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poxav's review
3.0
The first half of the book is, without a doubt, a must-read for every Singaporean. It provides a perspective into a troubling reality that many of us would choose to blissfully ignore. Indeed, by reading, you are forced to admit not just systemic inadequacies that you might have refused to consider, but also might have to admit your unconscious compliance in facilitating this problematic milieu.
However, despite its strengths, the second half of the book is remarkably different from the first. While This Is What Inequality Looks Like never pretended to be academic in nature, the second half abandons objectivity and nuance for highly opinionated streams of consciousness. Much needed elaboration on certain topics is oftentimes not offered, and certain issues are not discussed in any satisfactory way. While it is good for the author to recognize the issues with not discussing the impact of race, sidestepping the issue in such a manner still makes the text feel incomplete in a sense.
"One has to make conscious effort to move beyond defensiveness and ideology." In the context the author presents this statement in the last chapter of the book, I completely agree. However, this same quote, when considering the backdrop of the latter half of the book, is, dare I say, just a tad bit hypocritical.
However, despite its strengths, the second half of the book is remarkably different from the first. While This Is What Inequality Looks Like never pretended to be academic in nature, the second half abandons objectivity and nuance for highly opinionated streams of consciousness. Much needed elaboration on certain topics is oftentimes not offered, and certain issues are not discussed in any satisfactory way. While it is good for the author to recognize the issues with not discussing the impact of race, sidestepping the issue in such a manner still makes the text feel incomplete in a sense.
"One has to make conscious effort to move beyond defensiveness and ideology." In the context the author presents this statement in the last chapter of the book, I completely agree. However, this same quote, when considering the backdrop of the latter half of the book, is, dare I say, just a tad bit hypocritical.
jwsg's review
5.0
This is a book about inequality in Singapore, based on 3 years' worth of ethnographic research by Teo. In it, Teo seeks to force deeper reflection about the narratives we tell ourselves about inequality and poverty in Singapore - that the story of Singapore is unequivocally one of progress from Third World to First; that while there is poverty (there is poverty everywhere after all), the poor here have it better than their counterparts elsewhere, with roofs over their heads, plenty of government assistance, and opportunities for advancement; that the winners and losers in Singapore are the natural outcome of meritocracy at work - and if you are one of the losers, you must lack merit in some way.
Each essay in This Is What Inequality Looks Like examines a different aspect of the low-income experience - their every day life in rental flats, how they juggle work and family commitments, parenting, how their status shapes their interactions with the government and other citizens, etc. For the winners in life's sweepstakes, it is tempting to attribute success to ambition, diligence and sheer hard work. Conversely, we apply terms like "dysfunctional" or "unmotivated" to the losers; their lack of success is the result of some moral failure and poor life choices. But we don't consider how privilege (and luck) play a role in giving one a headstart in life, in growing and entrenching that advantage.
This Is What Inequality Looks Like forces one to reframe our perspectives, by interrogating some of the assumptions we hold of the low-income. We might consider someone in a rental flat to be extravagant or to have money squirrelled away somewhere, when we see that they have fairly nice furnishings and fancy electronics like flat screen TVs. But Teo argues that "the furnishings people have reflect the excesses of Singapore society - some people with limited income have quite nice furniture because well-to-do Singaporeans throw out nice things that are still in reasonably good condition...It is worth speaking explicitly about televisions. In Singapore and elsewhere, people regularly remark that low-income persons are perhaps not as poor as they claim to be or that they are making bad choices...because they have large screen televisions. I heard this from social workers I interviewed and among people who volunteer for organisations that work with low-income families...There is a popular belief that low-income families buy appliances from furnishing/appliance chain stores and they do so because there are instalment plans. When people mention this, they are usually implying that people are not prudent and giving beyond their means...[But] a common way in which families gather the things they need in their homes - TVs, fridges, sofas, beds, washing machines, study desks - is through donations and second hand shops. People with money in Singapore buy new appliances and furnishings, upgrading to higher resolution TVs for example, before their existing sets break down. Numerous appliances and furnishings in the homes of people I visit are incongruent with their income levels. While some buy these things on instalment plans, many made a point of pointing out: "this one is from [organisation X]...that one [organisation Y] gave me"...TV sets, including large screen TVs, then, tell us less about 'bad choices' by low-income households and more about our society of high consumption and waste."
