What this lesson teaches
I can explain how a person's identities overlap and change, and how they make a society diverse.
Syllabus K230, Issue 2, Guiding Question 1. Factors that shape the identities of people and contribute to a diverse society
Make a guess
A Singaporean student watches Singapore play in an international football match. Which part of their identity do you think stands out most?
- Little, because sport is a game and not really about identity.
- Religion, because sport is linked to religious festivals.
- Nationality, because the match is between two countries.
Show the answer
Nationality, because the match is between two countries.
Different parts of identity stand out in different situations. A match between countries makes national belonging matter most.
Different parts of your identity matter more in different situations, and your identity can change as you have new experiences.
In different situations, different parts of identity stand out. At a family festival, heritage may matter most. At an international sports event, nationality may. When choosing a course, family resources may. Focusing on one part in a situation does not erase the others.
Identity can also change over time. New friends, school, work, moving to a new country or learning family history can change what matters to someone. Gaining a new identity does not mean losing an old one.
A change in interests or a stronger link to one's culture does not change a legal status such as citizenship.
To explain a change in identity, link it to a specific experience and to what the person says or does. Comparing the same person over time is stronger than assuming everyone of the same age or background changes in the same way.
Sort these
Each example shows one part of identity most clearly. Sort them by the type of identity.
Groups: Race and ethnicity, Religion, Socio-economic status, Nationality.
- An 18-year-old male citizen enlists for National Service.
- A student joins her temple's charity drive on Vesak Day.
- A student's household income makes her eligible for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme.
- A family fasts during Ramadan and prays together at the mosque.
- A boy learns to speak Hokkien from his grandparents and hears how they came to Singapore.
- A new citizen receives her citizenship at a ceremony and joins in National Day celebrations.
- A teenager with a Chinese father and an Indian mother is registered as Chinese-Indian.
- A carpenter takes pride in skills built over years of training at work.
Show the answer
Race and ethnicity
- A boy learns to speak Hokkien from his grandparents and hears how they came to Singapore. A family language and stories about ancestors are shared heritage, which is ethnicity.
- A teenager with a Chinese father and an Indian mother is registered as Chinese-Indian. A double-barrelled race records mixed heritage. It is about racial and ethnic identity.
Religion
- A student joins her temple's charity drive on Vesak Day. Serving others through a place of worship on a religious festival shows religious identity.
- A family fasts during Ramadan and prays together at the mosque. Fasting and prayer are religious practices. Muslims come from many ethnic groups, so this shows religion.
Socio-economic status
- A student's household income makes her eligible for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme. Eligibility depends on household income, which is part of a family's socio-economic status.
- A carpenter takes pride in skills built over years of training at work. A person's occupation and skills shape their socio-economic status and can become part of identity.
Nationality
- An 18-year-old male citizen enlists for National Service. National Service is a duty of citizenship, so it shows nationality and the duties that come with it.
- A new citizen receives her citizenship at a ceremony and joins in National Day celebrations. Becoming a citizen is the legal link to a country, which is nationality.
- Situations
- Different parts of identity stand out at different times.
- Change over time
- New experiences can change what matters to someone.
- Not replaced
- New identities add to old ones.
Real examples to use
Joseph Schooling's Olympic gold, 2016
When Joseph Schooling won Singapore's first Olympic gold medal in the 100m butterfly at Rio 2016, many Singaporeans of all races celebrated together. Use it for how an international event brings national identity to the front.
Worked example: Learning a family language
At 14, Owen mostly talks about his school friends and music club. After helping his grandmother record family memories, he starts learning her language and says this connection now matters more to him. He still plays music with his friends.
- A new experience changes what matters to Owen.
- His heritage identity grows stronger.
- His other identities, such as musician and friend, remain. This shows a change in what matters to him, not a change in nationality, and not a pattern everyone with his background must follow.
Watch out for this
Identity never changes, or a new identity must replace old ones.
Identity develops with experience, and new parts can be added without losing others.
Check your understanding
On Racial Harmony Day, Priya wears a saree to school and explains what it means. Which part of her identity stands out most here?
- Her socio-economic status, because outfits can show wealth.
- Her nationality, because the event is held in Singapore.
- Her race and culture, because the day celebrates them.
Show the answer
Her race and culture, because the day celebrates them.
Right. The day invites each student to share their own race and culture, so that part of identity comes to the front.