P r e f e r r e d P u b l i s h e r o f L e a d i n g T h i n k e r s

50 Years of SocialIssues in Singapore

C o n n e c t i n g G r e a t M i n d s

Edited by David Chan (Professor of Psychology, Director, Behavioural Sciences Institute, Singapore Management University)

Foreword by Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore & Minister for Finance)

The social context of Singapore is changing rapidly, and understanding how people think, feel and behave in various situations has become a key driver of effectiveness in addressing social issues. 50 Years of Social Issues in Singapore provides a comprehensive review and examination of various social issues at multiple levels of analysis including the individual, group and society.

This invaluable book adopts a translational approach to social issues in Singapore by explicitly bridging intellectual and practical perspectives. Contributed by a distinguished team of authors, the chapters examine the critical ideas underlying public debates of social issues and their policy and practical implications.

The book is organized into three parts. Part I examines issues of population and social fundamentals in Singapore such as ageing, marriage, urban planning, healthcare and racial and religious harmony. Part II analyses Singapore’s social progress through issues of inclusivity such as social mobility, developing communities and marginal groups that deserve more attention. Part III focuses on core principles and social processes related to social justice, doing good, social media and approaches to understanding and addressing social issues in Singapore.

Contents

Population and Social Fundamentals • AgeinginSingapore:SocialIssuesandPolicyChallenges

(Yap Mui Teng & Christopher Gee)

• PsychologyofAgeing:SocialImplicationsforSingapore(John Elliott)

• SocialChallengesinSingapore’sHealthcareSystem (Jeremy Lim & Manav Saxena)

• MarriageandParenthoodinSingapore(Paulin Straughan)

• PreservingRacialandReligiousHarmonyin Singapore (Mathew Mathews & Mohammad Khamsya Bin Khidzer)

• SocialDimensioninSingapore’sUrbanPlanning(Liu Thai Ker & Astrid Tuminez)

Inclusivity and Social Progress • SocialMobilityinSingapore(Tan Ern Ser)

• TheSoulofNationBuildinginSingapore:ContributionsfromSocial Work (Ang Bee Lian)

• SocialImpactofPoliciesfortheDisabledinSingapore (Reuben Wong & Wong Meng Ee)

• ForeignDomesticWorkersinSingapore:ANeglectedSocial Issue? (Shirlena Huang & Brenda Yeoh)

• SocialIssuesinDevelopingaCommunityinSingapore (Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman)

• DevelopingCivilSocietyinSingapore(Gillian Koh & Debbie Soon)

Principles and Social Processes • SocialJusticeinSingapore:SomePersonalReflections (Tommy Koh)

• DoingGoodinSingapore (Willie Cheng & Sharifah Maisharah)

• SocialMediaandSocialIssuesinSingapore(Tan Tarn How)

• UnderstandingandAddressingSocialIssuesinSingapore (David Chan)

50 Years of Social Issues in Singapore

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Printed in Nov 2014 New Jersey • London • Singapore • Beijing • Shanghai • Tianjin • Hong Kong • Taipei • Chennai SL VS 08 14 22 E

alsoservesasregularreviewerforover10journals,theNationalScienceFoundationinUnitedStates,theHongKongResearchGrants Council and evaluation panel members for severalgovernment agencies in Singapore.

Professor Chan has worked with public and private organizations inSingaporeandUnitedStatesonpersonnelselection,nationalsurveys and related projects. He isConsultant to the PrimeMinister’soffice and numerous government organizations inSingapore.HeisamemberoftheNationalCouncilonProblemGambling(NCPG),thePublicHygieneCouncil,theInternationalAdvisoryBoardoftheCentrefortheAdvancementofResearchMethods andAnalysis, the economics and Social ResearchNetworkwhichadvisestheSingaporeGovernmentonissuesineconomic and social sciences research, theGoverningBoardfor theWorkplaceSafetyandHealth Institute, the InternationalPanel of experts for theUrbanRedevelopmentAuthority, theBoardoftheSingaporeCorporationofRehabilitativeenterprises,theResearchAdvisoryPanel for theNationalPopulation andTalentDivision,theResourcePanelfortheNationalenvironmentAgency,andChairmanoftheInternationalAdvisoryPaneltotheNCPG&NationalAddictionsManagementService.HealsodoesvolunteerworkasscientificadvisortotheNationalVolunteerismandPhilanthropyCentre.Hewritesregularlyonsocialissuesasan invited columnist for The Straits Times and appears regularly onChannelNewsAsia current affairs television programmes.Hewasalso theconsultant toTheSocialexperiment,a5-partprogrammeseriesproducedbyChannelNewsAsiathatexaminessocial phenomena in Singapore through scientific experiments.

TogetherwithNobel Laureate ineconomicsProfessorDanielKahneman and world-renowned psychologist Professor edDiener, ProfessorChan served on an international committeewhichsubmittedtotheUnitedNationsareportonmeasuresofnationalwell-beingacrosscountries.HeisanelectedFellowoftheSIoP,theAssociationforPsychologicalScience,theAmericanPsychologicalAssociation and the InternationalAssociation ofAppliedPsychology.

about the Editor

David ChanreceivedhisPhDinIndustrialand organizational Psychology fromMichiganStateUniversity.He isLeeKuanYew Fellow, Professor of Psychology &DirectoroftheBehaviouralSciencesInstituteatSingaporeManagementUniversity(SMU).He is alsoAdjunct Principal Scientist attheAgency for Science,Technology and

Research(A*STAR)andCo-DirectoroftheCentreforTechnologyandSocial-BehaviouralInsightswhichisacentrejointlyestablishedbyA*STARandSMU.HewasformerlyDeputyProvostofSMUandDeputyDirectoroftheWharton-SMUResearchCentre.

Professor Chan’s research includes areas in research methods and data analysis with a focus on longitudinal modeling and multilevel issues, work and organizational psychology with a focus on personnel selection and adaptation to changes, and subjective well-being.Hehaspublishednumerousjournalarticlesandbookchapters, authored a textbook in personnel selection and delivered several keynote speeches and papers at international conferences.

Professor Chan has received several international scholarly awards includingtheWilliamowensScholarlyAchievementAwardandtheedwinGhiselliAwardforInnovativeResearchDesignpresentedbytheSocietyforIndustrialandorganizationalPsychology(SIoP)andtheDissertationResearchAwardpresentedbytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation.Heisthefirstnon-AmericantoreceivetheDistinguishedearlyCareerContributionsAwardfromtheSIoP.In2000,hewasranked9thworld-wideinthelistofTop100mostpublishedresearchersofthe1990’sinthetopjournalsofIndustrialandorganizationalPsychology.Hisworkshavebeencitedover3000timesinpublishedarticlesinvariousdisciplines.

ProfessorChanhasservedasSenioreditorof theAsiaPacificJournal ofManagement,Associate editor of the Journal oforganizationalBehavior,andmemberontheeditorialboardsofseveraljournals.HeistheAdvisoryeditorforoxfordBibliographies(Management), published by theoxfordUniversityPress.He

Edited by David Chan (Professor of Psychology, Director, Behavioural Sciences Institute, Singapore Management University)

Foreword by Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore & Minister for Finance)