Managing Diversity in Singapore

Singapore society is increasingly becoming diverse. During the first few decades of nation building, policies were designed to homogenise aspects of Singaporean society while enshrining principles to allow restricted amounts of diversity. Fast forward to the present, and fifty years after independence, the number of areas where diversity is profoundly apparent remains copious, and its manifestations more varied.
This book provides an updated account on the tensions posed by diversity in Singapore and how this is being managed, primarily by the state through policies and programmes but also by communities who attempt to negotiate these tensions. Such an enquiry is crucial especially at this juncture when the nation is finding ways to embrace the different forms of diversity brought about through external impetuses, as well as manage internal reactions from the various communities. The book chapters highlight important considerations if Singapore's diversity management strategies will hold promise for the future.
Contents: Introduction:Diversity in Singapore: Historical Foundations and Current Realities (Mathew Mathews)Manifestations and Management of Multicultural Singapore — Race, Language and Religion:Navigating Disconnects and Divides in Singapore's Cultural Diversity (Lai Ah Eng and Mathew Mathews)Singlish as Style: Implications for Language Policy (Lionel Wee Hock Ann)Keeping Harmony in Singapore: An Examination of the Inter-racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) in Singapore (Mathew Mathews and Danielle Hong)The Management of New Religious Movements in Singapore (Shane Pereira)New Tensions when Global Meets Local: Social Class, Liveable Space, Bicultural Ideologies, and New Media Forms:Two Stories on Class in Singapore: Diversity or Division? (Tan Ern Ser and Tan Min Wei)Which Class and What Squeezes? Relationships with Well-being, National Pride and Inequality (Ho Kong Weng)Creating a Liveable City for Whom? A Critical Examination of Singapore's Recent Urban Transformation (Pow Choon-Piew)Are We There Yet? A Review of the Bicultural Studies Programme (Chiang Wai Fong and Low Yen Yen)Regulating the Big and Micro Screens: Managing Censorship in Films and YouTube in Singapore (Liew Kai Khiun)Diversity in the Cross Sections of Society: Workplace, Family, and the Armed Forces:Transmigrants and the Flow of Human Capital: Wither Integration? (Faizal Bin Yahya)Singapore Families: Stability and Diversity in Challenging Times (Stella R Quah)National Service: The Holy Grail in the Management of Social Diversity (Leong Chan-Hoong, Yang Wai Wai and Jerrold Hong)Conclusion (Chiang Wai Fong)About the ContributorsIndexReadership: Academics, researchers and students studying Singapore society, public policy and sociology; general readers and professionals interested in diversity management. Key Features:Contributors include experts in their field who have contributed in the past and currently to the development of the subject matter they address such as Lionel Wee, Stella Quah, Tan Ern Ser and Lai Ah Eng. It also includes an array of newer scholars whose work is growing in popularityComprehensive coverage of diversity issues beyond the traditional confines of racial and religious diversityCritical commentary on current policies and programmes that seek to manage diversity