This is especially jarring for those in a position of privilege who hold the greatest instrument for change, will we be brave enough to make choices that places us at a ‘disadvantage’ for the pursuit of equality? A beautiful book that knows solutions are hard to find, but wants to disrupt the narrative and spark. Australian/Harvard Citation. This is a book about inequality in Singapore, based on 3 years' worth of ethnographic research by Teo. Teo You Yenn’s This is What Inequality Looks Likeis a long-awaited response to the taboo culture surrounding the severe inequality present in our society as well as the many problematics in the Singapore system which serve to perpetuate it. Formed by a series of essays, they are written to be read individually, but have been arranged to be read as a totality and in sequence. Read it! It is about how acknowledging poverty and inequality leads to uncomfortable revelations about our society and ourselves. In This is What Inequality Looks Like, Teo You Yenn writes a moving collection of essays that shine the light on a reality long swept under the carpets of gleaming, green and glamourous Singapore. This is a very, very important book, not just on inequality and poverty, but as a great tool to allow yourself to learn how to be more critical and observant of structural processes and how they interact to influence an individual's life and choices in ways we don't usually think about. It is about how acknowledging poverty and inequality leads to uncomfortable revelations about our society and ourselves. We owe Teo You Yenn a huge thank you: there's been a fair bit of good writing, good producing and good discussion relating to inequality in Singapore (i.e. For foreigners not living in Singapore might not be able to visualise a global cosmopolitan state having people from the lower working class struggling with their daily lives. Left implicit is that those at the bottom have failed to be deserving.”, “The respect I am accorded are conditional on my participation in society as an economically productive and relatively wealthy person. Why should we try? Consciously avoiding academic frames, Teo You Yenn’s ethically and politically grounded narrative unfolds through vignettes of lived experiences that stand in sharp, stark contrast to the dominant imaginings of Singaporeans as mobile, cosmopolitan, free, agentic, affluent global citizens. And I changed my mind. This is a book about how seeing poverty entails confronting inequality. In particular, she brilliantly points out the contradiction between the state-sponsored narrative and the unpleasant reality of living in a post-industrial capitalist hellscape: Never has a non-fiction book been such a pleasure to read. What the education system does when it selects, sorts, and hierarchizes, and when it gives its stamp of approval to those 'at the top,' is that it renders those who succeed through the system as legitimately deserving. It is about how acknowledging poverty and inequality leads to uncomfortable revelations about our society and ourselves. Youyenn Teo. How might they be overcome? To see what your friends thought of this book, I was a little hesitant to add this book to my "read" album here, because it would almost be a declaration of the responsibility i now have for the paradigm-shifting knowledge detailed in the book. For foreigners not living in Singapore might not be able to visualise a global cosmopolitan state having people from the lower working class struggling with their daily lives. A work of elegance and bravery, it should be a must read for anyone who cares about Singapore, and dispels and questions the many myths we base our society on, particularly that the poor are undeserving or a leech on society. dr teo gives a scathing critique of how the state's narrative of meritocracy legitimises and determines who deserves care, and who will be irrevocably excluded from said care. It has little to do with my inherent right to respect as a human being and member of this society.”, https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/this-is-what-inequality-looks-like, Popsugar 2021 #15 - A Book with a black and white cover, YA Debut Is an Ojibwe Murder Mystery Ten Years in the Making. but, you can't publish a book explicitly on inequality in singapore and barely mention race. The author has eloquently given voice to those who bear the brunt of inequality in wealthy Singapore. teo focuses on how race is a social construct: she argues that when we speak of racism, we have a tendency to essentialise race as a self-evident determinant in classism, as opposed to analysing the larger problem which is structural inequality. Just because I am a product of the Singapore system and have succeeded, it doesn't entitle me to anything. A HDB rental block. Synopsis: This Is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo You Yenn Book Launch & Conversation with Alfian Sa'at Seating is limited and will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. In the issue of inequality, it truly stands to benefit us and our next generations, to care about how the game is inherently stacked against those who are on the lower rungs of the social-economic ladder. She is also the author of This is What Inequality Looks Like. An important book. It is about how acknowledging poverty and inequality leads to uncomfortable revelations about our society and ourselves. I've always loved looking for the dirt underneath the glam, this book does just that and I even learnt things about my own country. to even call it a memo, as if racism is a mere footnote in our country is already tantamount to trivialising the issue. Yes but not entirely true. The book does not tell us what we don’t already know, but rather m. Teo points out a lot of uncomfortable truths in our society. An article in The Straits Times mentioned that it is one of the best-selling local books, with 20,000 copies sold so far. Teo, Youyenn. In it, Teo seeks to force deeper reflection about the narratives we tell ourselves about inequality and poverty in Singapore - that the story of Singapore is unequivocally one of progress from Third World to First; that while there is poverty (there is poverty everywhere after all), the poor here have it better than their counterparts elsewhere, with roofs over their heads, plenty of government. she prefers talking about "elementary forms of racial domination" as opposed to "racism". Associate Professor Teo You Yenn's book This Is What Inequality Looks Like – one of the best-selling local books in 2018 – has helped propel inequality to the forefront of political discussions. It is a book for people who love Singapore, who are aware that we’re not perfect but still want to make this island a better place for all. A beautiful book that knows solutions are hard to find, but wants to disrupt the narrative and spark discussion anyway. On the Record. Teo points out a lot of uncomfortable truths in our society. While the government has introduced policy changes, community groups… dr teo gives a scathing critique of how the state's narrative of meritocracy legitimises and determines who deserves care, and who will be irrevocably excluded from said care. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. This was a great title for a book. racism, for teo, is too strong, too emotionally charged; it obfuscates the common denominator -- which is class -- that ties the low-income together. Formed by a series of essays, they are written to be read individually, but have been arranged to be read as a totality and in sequence. Each aims to accomplish two things: first, to introduce a key aspect of the experience of being low-income in contemporary Singapore. Thus Teo You Yenn traces the arc of her intellectual journey in writing “an ethnography of inequality rather than a catalog of poverty” in This Is What Inequality Looks Like—a journey which she invites us to make with her, on our own, and with others. While I don’t agree with all her ideas, it was interesting to read how subtle differences in infrastructure and, of course, policy further enhances the divide. This New Edition of This Is What Inequality Looks Like by Teo You Yenn features a new Afterword by the author, and a Foreword by Kwok Kian Woon, Professor of Sociology at the Nanyang Technological University, … "This is what inequality looks like is a masterfully crafted text. race as a social construct is designed to have racist material consequences that the book is afraid to address. in this regard, the book is a sharp and insightful look at how singapore's neo-liberalist policies work to absolve the state from any complicity in reproducing classism in the country. How are they reproduced? It is also necessary. TL;DR Sociologist paints vivid picture of what it means to be low-income in Singapore. This is What Inequality Looks Like is an anthology of essays related to inequality in Singapore written by associate professor of sociology at the Nanyang Technological University, Teo You Yenn, drawing on interviews and experiences with low-income Singaporeans over the period of three years. The book does not tell us what we don’t already know, but rather makes us painfully aware of what we have chosen to be complicit to as a society. If you want to take the Red Pill and wake up, this is a good place to start. This collection of essays by Teo You Yenn about inequality in Singapore is brilliant. ), but I think This Is What Inequality Looks Like is a piece that brings together these scattered conversations. Never has a non-fiction book been such a pleasure to read. Find in NLB Library This is a book about how seeing poverty entails confronting inequality. Yes the low income people have dignity as well, just like people from the middle and upper classes. but, you can't publish a book explicitly on inequality in singapore and barely mention race. I wrote and recorded a new Afterword for this edition. The way we frame our questions shapes the way we see solutions. but we are unequal precisely because of racism. