A person's legal status, sense of belonging, values and actions can tell us different things. Choose a profile and compare what is established with what is still unknown.
A citizen studying overseas
- Legal status: The profile states that the student is a Singapore citizen.
- Identity: The student calls Singapore home and feels attached to its future.
- Shared values: The profile does not identify a particular principle the student holds in common with others.
- Participation: Reading local news shows interest, but no contribution to a public issue is described.
The student's stated status and attachment are separate findings. Living overseas does not make the described citizenship disappear, and interest in news alone does not establish active participation.
A resident organising tutoring
- Legal status: The profile states that the resident is not a Singapore citizen.
- Identity: The resident describes the neighbourhood as home because of relationships built there.
- Shared values: The resident and volunteers say they want children to have fair access to learning support.
- Participation: The resident coordinates weekly volunteer tutoring for local children.
This profile shows belonging, a shared principle and civic action without legal citizenship. The tutoring does not change the legal status stated in the profile.
A citizen who cannot attend
- Legal status: The profile states that the person is a Singapore citizen.
- Identity: The profile does not describe how strongly the person feels a sense of belonging.
- Shared values: The person and other residents agree that wheelchair users should have fair access to the shared walkway.
- Participation: Although work prevents meeting attendance, the person submits photographs and suggestions about access.
The written contribution is participation even without attendance. Agreement among residents about fair access is evidence of a shared principle; it does not measure the person's whole identity.