Issue 1
Chap 1: citizenship
1) legal status
definition : a citizen is legally recognised by citizenship laws
● proof of legal status : SG passport/IC
● Obtaining Citizenship in Singapore: By marriage or being born in Singapore with at
least 1 Singaporean parent when birthed
2) legal status : rights
definition : liberties that citizens in a country have that are protected by the law
● Education, Voting rights, Healthcare
● The education fees for Singaporeans are significantly lesser than that of PRs
(permanent residents) and foreigners
3) legal status : responsibilities
definition : duties or legal obligations that we need to fulfil as citizens of a country
● National Service (NS), Voting
—> example of NS, under the enlistment act in 1967, 18 yr olds are required to serve NS
and go back up to 40 days per year and go back until the age of 40/50 years old
4) national identity
definition : a common sense of identity coming from a shared belief that we belong to the
same country
● Singlish, National Pledge, National Anthem, National Day parade - Shaped by
common experiences, practices and spaces
—> Use of Singlish is considered part of Singapore's national identity, officially. In a survey
conducted on 1000 Singaporeans, 44% respondents considered Singlish as a
characteristics of the Singaporean identity
5) shared values
definition : values that are embraced and seen as important by a group of people
● Values of respect and resilience, Openness, Concern for future generation, Care for
the disadvantage, Care for environment, Multicultural
—> One example of a shared value in Singapore is multiculturalism in Singapore. Singapore
is made up of a variety of races and religions and promote racial harmony and
understanding amongst one another
6) civic participation
definition : citizens actively taking part in public affairs
Public affairs in community groups
(a) Informal groups
● to address a concern or specific need
● not so long term
(b)Formal groups
● NGOs (non-governmental organisations)
● SSAs (security solutions associations of sg)
Public affairs as individuals
● Volunteering for sites that need help online
Important case studies to know
sense of belonging
● singaporeans and prs receive ic at 15 years old ; give sense of belonging etc
shared beliefs
● singlish, national pledge & anthem, hawker culture ; common experience and
practices, a common sense of identity from a shared belief that we belong to the
same country
Chap 2: governance
1. maintain law and order
(a) preserves safety and security
● government preserves safety and security through -
(i) Singapore Police Force
● ensures the citizens are kept safe.
—> schools educate students about potential crimes to be aware of the consequences
through talks from the Singapore police force
(ii) courts and law enforcement agencies
● course and law enforcement agencies allows Singaporeans to seek justice
● People are treated equally under the law.
—> former CPIB chief arrested for misuse of funds
—> A 15 year old was sexually assaulted by a 21 year old man. The
criminal went to jail for 9 years. 6 strokes of cane. The accused pleaded
guilty.
● This is considered maintaining law and order because justice was served to the 15
year old.
● Such laws are necessary, and enforcing the law is necessary so that there is peace
in the country and low crime rates.
2. ensure economic and social well-being of citizens
(i) Devoting significant resources
● Transport, healthcare, education
(ii) Polyclinics
● Are placed throughout Singapore so that Singaporeans can have basic access to
medical services. Subsidies are provided to Singaporeans at the polyclinics
(iii) Central Provident Fund (CPF)
● Savings for old age and covers medical expenses and insurance CPF Ordinary
account can be used to pay for housing
(iv) SkillsFuture
● Can find jobs and apply for courses
Example,
—> JCube in Jurong East is being demolished due to its shorter lease
and to make way for future developments. The area is said to provide
100,000 new jobs and 20,000 homes between 2040 and 2050, boosting
economic growth. With new housing and improved transportation links,
such as the upcoming Jurong Region Line, access to northern
Singapore will be easier. This will enhance convenience for residents
and address housing needs. Overall, it aims to improve the quality of life
for Singaporeans.
—> Height based school activities resume. Students can enjoy
themselves. Previously, it was cancelled due to fatalities. Resumed due
to checks having been conducted - This ensures students social
well-being because students can enjoy and de-stress, implementing
safety measures are important to ensure their safety.
3. promote and protect country’s national interest
(i) Diplomacy
● Is the practice of obtaining agreement between countries to cooperate with one
another.
● Countries conduct diplomacy to promote common interests and resolve conflicting
interests in a peaceful manner.
(ii) Multilateral relations + ASEAN
(a) Deterrence
● Refers to measures a country takes to discourage potential aggressors by making it
costly for them to attack
● Countries build their military capabilities and defence in the air, land, sea
(b) Singapore Armed Forces
● Established advance technology to deter against potential aggressors
Example:
Singapore government works with South Korea by bringing in their
Korean specialties such as being a Kpop idol or the Korean style of
dancing and singing into Singapore. This leads Singaporeans with
interests in Korean culture to pursue their interests by going for auditions
in the companies and after their debuts they may hold concerts which
may attract people from other countries. This will help with Singapore's
economy + tourism and Singapore will hold up fame.