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published But not doing so would be maintaining a blind eye to an issue that we collectively have the power to alleviate. While I don’t agree with all her ideas, it was interesting to read how subtle differences in infrastructure and, of course, policy further enhances the divide. I really wanted to like this book. Angeline Boulley set out over a decade ago to write the story she wanted to read as a young Ojibwe teenager. I've always loved looking for the dirt underneath the glam, this book does just that and I even learnt things about my own country. This is especially jarring for those in a position of privilege who hold the greatest instrument for change, will we be brave enough to make choices that places us at a ‘disadvantage’ for the pursuit of equality? We owe Teo You Yenn a huge thank you: there's been a fair bit of good writing, good producing and good discussion relating to inequality in Singapore (i.e. THIS IS WHAT INEQUALITY LOOKS LIKE by Teo You Yenn/ published by Ethos Books * This book — an ethnography of inequality — addresses these questions. From a foreigner's perspectives, Singapore is blessed with world class leadership and with good leadership, poverty and inequality are likely to be mitigated to a large extent. … Please see Wikipedia's template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. This book—an ethnography of inequality—addresses these questions. I myself, a Singaporean whom come from a low-income family fully empathize with the sentiments mentioned in the book. It brings much needed focus on Singapore's inequality issues to a non academic audience. CUE ANGST AND RAGE @ SELF. What is poverty? This Is What Inequality Looks Like A NATIONAL BESTSELLER “A vivid ethnography of the lives, dreams and disappointments of low-income Singaporeans… the mental ideologies, social structures and bureaucratic institutions that both bind and separate us.” I thank the author for this thoughtful piece of work as it had put me on a journey of deep reflection, questioning, and meaningful reconnection with the Sociological perspective. Why should we try? teo's official reasoning is that analysing rac. Based on her years of fieldwork and research with the low-income in Singapore, this compilation of essays reveals in detail their daily lives and struggles. Teo’s style of writing is personal, clean, succinct, and easy to understand, allowing anyone to look at inequality and poverty from a sociological lens without having to wade through academic writing. First up, thank you, thank you, thank you. What is inequality? What is inequality? The notion that meritocracy is “fair” and the stigma that poor people don’t work hard is also wrong! With courage, integrity and scientific tools, Teo You Yenn enters the hidden abode of inequality. ), but I think This Is What Inequality Looks Like is a piece that brings together these scattered conversations, grounds them in empirical, ethnographic experience and presented in writing that's meant for the general public and not just academics. Book review: This is What Inequality Looks Like, No one should have to be super in order to be human. The thing about this book is: it is easy to see why it is hated, generally taken down constantly by critics and government agencies, social workers giving it flack for a narrative they feel is unfairly representative of their kind. nothing of how classism in singapore is tied to racist policies and attitudes. This is what inequality looks like / essays by Teo You Yenn. classism is not exempt from this. The author addresses a real and important issue that many Singaporeans don't think or talk about, but in truth, the book could have been summarised to about 20 pages or so. some have lauded her for excluding race from her analysis, but i can't help but wonder how anybody could exclude race from any class-based analysis -- especially in a country like ours. Best book I’ve read so far on Singapore - for someone interested in public policy and concerned about what we need to do to bring about greater human flourishing here. CNA's wonderful series "Don't Call Us Poor"; numerous articles, speeches on meritocracy and its discontents by various people from all walks of life - Donald Low, Bilahari Kausikan, etc etc. From a foreigner's perspectives, Singapore is blessed with world class leadership and with good leadership, poverty and inequality are likely to be mitigated to a large extent. The book makes for … It is a book for people who love Singapore, who are aware that we’re not perfect but still want to make this island a better place for all. As I was planning to write my thoughts about Ocean Vuong's. How are they connected? This book is about poverty and inequality in Singapore. A nuanced look at income inequality and the struggle of the poor in Singapore. Author of This Is What Inequality Looks Like, Teo You Yenn. They too, need to feel like they are members of the society and not just the group of people who are reliant on the government. And any Singaporean who still has a stake in this land, cannot and should not be blind. “Stories about poverty and inequality create a lot of discomfort,” writes Teo You Yenn in her startling non-fiction debut, This is What Inequality Looks Like. In doing so, You Yenn Teo also showcases the multidimensional effects that poverty has on real people. And it is about how once we see, we cannot, must not, unsee. This is What Inequality Looks Like--Preface. Start by marking “This Is What Inequality Looks Like” as Want to Read: Error rating book. i was prompted