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A review by khairun_atika
This Is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo You Yenn
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.