● Singapore's national interest is promoted because, due to profit
that can be earned from tourism
● Increase employment.
● Promotes political interests, betters relations with South Korea.
Important case studies to know
law & order
● Singapore Police Force ensures citizens are not harmed e.g. going to schools to
educate about potential crimes
● Sexual Assault (?), unable to flee from sg, sentenced to 9yrs jail & 6 strokes of
caning after pleading guilty
economic & social well being
● Central Provident Fund savings for old age & covers medical expenses
● the revamping of jcube - increase housing, make singaporeans more at ease for
housing needs
protect national interest
● koreans bringing in their culture into singapore such as the kpop idol industry or their
style of dancing ; singaporeans can pursue their interest, singaporean's tourism and
economy will increase
Chap 3: difficulties in government
1) differing priorities
● elderly may need to prioritise hospitals but younger people may prioritise schools
2) unequal sharing of cost
● building expressways near residential estates. improve traffic but residents have
issue with the noise pollution
3) principal shaping governance
a) good leadership
● mr lim kim san - strict with regulations and had amazing ideas for the future of
housing in singapore
b) anticipating change & staying relevant
● tackling challenge of rising sea levels - budget of $5billion set aside for coastal and
flood protection
● climate change - prime minister lee hsien loong talks about climate change during the
national day rally to inform singaporeans government's intention to take action
c) ensuring a stake for everyone, opportunities for all
● Singapore Together movement - a movement to encourage singaporeans to partner
with the government to shape and act on their shared future
d) EAGLES award
● top 10% of students from each school will receive this award - students will continue
to work hard knowing that someone will acknowledge their efforts
Important case studies to know
differing priorities
● elderly may need to prioritise hospitals but younger people may prioritise schools
unequal sharing of cost
● building expressways near residential estates. improve traffic but residents have
issue w the noise pollution.
principal shaping governance -
a) good leadership
● mr lim kim san - strict with regulations and had amazing ideas for the future of
housing in singapore
b) anticipating change & staying relevant
● tackling challenge of rising sea levels - budget of $5billion set aside for coastal and
flood protection
● climate change - pm lee hsien loong talks about climate change during the national
day rally to inform singaporeans government's intention to take action
Chap 4: unity
1. addressing the needs of society
a) Elderly
(i) individuals
● Volunteering: as instructor for Age Well Everyday (AWE) program, teach seniors how
to stay healthy, exercise and keep active
(ii) community groups
● Singapore (Organisation of Senior Volunteers) engages seniors and provides them
with opportunities to contribute to the community through ways such as offering
physical and moral support to recently discharged elderly patients
(iii) government
● National council social services (NCSS) develop resources such as the volunteer
management tool kit 2.0 to provide framework and guidelines on managing
volunteers
b) Families
(i) individuals
● to report cases of domestic abuse to the relevant helplines e.g. National
Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline
(ii) community groups
● religious groups such as church leaders play a role in providing guidance and
support to victims of domestic abuse as well as counselling to families
(iii) government
● ministry of state for social and family development consolidates data regarding cases
of family abuse and promote awareness on the issue to the public
2. Influencing decision-making in public affairs
a) war on diabetes
(i) citizen’s jury
● main role is to provide feedback and suggest well-considered solutions
● Citizens Jury on War on Diabetes worked with experts to discuss, brainstorm,
present and vote on solutions to recommend to the government
(ii) government
● Put in place policies and other forms of support to enact these solutions
● Installation of more water coolers in public areas to encourage more consumption of
water; campaign to create more awareness about diabetes
3. strengthening citizens’ sense of belonging
a) preserving Dakota Crescent
(i) individuals
● Volunteer
● Conducted interviews for BTH (???), formed Cassia Resettlement Team and
conducted activities such as house visits and potluck parties for residents
(ii) community groups
● Rally people and create awareness
● Informal group between two homes produced website to produce heritage and
community of Dakota Crescent, conducted educational workshops in schools to
discuss plans for redevelopment and relocation
(iii) government
● Provide financial support
● Through our Singapore fund, provided funding to support ground-up projects such as
between two homes
Issue 2
Chap 5: identity
1. race and ethnicity
race - classification of people according to their physical characteristics that are biological in
nature
ethnicity - refers to one’s ancestry, cultural practices, language, customs, food and dressing
that are associated with an ethnic group
Case study: a former Ngee Ann polytechnic lecturer who made racist remarks against an
interracial couple in an incident that went viral last year was sentenced to jail on Thursday
(dec 29). – despite Singapore being a multiracial country that accepts all races, this type of
racist remarks affects the pride of Singapore – it shows that diversity in Singapore is good
even though people judge others, Singapore still is a multiracial country. They are still
couples out there that are dating with different races and ethnicity
2. religion
Religion is an organised collection of beliefs, practices and the worship of a single or multiple
gods/just a higher being
● most religions embody a set of shared core beliefs and practices which believers
adhere to shaping the way they interact with others, choice they make and their
thoughts
case study : racist youth
—> a youth was sentenced to 18 months probation on June 23 for making offensive remarks
about Islam in Instagram posts that went viral. This affected the muslims that follow the
islamic faith. It happened within a span of 2 years through the social media app called
instagram
3. Socio-economic status
(i) SES (socio-economic status)
—> an economic situation shared by a group of people.