to read this by an NUS friend who had been assigned a chapter from here as a reading for one of his general education mods. And it is about how once we see, we cannot, must not, unsee. Through each chapter, she cogently and empathetically presents their plight to readers who are the least likely to ever hear of it first hand, or ever care to hear of it. I sincerely believe that This is What Inequality Looks Like is a seminal work(as my GP AQ can attest to), and perhaps even a turning point in our conversation on poverty and inequality in Singapore. Second, to illustrate how people’s experiences are linked to structural conditions of inequality. Yes but not entirely true. This is not typical practice in academic writing. This Is What Inequality Looks Like by You Yenn Teo … It dawned on me after a few seconds that the author Prof Teo You Yenn was trying to convey a message to the readers that one has to uncover to find inequality in Singapore. If you want to take the Red Pill and wake up, this is a good place to sta, Poor people really do exist in Singapore. This book—an ethnography of inequality—addresses these questions. teo's official reasoning is that analysing racism obscures the class-based factors which affect the low-income in Singapore. Each aims to accomplish two things: first, to introduce a key aspect of the experience of being low-income in contemporary Singapore. Author: Teo, Youyenn, Length: 285 pages :, Identifier: 9789811158049. i really did expect so much more after hearing how acclaimed and searing her book supposedly was in airing [singapore's] dirty laundry". 2018, This is what inequality looks like / essays by Teo You Yenn Ethos Books Singapore. And it is about how once we see, we cannot, must not, unsee. Inequality has been flying off the bookshelves and for good reason too. I myself, a Singaporean whom come from a low-income family fully. What the education system does when it selects, sorts, and hierarchizes, and when it gives its stamp of approval to those 'at the top,' is that it renders those who succeed through the system as legitimately deserving. Singapore has always been packaged as glitzy and glamourous, I mean we are that but we also do have those who fall through the cracks. This book is about poverty and inequality in Singapore. however, due to timetabling reasons, i ended up clearing an equivalent of it on exchange last semester. In Teo You Yenn’s This is What Inequality Looks Like, the dominant way of understanding social inequality, as well as the many myths usually shored up in such a discussion, are tackled with empathy and astute analysis. This Is What Inequality Looks Like, by Teo You Yenn March 2020 Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of … I enjoyed this book a lot, it was very beneficial to a lot of self-reflection that I have been doing this year. The top translucent cover has the words in black 'This is What Looks Like' Only when one flips this translucent cover, can one see the word 'Inequality' in grey. January 2018 Be the first to ask a question about This Is What Inequality Looks Like. In it, Teo seeks to force deeper reflection about the narratives we tell ourselves about inequality and poverty in Singapore - that the story of Singapore is unequivocally one of progress from Third World to First; that while there is poverty (there is poverty everywhere after all), the poor here have it better than their counterparts elsewhere, with roofs over their heads, plenty of government assistance, and opportunities for advancement; that the winners and losers in Singapore are the natural outcome of meritocracy at work - and if you are one of the losers, you must lack merit in some way. “A vivid ethnography of the lives, dreams and disappointments of low-income Singaporeans… the mental ideologies, social structures and bureaucratic institutions that both bind and separate us.” – Linda Lim, University of Michigan, “Masterfully crafted… lived experiences that stand in sharp, stark contrast to the dominant imaginings of Singaporeans.” – Vineeta Sinha, National University of Singapore, “Makes the invisible visible… disrupts widely-held national mythologies… Sociology at its best!” – Michael Burawoy, UC Berkeley. Consciously avoiding academic frames, Teo You Yenn’s ethically and politically grounded narrative unfolds through vignettes of lived experiences that stand in sharp, stark contrast to the dominant imaginings of Singaporeans as mobile, cosmopolitan, free, agentic, affluent global citizens. And it is about how once we see, we cannot, must not, unsee. First up, thank you, thank you, thank you. And it is about how once we see, we cannot, must not, unsee. I never noticed the differences until now. It is daunting. A new, second edition of This Is What Inequality Looks Like hit bookstores in May 2019. It cannot tell you about the lived reality of those who live with the constant anxiety of precarity, or what it’s like to bear constant indignities. In this exclusive release of chapter one from the bestselling This Is What Inequality Looks Like, Teo You Yenn details why tackling inequality seriously demands that we change how we think about success — both success as a nation, and the success of those