Essay On Social Mobility In Singapore

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“It is harder to climb a ladder when the rungs are further apart” Social immobility is a significant problem in Singapore. Singapore has progressed rapidly, and now we have many different needs both as a global city and a nation. Our meritocratic system has been key to our economic success, by creating a competitive environment for people to strive to achieve their best. However, in recent years there has been greater income inequality among the population, and our social mobility has slowed down. This has an impact on our social cohesion, which is what many Singaporeans are concerned about now. Our meritocratic system, along with our increasing income inequality, has slowed social mobility. It is analogous to judging runners in a race by who …show more content…

Because our social mobility has slowed, many ordinary Singaporeans feel it is harder for them to improve their lives and aspire to at least middle-class levels. Social cohesion and harmony is the essential key in holding Singapore together in times of crisis; if our social cohesion is worn thin, our society may fall apart when faced with a crisis. The widening income gap and continued low social mobility will create a stratified class system and leads to social divisions. When the social classes do not mix much, it may in turn lead to greater elitism in society. The ‘haves’ will not understand the ‘have-nots’. This divide is not good for society and there will be much distrust in the society. Racial riots in the past are reminders of what may happen with large divides in society. Social immobility can also generate widespread disaffection with the prevailing economic and political systems. This is because some may now see the system as ‘unfair’ and ‘biased’ towards the more privileged. There have been more public displays of disaffection towards the government, with more protests at Hong Lim Park etc. At the recent General Elections, there was a record lowest amount of votes for the

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