● Determinants could include occupation, income, education, house
● In Singapore, households income level is used as an indicator for SES
—> Top 25%, mid 50%, bottom 25%
● Socio-economic status may determine the resources/attitudes/lifestyle choices of
people. This can create more diversity in society
(ii) Social mobility
—> a person's socio-economic status can change due to several reasons - a movement
across SES is known as social mobility
● Over time, the SES of an individual can change, which can contribute to fluidity in
their identity
Case study :
● Anton Casey insulted those using mrt
● In 2014, British expat Anton Casey sparked public outrage in Singapore after making
elitist remarks on social media, mocking MRT users as "poor people." The backlash
led to his apology, but he eventually left Singapore with his family. His comments
were seen as highly offensive to locals.
4. nationality
Nationality
—> refers to our legal status and a sense of belonging.
Our nationality affects our identities because
● People of different nationalities may have different lifestyle preferences
● Or share a different set of commonalities in terms of our history, language, practices
and culture.
People of the same nationality are generally citizens of the same country and live together in
a particular geographical area.
—> They also often share a common history and language, as well as common experiences,
practices and traditions.
Case study
● An indian woman from india in singapore was taking a jog and a passer-by pulled up
her mask and tells her to "go back” to her country as the passerby believed that india
had spread the Delta variant of covid-19 a mutation that is believed to have emerged
from india
● Indian-indians living in singapore, they are being attacked since covid
● Happened in may 2021
important case studies to know
race and ethnictiy
● ngee ann poly lecturer - a former Ngee Ann polytechnic lecturer who made racist
remarks against an interracial couple in an incident that went viral last year was
sentenced to jail
religion
● racist youth on the internet - a youth was sentenced to 18 months probation for
making offensive remarks about Islam in Instagram (social media) posts that went
viral. This affected the muslims that follow the islamic faith.
socio-economic status
● anton casey on the mrt - In 2014, British expat, Anton Casey, sparked public outrage
in Singapore after making elitist remarks on social media, mocking MRT users as
"poor people." His comments were seen as highly offensive to locals.
nationality
● indian woman being mocked by passerby - An indian woman from india in Singapore
was taking a jog and a passer-by pulled up her mask and tells her to "go back” to her
country as the passerby believed that india had spread the Delta variant of covid-19.
Happened in may 2021.
Chap 6: diversity
1. exchanges and appreciation of culture
● Cultural Exchanges - takes place with the sharing of ideas, customs and traditions
among people from different backgrounds.
● Cultural exchanges can lead to a fusion of cultures
● E.g. Food playground - people from different nationalities learn to cook singaporean
food —> Fish head curry —> durian ice cream
2. exchanges of skills and knowledge
● Exchange of skills and knowledge can happen when people with different
backgrounds, qualifications and experiences share their knowledge and skills.
● This can lead to a creation of new ideas, methods and products. Which can lead to
more investment commitments which benefit the country.
Case study : Lion City Sailors Football Academy
● This Singaporean football club has coaches from Europe so that
they can teach their players the skills that they have learn and
picked up from their own country. These skills may be different
from what the players learn in Singapore hence creating and
exchange of skills and knowledge.
3. prejudices and misconceptions
(i) stereotype
● generalised beliefs about a particular group of people.
● groups are often stereotyped based on qualities such as their physical traits, gender,
race & ethnicity, age and socio-economic status
(ii) prejudice
● attitudes and feelings towards other groups that are not based on reason or fact
(iii) Discrimination
● It is an act that is manifested from prejudice
● When a person is prejudiced against a specific group, he may act on it by hurting or
excluding that group
case study :
● Locals sometimes view foreign construction workers as a threat to
public safety or as a burden on public spaces.
