Does Class Matter?: Social Stratification and Orientations in Singapore

This book provides a comprehensive portrait of class structure, dynamics, and orientations in Singapore — understood as a new nation, a capitalist and emerging knowledge economy, a largely middle-class society, and a polity with a strong state — at the turn of the new millennium. It introduces a wide array of recent data on a broad range of topics relating to social stratification in Singapore: class structure, political participation, political alienation, national pride, welfarism, success values, unionism, social mobility, the digital divide, and the sandwich generation. To capture the lived experiences of people from different social classes, thereby complementing the numerous tables presented, the book also profiles six case studies of individuals or families, highlighting the challenges they face and the options they possess.

Contents:
* Singapore: Market Economy and Meritocratic, Middle-Class Society?
* Methodology: Questionnaire, Sampling, and Fieldwork
* Singapore Class Structure
* Social Orientations by Class, Age, and Ethnicity
* Work Career and Social Mobility
* Problem Areas: Digital Divide and Sandwich Generation
* 1-to-2 Roomers, 3-Roomers, and Citizen Population Compared
* Conclusion: Does Class Matter in Singapore?

Readership: Undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and professionals in sociology, social issues and political science.

About the Author:
Tan Ern Ser, PhD(Cornell), is currently Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, and Academic Convenor, Singapore Studies Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore.