Challenges of sociocultural diversity Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is the definition of stereotypes?
- generalised beliefs about a particular group of people (Coursebook); a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person (Oxford)
- overgeneralisations based on unproven assumptions and/or imperfect information
This particular race or culture will have certain traits …
What’s the danger with stereotypes?
Stereotype threat
- “the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype of the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype.” (Steele, 1999)
- a socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one’s group applies (Steele and Aronson, 1995)
- showed that it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy when test subjects are made aware of the stereotypes
Key points: Stereotypes — even if they are not voiced out — can lead individuals to internalised negative expectations or feel pressured by positive ones. This results in something called stereotype threat, a psychological phenomenon where fear of conforming in a stereotype affects performance, confidence, and identity.
E.g. (evidence)
When told that a difficult math exam showed gender differences favouring men (left) women performed worse than their male counterparts. Without this prompts, the two populations performed equally well. (Steele, 1997)
What does this highlight. (Explanation)
This highlights the negative impacts of expectations. The moment individuals are minded of a stereotype, it creates mental stress and self-doubt, affecting their actual performance — a self -fulfilling prophecy (an expectations affects one’s behaviour)
E.g.
When asked to indicate their race, prior to completing a standardised test (left), African American students do more poorly compared to white students. When no such prompt is given (right), the two groups performed similarly to each other. (Steele and Aronson, 1995)
**Explanation: race consciousness can trigger anxiety and reduce performance. It shows how even subtle reminders of race can negatively impact outcomes, in this example, negatively affect their results for the standardised test due to internalised fear of judgement. **
Positive stereotypes
- “I thought all Asians were good at math.”
- positive stereotypes can cause the recipient to feel depersonalised and reduced to their group identity—> and they will think that that is all their identity is worth
- there could also be increased pressure to meet the high expectations and conform to the stereotypes.
**Stereotypes contradict the goal of promoting understanding, empathy, and individuality in a multicultural society. Instead of seeing people as unique, it box them into expected behaviours based on race — which can worsen race relations and social cohesion. **
What is the definition of discrimination?
Actions based on prejudiced beliefs and negative feelings that hurt or exclude a group (Coursebook); the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people (Oxford0
What is the definition of prejudice?
Negative attitudes and feelings towards other groups that are not based on reason or fact (Coursebook); an irrational attitude of hostility directed at an individual; a group or a race (Merriam-Webster Webster)
What is generalisation?
A general statement based on inference or observations from specific cases.
What is racism?
race based
Feelings of prejudice and acts of discrimination because of someone’s race or ethnic group (Coursebook); the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another (Merriam-Webster Webster)
What is xenophobia?
country-basesd
Prejudice and acts of discrimination directed against people of a specific nationality (Coursebook); fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners (Merriam-Webster Webster)
What is sexism?
Gender/ sex-based
What is classism?
class-based
What are some case study in Singapore of prejudice?
Xenophobia:
Evidence: Matthew Matthews, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, says : “There are stereotypes that people have about different immigrant groups and how responsible they are in terms of the upkeep of a rented apartment.
“There are notions of which groups take care of their homes better, and what cooking supposedly leaves permanent smells in the house. People have notions about what would devalue the property.”
Furthermore, Charlene, an estate agent, said it was common landlords to prefer not to rent to tenants from India or mainland China because such tenants “are not people who are house proud”.
“Many don’t clean weekly, and they do heavy cooking, so dust and oil collect over the months. They may use a lot of spices that release smells people don’t like.”
There are also fears that those tenants will illegally sublet to others, she said, adding: “Cleanliness and culture is a very strong factor.”
Another estate agent made similar points, saying that landlords were less willing to rent to Indian and mainland Chinese tenants as they believed they would not maintain the property well.
SG landlord are not willing to rent to Indian nationals or PRC (from China) —> landlords thinking that Indian/mainland Chinese immigrants always do heavy cooking; do not take care of property —> distrustful of Indian/mainland Chinese tenants
The government must act in order to reduce these acts of discrimination in the field of renting, as stated the “No Indians No PRCs”: Singapore’s rental discrimination problem by BBC news , “however while the UK has legislation banning discrimination on ethnic or nationality grounds, covering situations “buying or renting property”, Singapore offers fewer legal protections.
“There is no specific anti-discrimination law hat can be used by non-citizens,” says Prof Tan.
