This Is What Inequality Looks Like

What we usually come across when we talk about Singapore, a modern and flourishing democracy based on meritocracy. There’s usually something that’s left behind, something that becomes invisible as we go along with our quotidian lives. I picked this book up as a precursor to an imminent visit to the city and I stumbled upon this book on Goodreads, thankfully.

This book talks about the stark divide in Singapore between those who live in high-rises or private homes and those who rely on the state’s HDB rental flats. The author, a scholar, spends time with some of the families in their day-to-day lives to jot down an ethnographic account of how the low-income survive in the Lion City. Despite this being an account of inequality in Singapore, I think it’s not remotely difficult to draw parallels when heading out of my own place and that’s what makes it hard-hitting. The Singapore state is doing a lot towards the betterment of the low-income but the fundamentals on which this aid is provided are argued to be flawed and dated. This ends up keeping the poor poor and seems to be doing little to help them out of the vicious cycle they find themselves in after a major (mostly negative) life event. It’s also interesting to note, as the author states, that the book was also discussed in the Parliament, that’s a big win in and of itself.

I found this to be an extremely interesting read. In the final essay, the author urges the decision folks in the non-low-income classes can take, hard decisions, that might urge the system or the state, or even the society to change how it unknowingly creates an us-vs-them divide based mostly on affluence and capabilities, which is never the case. I think it’s a good read for anyone and it might just help us keep ourselves grounded. Good read.