The Interculturalists

14/09/2021

This is something pretty close to my heart as, like the author, I have frequently been complimented on the standard of my English when interacting with those whose countries are considered "native English speakers". And I've also said that SIngaporeans' ability to codeswitch between Singlish and standard English simply means we're actually linguistically more agile. This is going to be a huge advantage for Singaporeans in the wider global market; as this article puts it:

"In functional settings, someone who is adept at understanding varied types of English is actually a better communicator than a person who can only understand their own form, whether it’s considered native or not."

Not everyone who speaks English is treated the same way. What happens when accent discrimination creeps in to our conscious and unconscious – and what do we do about our biases?

17/08/2021

I have to say this just tickled my funny bone the right way. It’s wacky yet based in science - imagine this coming out as a question in the PSLE on the topic of adaptations!

How did the Merlion live? What threats did it face? ST reimagines our national icon to find out how this unlikeliest of creatures survived against the odds.

11/08/2021

It is no coincidence that many of the countries listed here are what Hofstede would consider "Indulgent" cultures, with the notable exceptions of the two Asian nations here - though I suspect for Korea, like Japan, part of the problem is in the excessive packaging.

This chart shows the number of earths (and its resources) needed if world population lived like following countries.

01/08/2021

“This could be an opportunity for greater understanding and inclusivity. However, the decision to spotlight Osaka and Hachimura was done without acknowledging that Japan is not made up of just one race. That persistent belief marginalizes many biracial and untraditional Japanese and encourages the erasure of issues pertinent to them, such as racial discrimination, diversity and inclusion. Indeed, the prominence of Japan’s biracial athletes should not be used to lend legitimacy to the inaccurate belief that there is no racial discrimination in the
country.”

All told, at least 35 members of the Japanese Olympic team are multiracial, many half-Black.

01/08/2021

It used to be In Japan that one would find the most death from overwork cases but China is catching up. A combination of an increasingly competitive and achievement-oriented, but more importantly perhaps coupled with a sense of collective and long-term obligation - that you are working not just for yourself but also future generations. Will Singapore join this list someday or even soon? Unlikely, I think, since our culture is much ameliorated by our openness to global trends and ideas.

Demanding hours persist at Chinese tech giants and start-ups, where employees describe a culture that glorifies unquestioned dedication to work and looks down upon attempts to maintain a work-life balance.

26/07/2021

The need to be among your “own kind” is human nature but also indeed a key barrier to intercultural engagement. So much as Sgns rail against HDB’s ethnic quotas, it does at least try to prevent the formation of enclaves. Then again, how much do we talk to our neighbors nowadays?

SINGAPORE 一 The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) introduced by the Government in 1989 has sought to ensure that racial enclaves do not form in public housing estates. Yet, homeowners from the main ethnic groups comprising Chinese, Malays and Indians have been found to gravitate towards certain part...

19/07/2021

A finding that supports existing theories that communication priorities for men and women are respectively control and support:

"Just in time for World Emoji Day on Saturday (Jul 17), software giant Adobe recently released its Global Emoji Trend Report 2021. And the top favourite for both women and men is the “face with tears of joy” emoji.

But the rest is different. In second place for women is the red heart emoji while it was the thumbs-up emoji for men.

The latter was the third choice for women, while the men, surprisingly, picked the “anxious face with sweat” emoji."

It's World Emoji Day on Saturday (Jul 17). A new trend report released by software company Adobe found that women and men use different ones to express the same emotions.

15/06/2021

Where do we draw the lines between cultural insensitivity, intercultural miscommunication and downright cultural discrimination, more commonly known as racism?

25/03/2021

“We are simply objects. Our ethnic identities matter to us, but not to American White supremacy. We who are Asian or Asian American women have our own lives and agency, but to American White supremacy, we are hypersexualized dragon ladies and young brides to be sold. And to the shooter, objects tempting him to sin. Objects to be eliminated.

These women were likely the most vulnerable among us -- yes, among the so-called model minority. That myth is deadly, erasing the lives that many of us live on the margins, in precarious financial, immigration and vocational situations.”

In the March 16 Atlanta shootings, complex human identities — real lives and stories — were reduced to objects, Rev. Laura Mariko Cheifetz writes. For those who live in this country and are told we are never fully American, she says, the violent act feels familiar.