A Malay women wanted to get the position of a cake decorator at a well known halal bakery shop, however, she got denied as the HR said “From what I see, and the way you look, and not trying to be racist ah, but you Malay, I think you cannot la”——> PrimaDeli interviewer thinking that Malays are less capable because they are not able to speak Chinese not able to work properly with their colleagues —> Doubt their suitability
“Everyone in my family is Singaporean”: Sprinter responds to racist comments on National Day banner in Tanjong Pagar
- there were racist comments against him and said that the Indian family cannot be Singaporean and they should not be featured on the poster.—> netizens thinking that Indians are not Singaporeans—> Doubting the suitability of an Indian family to represent Singapore
Some Chinese workers, businesses in Singapore shunned amid fear and anxiety over Covid-19
- People gave them the stereotype that they were carriers of Covid-19 which caused their business to face boycotting and people did not want to patronise their businesses—> Patrons thinking that mainland Chinese workers carry Covid-19 virus; mainland Chinese businesses are hotspots for infections—> ** Fear of interacting with them or visiting those places—> doubt that these places can be clean and safe for eating
What are some personal and societal costs as well as the impacts of discrimination?
Personal costs:
Prima deli: losing employment opportunities, lower self-esteem, reduced income
Rental: higher rejection rates, more time-consuming search, distrustful landlords
National Day banner:
Embarrassment, loss of esteem due to negative comments
Covid-19:
Loss of business income, physical avoidance by others
Societal costs:
-These personal costs can lead to wider implications for society
For those who do not face this discrimination
E.g. reduced sense of belonging to country, greater resentment against the majority because the minority are being targeted, racial enclaves in rentals and businesses will start to distant themselves from Singapore , make Singapore less economically viable or attractive for people from different nationalities and minority races to set up their business in Singapore therefore leading to a loss of attractiveness for SG as a global hub.
What are some case studies of discrimination in Singapore?
Xenophobia
SG landlord are not willing to rent to Indian nationals or PRC (from China) —> landlords thinking that Indian/mainland Chinese immigrants always do heavy cooking; do not take care of property —> **excluding them in rental notices, asking agents to screen for such tenants.—> not entertaining these applications at all **
A Malay women wanted to get the position of a cake decorator at a well known halal bakery shop, however, she got denied as the HR said “From what I see, and the way you look, and not trying to be racist ah, but you Malay, I think you cannot la”——> PrimaDeli interviewer thinking that Malays are less capable because they are not able to speak Chinese not able to work properly with their colleagues —> **Denying them a fair consideration ; rejecting them in favour of other races, denying them from this work opportunity **
Some Chinese workers, businesses in Singapore shunned amid fear and anxiety over Covid-19
- People gave them the stereotype that they were carriers of Covid-19 which caused their business to face boycotting and people did not want to patronise their businesses—> Patrons thinking that mainland Chinese workers carry Covid-19 virus; mainland Chinese businesses are hotspots for infections—> ** ostracising and boycotting these people and their businesses , shunning their businesses **
What are some case studies in Singapore that shows discrimination being manifest into violence?
Summary:
55 year old woman was brisk walking —> man shouted a racial slur at her for not wearing a mask —> and kick the woman in her chest
Key details that might be useful as evidence:
“A man allegedly kicked a 55 year old woman in her chest and shouted a racial slur at her for not wearing her mask while brisk walking. The woman who is an Indian Singaporean, was walking from Choa-Chu Kang MRT stations towards the stadium at about 8.30am on Friday when the alleged assault took place.
A first year undergraduate at a local university had been night cycling with three other friends and was just about to head home when an incident happened. As they were loading their bicycles onto a van, they heard the man hurling vulgarities at them, calling them ‘Chinese dogs’, and asking them ‘to go back to China’.
The undergraduate student suffered two punches on his face and was kicked on his abdomen when he approached the man to stop and leave them alone.
[Foreigner to Singaporean]
“Wow your English is so good!”
Is this statement a form of stereotype, prejudice or discrimination?
Stereotype
Using Mandarin phrases in a discussion among people who might not understand it.
Is this a form of stereotypes, prejudice or discrimination?
Discrimination
“You’re quite handsome for a dark skinned boy!”
Is this a stereotype, prejudice or discrimination?
Stereotype
“I can’t trust people of that race to get the job done well.”
Is this a form of stereotype, prejudice or discrimination?
Prejudice
What are the potential harms of casual racism?
What is casual racism?
