan, on that point is large gender discrimination. They have a saying that goes men as breadwinners and women as homemakers. Even after Japan introduced the Equal Employment Opportunity Law in 1985, which nix discrimination against women in employment and urged employers to treat women equally in toll of recruitment, job assignment and promotion. But, they are subdued the last to be rehired in a full-time job. Japanese women are also expected to withdraw from their job if they have children. Even if companies are facing a paucity of workers, they had no plan to try to hire more women. Women have to work twice as hard as man to advance their careers because of the prejudices within Japanese companies. Their university ed ucation is roughly the akin as those without an upper unoriginal education. In 1997, statistics show that Japanese women h honest-to-god only 9.3% of professional positions, compared to 44.3% in the join States. Womens income is only 45%of mens even though they make up 64% of Japan industry.Females appear to be less strongly oriented toward personal terminal values than men, but more strongly oriented toward moral means.Also in sports, e modifiedly soccer, where female officials/referees are behind introduced to the male side of the game are being discriminated. One such example was Andy Gray, a former footballer, popular football pundit and commentator. He was British television channel Sky Sports main pundit since 1992. However, he was fired after he was found to do sexist comments and made offensive gestures to a female co-presenter. He had commented, Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women dont know the offside rule. in which his fellow presenter, Richard Keys replie d, Course they dont. person give away enamor down thither and explain. during a post-match show when they thought they were off air. In an another(prenominal) show, he was caught on camera( in which it was edit out later on) tugging his pants and asking his female co-presenter Charlotte Jackson to forgather the microphone into his pants. (http//www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3371091/Andy-Gray-sacked-over-sexism-row.html)In Singapore today, Gender discrimination while yet existent, is less obvious. disability Besides the various types of discriminations declared above, there is also a discrimination against the incapacitate good deal. Having a disability means that a person has a physical or genial impairment. This in turn has a substantial and long-term negative go alongic on ones ability to carry out normal everyday activities. Disability discrimination occurs when one is interact less favorably because of their disability as compared to psyche without a disabilit y. This is known as direct discrimination. There are cases in which people with some form of disability are treated divergently, or are victimized. People who are not disabled gag at the disabled because of the way they walk or talk. These people rout up and make fun of the disabled. They belittle them, and feel satisfied with themselves. The disabled are not able to do anything about it because there are too some(prenominal) people treating them that way. There is also indirect discrimination where everyone is treated equally, but by treating everyone equally, the disabled is put to a disadvantage. This is more subtle and whitethorn also be unintentional. An example would be when there are stairs to enter a building but a person with a disability competency not be able to use the stairs and may need a ramp.Size/looks macrocosm of a different size or flavour different may also be a form of prejudice and discrimination. Often during archetypical meetings, people are judged on startle impressions, and first impressions are all about the visuals. Many a time people are discriminated against just because they are too flesh out, too skinny or not vertical looking enough. Society has set a sales boothard where everyone wants an ideal consistence and face. This is known as the g ancienten ratio. The ratio of (foot to navel) (navel to head) is the golden ratio of the military man body. A persons face has to be symmetrical and have nice proportions to be considered good looking. There is a reason why plastic surgeries are in demand. While applying for jobs, people are required to attach photos of themselves. more than often than not, the people who are better looking tend to abide the job as compared to those who are less good looking. Then there is the case of body size. People tend to make remarks about fat people and fat jokes. An example would be Yo Mama So fatty jokes, which is very common. Even though different cultures have a preference for peop le of different sizes, everyone in general prefer slim to fat. fiscal/financially-Financial discrimination is when people look down on others that they are poorer than them. This will affect them if they want to find a job, fit a rent or buy an apartment. People tend to look at the appearance to analyze whether you are rich or you are poor. For example, salesman will normally look for people that are trendier from those who wear clothes that see old and tear. Service staff of well-known brand in some regions might not serve or even come up to you if they think that you have no money to pay if they let you try. So, what is the purport to spend so much time to serve you?In United States, there is a case that they are discriminating against the blind people by refusing to make money readable for them as they think there do not have the need. They dont go out a lot, there does not have legion(predicate) chance for them to use the notes. Even for the turn that is specially made for them to differentiate the money is expensive. At the end, blind people have to folding their bills in different positions to tell them apart. (http//www.associatedcontent.com/article/395668/financial_discrimination_against_the.html?cat=15)Financial discrimination also involved the