Through the experiences she describes, Teo asks the reader to consider whether the bad choices made by the low income are the result of bad circumstances (where one can only, at best, choose the option that is least bad) or because of some moral failure. Why doesn't the single mother choose to take a job that pays better, or go for training that will enable her to upgrade to a better job? (How hard can it be to make childcare arrangements for her children, such that she can take a better paying job that is further away from her home?) Why don't children from low income families work harder in school so they can secure better prospects in life? (How hard can it be to catch up with children from middle and high income families who enter school knowing how to read, write and speak fluently, and not believe from the start that one is stupid and slow? And what help can their parents possibly offer them, beyond nagging them to work harder so that they don't end up like their parents?)
This is What Inequality Looks like is thought provoking and reflective. And it is (perhaps most importantly) also highly accessible in its language and style. It forces one to re-examine one's assumptions and prejudices about the low-income, to understand a bit better the texture of the low-income experience, and to consider whether we need to reframe our narrative about inequality and poverty.
Each essay in This Is What Inequality Looks Like examines a different aspect of the low-income experience - their every day life in rental flats, how they juggle work and family commitments, parenting, how their status shapes their interactions with the government and other citizens, etc. For the winners in life's sweepstakes, it is tempting to attribute success to ambition, diligence and sheer hard work. Conversely, we apply terms like "dysfunctional" or "unmotivated" to the losers; their lack of success is the result of some moral failure and poor life choices. But we don't consider how privilege (and luck) play a role in giving one a headstart in life, in growing and entrenching that advantage.
This Is What Inequality Looks Like forces one to reframe our perspectives, by interrogating some of the assumptions we hold of the low-income. We might consider someone in a rental flat to be extravagant or to have money squirrelled away somewhere, when we see that they have fairly nice furnishings and fancy electronics like flat screen TVs. But Teo argues that "the furnishings people have reflect the excesses of Singapore society - some people with limited income have quite nice furniture because well-to-do Singaporeans throw out nice things that are still in reasonably good condition...It is worth speaking explicitly about televisions. In Singapore and elsewhere, people regularly remark that low-income persons are perhaps not as poor as they claim to be or that they are making bad choices...because they have large screen televisions. I heard this from social workers I interviewed and among people who volunteer for organisations that work with low-income families...There is a popular belief that low-income families buy appliances from furnishing/appliance chain stores and they do so because there are instalment plans. When people mention this, they are usually implying that people are not prudent and giving beyond their means...[But] a common way in which families gather the things they need in their homes - TVs, fridges, sofas, beds, washing machines, study desks - is through donations and second hand shops. People with money in Singapore buy new appliances and furnishings, upgrading to higher resolution TVs for example, before their existing sets break down. Numerous appliances and furnishings in the homes of people I visit are incongruent with their income levels. While some buy these things on instalment plans, many made a point of pointing out: "this one is from [organisation X]...that one [organisation Y] gave me"...TV sets, including large screen TVs, then, tell us less about 'bad choices' by low-income households and more about our society of high consumption and waste."
Through the experiences she describes, Teo asks the reader to consider whether the bad choices made by the low income are the result of bad circumstances (where one can only, at best, choose the option that is least bad) or because of some moral failure. Why doesn't the single mother choose to take a job that pays better, or go for training that will enable her to upgrade to a better job? (How hard can it be to make childcare arrangements for her children, such that she can take a better paying job that is further away from her home?) Why don't children from low income families work harder in school so they can secure better prospects in life? (How hard can it be to catch up with children from middle and high income families who enter school knowing how to read, write and speak fluently, and not believe from the start that one is stupid and slow? And what help can their parents possibly offer them, beyond nagging them to work harder so that they don't end up like their parents?)
This is What Inequality Looks like is thought provoking and reflective. And it is (perhaps most importantly) also highly accessible in its language and style. It forces one to re-examine one's assumptions and prejudices about the low-income, to understand a bit better the texture of the low-income experience, and to consider whether we need to reframe our narrative about inequality and poverty.
dezreads's review
5.0
This is such an important book on Singapore that everyone needs to read.