Conduct involving negative stereotypes or prejudices about people on the basis of race, colour or ethnicity. It includes jokes, off-handed comments and exclusion of people from social situations based on race. Unlike overt and intentional acts of racism, casual racism is not often intended to cause offence of harm, but harm can occur even if conduct isn’t motivated by hate of malice. (Australian Human rights commission)
Take note:
Casual racism is not often intended to cause offence or harm, but harm can occur even if conduct isn’t motivated by hate or malice.
Explain why it is still harmful even if the intentions may not be malicious.
social experiment—> CNA
Casually racist experiments —> majority race to listen to casually racist remarks
- the participants are fully aware that the comments are fictional — that they are recorded by actors. And yet in just 7 days, it has provoked such strong reactions of fear, anxiety, and wariness towards other races.
- increased in heart rate
- elevated blood pressure
- offended/flabbergasted
- showed a stark physiological stress response
Long term effects after listening to the comments for 7 days straight
- anxiety and negative comments are measured again via a questionnaire
“Sick and tired”
Feel a stronger intensity of negative emotions
When the scores were averaged for negative comments, it increased by 77% compared to 7 days ago.
Average score for anxiety —>averaged across four people, their anxiety increased by 6.6%
This highlights the effects on people who hear these casual racism remarks all the time as well as the people around them like friends, classmates, colleagues, for most of their lives which is
- nearly 2 in 3 Singaporeans surveyed have heard racist comments being made, and about half the time it was by workplace colleagues and friends, according to a survey on race relations commissioned by Channel NewsAsia in partnership with the Institute of Policy Studies.
65 percent of respondents said they ignored the person’s comments.
This in spite of the fact that:
- 84 percent said they would get upset if heard racist comments about any race
- 62 percent said it was never acceptable to make jokes about another race in the company of friends/
- and 67 percent said it was never acceptable to call a racial group terms like dirty, lazy or money-minded.
Articulate a few ways that you can address the issue of casual racism.
- watch out for back-handed compliments
“You are hardworking/speak good English for <race>.”</race>
It may seem like a compliment but it is not a compliment if the underlying assumption is that a certain race is not good at speaking English.
Why it is problematic: these comments can be seen as backhanded compliments that imply something negative about a race. Compliments such as being Good-looking or hardworking are human attributes and not a feature of any race.
- Stand up against racist ‘jokes’
E.g. “I can’t see you when I turn off the lights.”
Why it is problematic: Racist jokes are often used so that people can defend their racist notions with the pretext that they were just engaging in light-hearted humour. They normalise racism and reduce them to “fun” or “casual” remarks that the target is pressured to just laugh off.
- Be aware of language exclusion
E.g. during a meeting, the majority group converse or uses words and phrases in their mother tongue in the presence of others who do not speak it.
Why it is problematic:
It can alienate the others and make them feel like they cannot participate. It can also create anxiety from not knowing what is being discussed— perhaps they are being talked about.This is compounded by the fact that those doing the exclusion may not even be conscious of it.
What are some examples of casual racisms?
E-Pay e.g.
An actor representing different races, by dressing like them and holding food that represent each race.
This is disrespectful because just because you dress like them, does it really make you a representative of that race (their culture and their racial identity?—> offensive to these groups—> because you reduced them to these traits
Fallout of this advertisement campaign
Ex-Raffles Institution student apologises for blackface photo fro 2016, says’ there is no excuse’
- Y56 RI students where they were celebrating their classmates birthday and they put black facial masks on their face since they are celebrating the birthday of an Indian and wanted to use the theme of “Slum Dog millionaire” —> they received backlash from the community and had to do public apology
What is the relationship between self help groups and the government? Do self help groups stem from the CMIO system which allow them to identity issues face by a particular group and then roll out initiatives and assistance to that particular race accordingly?
Self-help groups were set up to address the unique socio-economic needs of each ethnic group, recognising that different communities face different challenges.: I need to remember the different self help groups:
1. CDAC — Chinese Development Assistance Council
2. Mendaki — For the Malay/Muslim community
3. SINDA — For the Indian Community
4. EA — Eurasian Association
Ask for more details of what each self help group does
Role and Relationship with the Government:
* These groups are ethnic-specific and complement government efforts, not replace them.
* The state partners with SHGs to deliver tailored support, e.g., tuition programmes, bursaries, and skills training.
* SHGs are grounded in the CMIO system, which helps target resources more effectively.