low-waged workers. In a way that large number were paid lesser than the minimum wage that they should get and they had worked overtime without pay. When they get injured in the work place, they had to pay the bills themselves preferably of having compensation from their company. (http//www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112506238)Status/Education For status discrimination, most of this happens in the work place. We can see lot of who butter up status that up high and despise those who have low status than them. Everybody wants to get to a higher(prenominal) place. For these people that have status discrimination in mind, they normally think that this is a short cut and time redeeming(a) way. F or lower status in the society, they are unendingly afraid of anger the people of the higher status. This is because they cant afford to spend the money to charge cases with them.We can also see employer refuse to hire people that have foreign name, speaks with accent, from another country or even locals who does not have a high level certificate. Competition is getting higher and higher in the work place.Nowadays, it is the certificate of education that decides the fate of status in society. Without a certificate, you will get no jobs.In Singapore, there are several foreign domestic worker abuse cases. Many do not know how to speak English and many doesnt know where to try for help.There are also many cases about children bring their parents to old folks homes and do not care about them anymore, or old folks being abuse because they are a burden to the family. informal discrimination (gay/sexual orientation) People often get confused surrounded by gender discrimination and sexu al discrimination. While gender discrimination is biased opinions about the female/male gender, sexual discrimination is about their sexual orientation.In society today, talking about homosexuality is still an ill-fitting and touchy topic. While it has progressed from the past where homosexuality was illegal and you could be hanged for admitting that you were a homosexual, it has now been legally acceptable to pronounce yourself one. However this does not pr resultantive the community around you to form perceptions and opinions about you.The 2 main places where versed discrimination is most evident are in tutors and the workplace. In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), homosexuals and effeminate men are managed according to the dictates of a work force directive issued. Probably its most well know classification is house 302, a medical code given to servicemen who are homosexuals, transvestites, paedophiles, etc. homosexuals are further classified into those with effeminate behav iour and those without effeminate behaviour. This form of discrimination persists despite the fact that homosexuality was depathologised by the American Psychiatric stand in 1973, and homosexuality is not regarded as a psychiatric specification by the local medical profession. More so, the categorization of homosexuality with cross dressing and paedophilia by the SAF further backs up the publics wrong impression that it is abnormal.During the enlistment for Nation Service, any self-declared or discovered servicemen who are homosexual are immediately referred and sent to the Psychological Medicine Branch of the Headquarters of medical checkup Services for a thorough psychiatric assessment. After which, each of their parents are to come in for an interview. Once they are catagorised as a homosexual, they are instantly medically downgraded to a Public Employment Status of C (PES C), disregardless of their level of fitness, and put through modified Basic military Training. After B asic Military Training, they are deployed into a vocation which has no security risks, posted to non-sensitive units and given a security status which restricts their door to classified documents. (http//knol.google.com/k/discrimination-against-homosexuals-in-singaporeSingapore_Armed_Forces)In Singapore, while being homosexual is legal, same-sex marriage is not, and any acts of indecency amid two people of the same sex, will have you charged. Singapore being a diverse nation, which encourages harmony between different bleed, religion and background does not have as many Sexual discrimination cases as compared to America. In fact, according to BBC News on 16 May 2009, there was an font help by pinkdot.sg to eternalise love in all forms and between people of every orientation. The event was for Singaporeans in general to affirm our respect for diversity and the freedom to love, regardless of sexual orientation.Figure 2,500 pink-attired supporters of gay rights, in a Singapore park.We fill out that many Singaporeans are conservative so we planned an inclusive event that would reach all Singaporeans, straight and gay, organizer Mr Soh says.racial Racial discrimination is the discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race, also known as Racism. Where most countries do not condone Racism, it is still exists and has become a stereotype in society today.In the US, many laws forbid racial discrimination, and a number of these are directly derived from championship VII in the Civil Rights mask of 1964, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. The first of these acts makes manifest that employers cannot refuse to hire qualified employees based on race or skin color, and they cant do other things akin jade them for race, refuse promotions, or pay them at lower rates. The 1991 Civil Rights Act defines some ways that people who have experienced racial discrimination can sue.Till today, racial discriminations still exist, especially in workplaces wh ere by and large foreign workers are employed (mostly Chinese nationals, Bangladeshis and Indian nationals). Faced with language barriers and already lowly paid, they still have to follow revises and listen to vulgarities being thrown at them by their local employers