who thrive under "meritocracy". This book speaks to me on so many levels - as a woman (unmarried, and at an age that I probably should); a Sociology graduate; an average income earner; a worker in the social space. May also saw the launch of “ What older people need in Singapore: A households budgets study ”, a Minimum Income Standard research project I undertook with collaborators, Ng Kok Hoe, Neo Yu Wei, and Ad Maulod. To declare that one has read this book, in the words of another reviewer, is to acknowledge that one can no longer turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of our longstanding narratives. now fast forward to the present when i get to the end of this very thought-provoking series of essays and i find out teo you yenn is, in fact, an ntu prof, and the lecturer for the very module i wanted to take but can now no longer do in singapore!!!! Immediately caught my attention and I thought I had to read it. Formed by a series of essays, they are written to be read individually, but have been arranged to be read as a totality and in sequence. Singapore has always been packaged as glitzy and glamourous, I mean we are that but we also do have those who fall through the cracks. “Why am I inserting myself so much in what I write? There is something to be said about opening this debate and grounding it in a form of a book: I think (and hope) that the materiality of a physical book can lend permanence to this debate, and, if its sales in Kinokuniya are anything to go by, I hope this book becomes a permanent fixture on the bookshelf of many, many upper and middle-income families that serves as a constant reminder, that This Is What Inequality Looks Like: the privilege of owning a book that sits on a bookshelf; the privilege of having such a book be the closest that many of us will ever encounter to the real, lived, embodied experience of precarity. In particular, Teo You Yenn’s This is What Inequality Looks Like, which I’m currently making my way through, has been mind-blowingly eye-opening. I love how Prof Teo is able to unpack and show the real side of Singapore. Formed by a series of essays, they are written to be read individually, but have been arranged to be read as a totality and in sequence. “Acknowledging poverty and inequality leads to uncomfortable revelations about our society and ourselves.” In a brilliant piece of cover design, the word “inequality” is obscured, visually reinforcing Teo’s message: inequality may be right under our … Teo is a sociologist and Associate Professor with Nanyang Technological University. once again, because racism is too strong a word. Welcome back. Poverty can only be fully understood in the context of the structural forces that perpetuate it. 285 reviews. Public intellectuals have acknowledged it the 2018 “Book of the Year”, and it has ranked among the top non-fiction best sellers in local Singaporean bookstores (Singapore Unbound 2018). This book—an ethnography of inequality—addresses these questions. CNA's wonderful series "Don't Call Us Poor"; numerous articles, speeches on meritocracy and its discontents by various people from all walks of life - Donald Low, Bilahari Kausikan, etc etc. This is a book about how seeing poverty entails confronting inequality. This book dives deep into those forces: assessing subconscious assumptions, revealing the flaws of national narratives, and questioning the very principles of the meritocratic system. We’d love your help. This book is entitled ‘This is what Inequality looks like’ by Teo Yeo Yenn. This is What Inequality Looks Like--Step 1: Disrupt the Narrative Youyenn Teo surprising revelation.When I speak with people who are not from Singapore, one of the things that comes up is how small it … The thing about this book is: it is easy to see why it is hated, generally taken down constantly by critics and government agencies, social workers giving it flack for a narrative they feel is unfairly representative of their kind. A coruscating examination of inequality in Singapore and the attitudes which perpetuate it. Then I realised it was by a Singaporean author. This book is entitled ‘This is what Inequality looks like’ by Teo Yeo Yenn. naturally, i assumed that the author, who is a local university professor, was an NUS prof. seemingly unrelated backstory is that there's this sociology module called hs2008 social class and inequality which i'm eligible for and have been wanting to take for my second major and which was also recommended to me in year 1 by a ppga senior who said it was the best module she had ever taken in ntu (heads up to any ntu student who might ever come across this – you've been warned). Formed by a series of essays, they are written to be read individ Hopefully this book will be a call to to look our attitudes towards tackling poverty and inequality in Singapore. For far too long, the poor have been criticised as lazy and having poor attitudes without enough scrutiny of the systems we have in place that disadvantage and humiliate them. I was a little hesitant to add this book to my "read" album here, because it would almost be a declaration of the responsibility i now have for the paradigm-shifting knowledge detailed in the book.