I appreciate that You Yenn set her sights on inequality as a whole and not just on poverty.
Unlike academic journal articles, You Yenn's book is largely readable and understandable. Her essays are thick with her own personal reflections of her own experience alongside the realities of the low income in Singapore. Instead of diluting their lived experience, her pairing of reflections left me to reflect on my privileged experiences and complicity within the system after and while reading every essay.
On another personal note, reading about You Yenn’s work reminded me very much about my own past research work and why I enjoyed it so much that even the methodology chapter was a joy to read.
I have to admit that I was a tad bit disappointed with how she examined race in one of the later chapters. While I can understand that class trumps race in that people of different ethnic groups along the same social class have more in common than difference, I did wish her research looked into how race does affect how people live their everyday lives as there are stark inequalities visible across ethnic groups here in Singapore.
On one hand, I had hoped that she took on the challenge to study and speak out about race especially since she had the social capital and influence to do so such that people are more likely to pay attention. But with that being said, perhaps it was a thoughtful decision on her part to allow for other voices that represented those communities to step in.
I appreciate that You Yenn set her sights on inequality as a whole and not just on poverty.
Unlike academic journal articles, You Yenn's book is largely readable and understandable. Her essays are thick with her own personal reflections of her own experience alongside the realities of the low income in Singapore. Instead of diluting their lived experience, her pairing of reflections left me to reflect on my privileged experiences and complicity within the system after and while reading every essay.
On another personal note, reading about You Yenn’s work reminded me very much about my own past research work and why I enjoyed it so much that even the methodology chapter was a joy to read.
I have to admit that I was a tad bit disappointed with how she examined race in one of the later chapters. While I can understand that class trumps race in that people of different ethnic groups along the same social class have more in common than difference, I did wish her research looked into how race does affect how people live their everyday lives as there are stark inequalities visible across ethnic groups here in Singapore.
On one hand, I had hoped that she took on the challenge to study and speak out about race especially since she had the social capital and influence to do so such that people are more likely to pay attention. But with that being said, perhaps it was a thoughtful decision on her part to allow for other voices that represented those communities to step in.
blau_elmo's review
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Just a great sociological inspection of inequality and poverty in Singapore.
rebeccazh's review
4.0
3.5 stars. This pairs very well with Liyana's book, [b:Homeless|51073835|Homeless|Liyana Dhamirah|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565351408l/51073835._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72708683]. I appreciated these essays unpacking the obscuring and rather damaging Singapore mythology of progress and wealth, Singaporean nationalism, the subtle condescension and judgment middle class and wealthier people have for low income people, the qualitative and affective experiences of low income people beyond statistics and numbers, and many other really good topics. It made me much more aware of my class privilege and gave language to things I had noticed but couldn't name.
khairun_atika's review
4.0
"How we sleep, where we wake, how water from the shower feels against our skin, how hungry or full our stomachs feel, the things we argue over daily, what we see when we leave our homes, what we smell when we get back. It may be true that looking from afar, Singapore does not have the housing problems that other cities do. But people don't live as if they are looking from afar or above. We live everyday, bodily realities. Inequality is experienced in the interior of hours and minutes of a day." - This Is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo You Yenn
Teo You Yenn's collection of essays is an eye-opening account of a sociologist's experience in investigating and unveiling the reality of inequality of Singapore. The essays serve as a reminder for readers to be aware of the burgeoning reality that most Singaporeans might overlook, or even be unaware of due to the gross domestic profit and overall financial performance of its economy. While Singapore's narrative is focused on its progression from a third world country into a first world country in a matter of decades, we might be unaware of the realities of certain residents in Singapore.
Prior to reading this book, from my previous experience as a youth volunteer in my teenage years up till my mid-20s, I was aware of how there are certain neighbourhoods that housed residents with low income, dysfunctional family backgrounds and housing or financial difficulties. These are just some examples in which some Singaporeans do face inequality of sorts. The author enlightened my prior knowledge with more details on how different the neighbourhoods are as well, such as the living conditions, and even the way the advertisements and overall environment of rented flats differ greatly from the other owner-occupied HDB flats. What is disappointing is not just the fact that this issue, this inequality in living conditions still exists in Singapore. It is the fact that there are residents who are dismissive of their plight - believing that as they survived the post-war conditions and the industrailisation of Singapore, that the conditions of people suffering from poverty in post-2010s Singapore have been trivialised.
The author laments about how inequality in financial status leads to the disparity in other issues as well, such as social status, educational backgrounds, family income and housing conditions. The home that a child is raised in greatly affects him, in terms of his parents' affordability in sending him to a premium preschool or an elite enrichment centre. This might affect his performance in primary school, where he might fall back or be behind in his studies as compared to his peers. The living conditions affect the conduciveness in his ability to study, which affects how well he performs in school, the job he will eventually be qualified for and the income that he will earn as an adult.
However, what enlightened me is the way the author also discovers that these are children who grow up to be strong in spirit, who are resilient and strong in the face of adversity due to their upbringing. These are the people who show unwavering determination in surviving through the hardship and strive to be better. I believe that although there are people who may not be aware of the plight of the less fortunate in Singapore, due to the constant narrative of Singapore's success story, this book is an epiphany of sorts to others who will not only learn about the inequality in Singapore, but how it brings out resilience as well. This innate resilience is what brought Singapore its progression, and I believe that with constant awareness and education on the many sides of Singapore, we can do better to strike out inequality and to bring Singapore to greater heights.
Teo You Yenn's collection of essays is an eye-opening account of a sociologist's experience in investigating and unveiling the reality of inequality of Singapore. The essays serve as a reminder for readers to be aware of the burgeoning reality that most Singaporeans might overlook, or even be unaware of due to the gross domestic profit and overall financial performance of its economy. While Singapore's narrative is focused on its progression from a third world country into a first world country in a matter of decades, we might be unaware of the realities of certain residents in Singapore.
Prior to reading this book, from my previous experience as a youth volunteer in my teenage years up till my mid-20s, I was aware of how there are certain neighbourhoods that housed residents with low income, dysfunctional family backgrounds and housing or financial difficulties. These are just some examples in which some Singaporeans do face inequality of sorts. The author enlightened my prior knowledge with more details on how different the neighbourhoods are as well, such as the living conditions, and even the way the advertisements and overall environment of rented flats differ greatly from the other owner-occupied HDB flats. What is disappointing is not just the fact that this issue, this inequality in living conditions still exists in Singapore. It is the fact that there are residents who are dismissive of their plight - believing that as they survived the post-war conditions and the industrailisation of Singapore, that the conditions of people suffering from poverty in post-2010s Singapore have been trivialised.
The author laments about how inequality in financial status leads to the disparity in other issues as well, such as social status, educational backgrounds, family income and housing conditions. The home that a child is raised in greatly affects him, in terms of his parents' affordability in sending him to a premium preschool or an elite enrichment centre. This might affect his performance in primary school, where he might fall back or be behind in his studies as compared to his peers. The living conditions affect the conduciveness in his ability to study, which affects how well he performs in school, the job he will eventually be qualified for and the income that he will earn as an adult.
However, what enlightened me is the way the author also discovers that these are children who grow up to be strong in spirit, who are resilient and strong in the face of adversity due to their upbringing. These are the people who show unwavering determination in surviving through the hardship and strive to be better. I believe that although there are people who may not be aware of the plight of the less fortunate in Singapore, due to the constant narrative of Singapore's success story, this book is an epiphany of sorts to others who will not only learn about the inequality in Singapore, but how it brings out resilience as well. This innate resilience is what brought Singapore its progression, and I believe that with constant awareness and education on the many sides of Singapore, we can do better to strike out inequality and to bring Singapore to greater heights.
charlennekayla's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
tamzy6's review
5.0
Super late to the game (got derailed by other pursuits). This was a striking and humbling read for me and, in a strange way, I'm so glad I read this in 2020, given that the pandemic has added more complexities to the discourse - engendering and exacerbating more inequalities than when the book was first published.