● But there is a misconception that these workers are unclean and
cause overcrowding in certain public areas.
● Despite their crucial role in building infrastructure, they are often
undervalued and seen as a source of cheap labour.
4. competition for resources
● Competition for resources between foreign workers and Singaporeans is mainly seen
in job opportunities and social resources
● Foreign workers are essential to Singapore's economy
case study :
(i) industrial competition
● Foreign workers fill both low-skilled and high-skilled roles, sometimes causing
concerns about job competition with locals.
● There is a perception that high-skilled foreigners, particularly in sectors like IT, are
taking senior positions that Singaporeans could fill.
(ii) social competition
● Foreign workers' demand for rental properties has contributed to higher housing
prices, affecting affordability for Singaporeans.
● Public transport and amenities can become overcrowded, leading to concerns about
resource strain on local services.
(iii) Resources are more likely to get sold out because of the overpowering population.
● May cause inflation in housing, food etc.
● Lesser resources within the nation
(iv) As there is a limited amount of resources, it is only reasonable to give them to
Singaporeans. This can cause the feeling of unfairness.
● As there is less resources in Singapore, the Singaporeans would want it, and if the
foreigners take it, it will cause Singaporeans to feel unfair hence in the end causing
riots
Chap 7: responding to diversity
Responding to Socio-Cultural Diversity -
1. citizens
(i) individuals
(a) publicising the incident
case study :
—> Dave parkash incident - posting the Ngee Ann poly lecturer on
Facebook to call him out, justifying and informing people that SG is not
really the safe, harmonious and racially equal country we know
(b) educate people on one’s culture
case study :
—> SG Grand Prix incident - the president of the Young Sikh Association
invited the local influencer to their temple to learn more about the Sikh
culture
(ii) community groups
bringing people together through common interests
case study :
—> Dungeons and Dragons - people have a common experience to
bond over throwing away the differences in socio-economic status, race,
ethnicity and religion.
2. government
(i) France’s assimilation policy
(a) assimilation:immigrants are expected to adopt the beliefs and
practices of the majority group in the host country
● in France, everyone is expected to learn and converse in french
because they want the entire country to be the same
● secularism, which is the act of separating clearly the religious affair
from governance and not favouring one religion over another, is
also practised in France
● France acknowledges the existence of diverse cultural identities,
French identity should be prioritised over others.
(b) education
● no religion discussion besides history, literature philosophy and art
classes
● everyone is to learn french in their schools
(c) naturalisation
● anyone who wants to get a citizenship in France have to undergo
of test on French history and their basic communication skills in
the French language
(ii) integration policies in Singapore
● immigrants retain their unique identities while forging common
ground with the groups already living in the host country
● Singapore implemented a bilingual system where we learn a
common language like english to converse with people of different
races
Responding to Socio-Economic Diversity
1. citizens
(i) individuals
● Individuals play a role in contributing time, effort and money to
meet areas of need in society
—> Case study : forward singapore is an initiative that takes ideas from
Singaporeans on how Singaporeans can meet the needs of others
(ii) community groups
● Promoting Social Cohesion:
—> Through dialogues, forums, and community-building events
case study :
—> project sparkle by hope centre
● Youth volunteers help out and clean rental flats.
2. government
(i) Government-financed approach in Sweden
Government-financed :
● Government funds for you
● Government provides substantial subsidies and services for most
of the healthcare needs of its citizens, sometimes provided for
free.
—> Tuition fees for education are fully subsidised for Swedish students.
—> Allowance provided for lower-income families to pay for housing.
—> E.g. More than 1400 Swedish kronor for housing. Elderly entitled to
housing supplement as a form of financial support.
(ii) Shared responsibility approach in Singapore
shared responsibility :
● Government subsidies partially
● The government intervenes through the provision of basic
healthcare services and shares the costs of some aspects of
healthcare with the individuals.
—> subsidies
● Healthcare subsidies. Public healthcare is heavily subsidised (e.g.
polyclinics, govt hospitals)
● Additional subsidies for lower income families
—> healthcare support
● Medisave (forced savings for healthcare)
● Medishield Life (govt healthcare insurance)
● Medifund (extra funding for needy Singaporeans)
—> working industry
● Access to give students and working adults access to training and
courses to continually upskill
● SkillsFuture Singapore
● Workfare Skills Support
Issue 3
Chap 8: technology and MNC’s
1. technological advancements
(a) developments in transportation
Technological advancements have led to improvements in land, sea and air transportation. It
has led to the development of supporting infrastructure such as highways, railways, seaports
and airports.
case studies:
(i) speed
—> Shinkansen bullet train in Japan being one of the world's fastest
trains which can cover a distance of 3478 km and up to 320 km/h
(ii) capacity : containerisation – it has allowed large volumes of goods to
be transported
—> Maersk line, the world's leading container carrier, entered the
container shipping investment. They allowed the interconnection of three
types of networks: The physical network of ships and routes, the digital
network of information and communication systems and the human
network of Maersk employees.
