What this lesson teaches
I can explain how a person's identities overlap and change, and how they make a society diverse.
Syllabus K336, Issue 2, Guiding Question 1. Factors that shape the identities of people and contribute to a diverse society
Make a guess
Two Singaporean classmates are both of Indian heritage. Do you think they must share the same religion?
- Yes, because ethnic heritage decides which religion you follow.
- No: Indian residents include Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other faiths.
- Yes, unless one of them has a parent from a different heritage group.
Show the answer
No: Indian residents include Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other faiths.
Census 2020 found 57.3% of Indian residents were Hindu, 23.4% Muslim and 12.6% Christian. One identity does not decide another.
Identity is how you see yourself and the groups you belong to. Everyone has several identities at once.
Four factors shape identity in this chapter: race and ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status and nationality. Socio-economic status is a person's social and economic position. Nationality is a legal link to a country, usually through citizenship. These factors can shape people's experiences, the communities they join and what they think matters.
Identity also includes roles and interests, such as being a sister, a student or a musician.
These parts overlap. Two people can share a nationality and ethnic heritage but have different religions, family incomes or goals. Sharing one part of identity does not mean sharing every part. Belonging to one group does not stop you belonging to another.
A diverse society has people with different backgrounds, beliefs and ways of life. There is diversity within groups, not just between them. So in an answer, explain the specific link the evidence shows. Do not treat one label as a full description of a person.
Singapore's Census 2020 shows how identities overlap. Among Indian residents, 57.3% were Hindu, 23.4% Muslim and 12.6% Christian. Among Chinese residents, 40.4% were Buddhist and 26% had no religion. So knowing someone's ethnicity does not tell you their religion. Since 2011, Singaporeans with parents of different races can also register a double-barrelled race, such as "Chinese-Indian".
Issue 2 asks how people with these different identities can live in harmony. Harmony means people of different races, religions and backgrounds living and working together peacefully, with trust and respect. It is more than the absence of conflict.
- Identity
- How you see yourself and the groups you belong to.
- Four factors
- Race and ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, nationality.
- Diversity
- Differences between and within groups.
- Harmony
- Living together peacefully across differences, with trust and respect.
Real examples to use
Census 2020, religion by ethnic group
Among Indian residents, 57.3% were Hindu, 23.4% Muslim and 12.6% Christian. Among Chinese residents, 40.4% were Buddhist and 26% had no religion. Use it to show diversity within one ethnic group.
Double-barrelled race, from 2011
Children of mixed parentage can be registered with two races, such as "Malay-Chinese". Use it to show that one racial label may not fit a person's identity.
Worked example: Two friends in the robotics club
Alex and Jo are both Chinese Singaporeans in the robotics club. Alex is Christian; Jo has no religion. They disagree about the club's next project.
- They share ethnicity, nationality and a hobby.
- They differ in religion and in their ideas for the project. We are not told why they disagree, so we need their reasons before linking it to religion or any other identity.
- Sharing one identity does not mean sharing all of them.
Watch out for this
People who share one identity must think and act the same.
People share some identities and differ in others, so members of any group can think and act differently. Explain a view from the person's own reasons, not from a label.
Check your understanding
What does it mean to say a person has overlapping identities?
- They belong to several groups at once, such as a faith, a nation and a CCA club.
- They switch between identities, so they hold one identity at a time in each setting.
- Their groups share the same members, such as classmates who also attend one church.
Show the answer
They belong to several groups at once, such as a faith, a nation and a CCA club.
Right. Identities combine; one does not replace another.