BRIDGING TWO WORLDS: SOCIAL MIXING IN A MIXED-INCOME HOUSING PRECINCT

Abstract

The social class divide has been a rising issue in Singapore in the recent years, leading to the increased attention accorded to minimise this problem. This calls for solutions to increase social mixing in various areas. This thesis will examine social mixing in the area of housing, following the announcement that new Build-to-Order (BTO) flats, consisting of both rental and sold flats, will emerge. Social mixing reduces the physical distance between the different social classes, assuming that this may create more interactions between them. I will thus examine the extent to which mixed-income housing creates opportunities for mixing and the possible mechanisms that will help to bridge the two worlds – lower income-groups with the middle and higher income-groups in a particular mixed-income housing precinct. Through analysing the data drawn from 20 semi-structured interviews with residents staying within my research site, I conclude that absence of social mixing is prominent. Despite this, I still found homophily to be an important mechanism that encourages social mixing within the neighbourhood. In addition, I found that institutions may also act to facilitate social mixing. I also attribute a great deal of non-mixing to macro-social factors such as the increased pace of life and the advancements in technology. Thus, being in close proximity thus does not guarantee social mixing but encourages it. I hope these findings provide greater insights to the mechanisms facilitating and hindering social mixing in order to better bridge the social class divide in Singapore.