and superiors. The same can be said for domestic helpers, where there are numerous reports of physical (and sometimes sexual) abuses by their employers and agencies.Solutions that can be used to reduce prejudice and discrimination in SingaporeEducationIt not right to judge someone base on his or her race. They might look different from others but they are still human. In order to make people disparage discrimination, it is better to start from the younger generation because they are the future. First rate is to take down the Special Assistance Plan( a programme that is catered to students who achieved the top 10% of the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE)) school system (Aaron, 2006). This school system concen trate on Chinese education as there are so many Chinese students and that most of these schools has rich Chinese traditions and history (eg, Hwa Chong Institution). Therefore, how can the racism be reduced in schools like this. Furthermore, organization schools should also include religious subject in their system. In addition, universities should also organize some events that relates to intercultural exchanges. This will give an opportunity for students of any nationality to study different cultures.WorkplaceThe company should take racially and culturally staff (Strategies for Reducing Racism, 2001). It is not only for worker and for employee but also apply for management or director. Talk to different people from different cultural and try to figure out what is problem that they have meet. By doing this, the organization will know what they need to do to improve better working environment for their employees. Moreover, try to put different pictures of multicultural so none will feel isolate. Furthermore, there should be a special team to solve any racial problem in the workplace. This group can also come up with some activities for employees so everybody can get closer to each other.RaceIn Singapore alone, the political relation has implemented racial harmony. It was in 1964, that Singapore went through 2 five-day periods of racial riots. First in 21st July and second was in 2nd September. The nonage of Malays in Singapore had thought that they would benefit from the special rights for Malays that was part of the 1957 union of Malaya Constitution when Singapore merged with Malaya. However, it was not part of the agreement of the coalition that the special rights were applicable for the Malays in Singapore as well, causing agitation among the Singapore Malays. Reason being that then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had wanted equal rights for all Singapore citizens, regardless of race.The riots that broke out in the 2 employments resulted in lives lost and many injured. (http//infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_45_2005-01-06.html)And so, on 21st July, which was also the date that the first racial riot broke out in 1964, is notable as Racial Harmony Day, in which inter-racial harmony is emphasized and celebrated in schools which students are allowed and also encouraged to dress up in traditional costumes of races other than their own.As most Singaporeans stays in HDB flats, the government have also implemented certain racial quotas for certain flats so that there is a balance between races in a neighbourhood. For instance, certain flats are only allowed to be bought by a certain race. If so happens that the owner of the flat wishes to sell the flat, the buyer would have to be of the same race as the previous owner so that there is always a balance in the races within the area.Because of this rule, there are many cases whereby neighbours of different races have inter-cultural exchanges during festive periods. Like how an Indian neighbor co nduct their homemade delicacies with their Chinese neighbour and vice versa.LocalityWelcome new people no matter where they come from, give them some visor or small gift with nice saying such as It is nice to meet you I hope you will enjoy subsisting here. In this way, everybody will act equally with each other and there will be no prejudice or racism. Another way is that some family can even put the sign with the writing any race are welcome here. By doing this, the new people will feel just like at home.IndividualPeople do not have to make a group in order to reduce racism. People can minimize discrimination by themselves. upright be nice and be polite to everybody. Be brave to stand up again racial discrimination, read book or inquiry about racism on the internet. Talk to those who still a victim of discrimination so people will understand more about this issue.MediaAs Racial Harmony Day is only emphasized in schools, it can also be spread through the media like radio, telev ision, movies, etc, so that both young and old can be more meliorate about the importance of racial harmony. Having Racial Harmony Day in school is not enough as the younger generations could still be influenced by others around them especially family members and neighbours. Even though the older generations might have grown up with different races in the older kampong days, there still might be possibility that they have prejudices against other races due to conflicts that might have happened in the past.ConclusionAfter looking at prejudice and racial discrimination in Singapore, there is still a lot to be done even though it is a multi-racial society as it is still very much a dilemma in Singapore. Through our solutions such as more inter-cultural exchanges outside of schools where the government is only implementing the racial harmony idealism, in my opinion, racial harmony must still be educated to each and everyone regardless of age so that everyone knows the importance of ra cial harmony.Bibilogyhttp//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1506469.stmhttp//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8054402.stmhttp//aaron-ng.info/ intercommunicate/racism-in-singapore.html