(iii) costs: Lower transport costs – movement of goods is sped up with
larger volumes of goods and services being able to be transported
around the world and hence it resulted in lower transport cost
—> Starbucks - Reorganise the supply chain, Reduce cost to serve, lay
the groundwork for future capability in the supply chain. To meet these
objectives, Starbucks divided all its supply chain functions into three
main groups, known as “plan” “make” and “deliver”.
(b) digital technology
—> the electric tools, systems, devices and resources that generate, store or process data.
led to better communication between people
case studies : (i) apple smartphones :
—> it allows students to email teachers instantly for projects despite the
distance between them instead of using letters
(ii) tesla cars :
—> the self-driving system Tesla has implemented into their cars. This
allows people to be interdependent on the technological growth of Tesla
2. growth of Multi-national corporations (MNCs)
Examples of growth of MNCs
● F&B made apps for ordering/discounts or just finding stores
● MNCs like Starbucks help the world to become more
interconnected and interdependent by providing a platform for the
world to be able to work together. For example, Starbucks receive
ingredients like coffee beans from more than 30 countries across
Latin America, Africa and Asia.
● Apart from having suppliers from all over the world, Starbucks also
have global distribution centres. Furthermore, the Starbucks app
helps customers order their products from around the world.
● Starbucks also expanded their stores around the world. They also
provide Wi-Fi services in their cafes.
Chap 9: economy
1. economic impact on countries
(a) trade
● buy and sell goods and services from one another
● countries trade with one another because they may need or want the goods and
services that they are unable to produce themselves or when produced by other
countries, are cheaper or of better quality
(b) investments
● Business from one country may set up their operations in another country, or invest in
businesses of another country. This is known as foreign direct investments
● FDIs arise because businesses have identified opportunities to reduce costs,
increases profit or expand into other markets by setting up their operations in another
country or investing businesses in another country
2. economic impact on individuals
(a) employment opportunities for individuals
● countries’ openness to the global economy improves businesses. this creates more
jobs and provides livelihoods for individuals in the country
● The presence of MNCs and FDIs encourages the use of more advanced
technologies. This leads to the creation of jobs involving higher skills and wages
(b) employment challenges for individuals
● MNCs may relocate their operations to other countries to save costs or access
expertise available elsewhere. When this happens, individuals who are employed in
these operations may lose their jobs
● With greater movement of labour as individuals relocate to work in other countries,
local workers in those countries may face greater competition from foreign labour in
the job market
(a) response by government
● Countries may cooperate with other countries by pursuing policies that promote free
trade
● Countries may attract and make foreign investments to sustain their economic growth
● Governments can provide financial support to cushion the negative economic
impacts on various sectors in the short term.
● Governments can also set up agencies to provide resources and advice to help
businesses innovate develop their expertise and talent, and even expand abroad
(b) impact on individuals
● individuals can continually acquire new knowledge and skills throughout their life to
remain relevant in the job market
● Individuals can have a flexible and open mindset about exploring employment and
careers in different fields.
● Individuals can save and invest appropriately to ensure they have sufficient financial
resources when they switch or take time to develop new skills.
surprise qn (does source c make source d surprising eg)
para 1: infer the source (Infer, Evidence, Explain)
para 2: cross ref both source
para 3 (optional): provenance/time/author(got ulterior motive or don't have?)
useful qn
para 1: infer source (Infer, Evidence, Explain)
para 2: cross ref sources
para 3: provenance/time/author(got ulterior motive or don't have?)
Inference qn (what can you infer.......)
para 1: talk about the source
How similar/How different are source B and C?
para 1: cross reference both sources
para 2: cross ref both sources w the opposite (para 1: similar, para 2: difference etc)
purpose qn (why did the author say that?)
V-erb
A-udience
M-essage
DO- desired outcome
C-context
‼️message is what the author wants the audience to know, desired outcome is what the
author wants the audience to do ‼️
***FOR ALL CROSS REFERENCE PARAGRAPH, MUST MUST MUST HAVE COMMON
CRITERIA!!***
etc - "both sources are similar in terms of ........."
"both sources are different. while source a says ........., source b says…..