Poverty and meritocracy in Singapore

• Main Authors: Ang, Jonathan Choong Yew, Chua, Joyce Hui Ping, Zhang, Alethea Shimin
• Other Authors: Teo You Yenn
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Social stratification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73681
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Singapore is recognised to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Despite priding itself to be an inclusive country in terms of wealth distribution, there is increasing class inequality. Particularly, there have been cases of individuals struggling to make ends meet. This study aims to understand middle-class perceptions of ‘poverty’ and ‘the poor’. As a qualitative study, this research involved semi-structured interviews with thirty middle-class young adults in Singapore. The responses garnered reveal an undercurrent of meritocratic principles that seem to inform how they conceptualise ‘poverty’ and ‘the poor’. This is reflected in the emphasis on the importance of hard work and self-reliance, where one should not solely rely on government assistance. This paper draws upon these responses to discuss the implications of meritocracy as a value system and recommends some solutions to remedy the unintended consequences of implementing this system across all facets of life.