ST : Keeping the dream alive

Sep 11, 2010

Keeping the dream alive

DR TAN ERN SER, associate professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore, who studied the Singapore Dream for his masters thesis in the early 1980s

'There are three levels of motivation for home ownership: as a comfortable dwelling place, as a prestige symbol, and as an investment.

'To keep the Singapore Dream alive, we need to keep housing as a decent dwelling place affordable for all citizens and housing as a prestige symbol still doable for the middle class. I guess this beats the situation in some countries, where palatial homes stick out like a sore thumb in the midst of slums.

'Given that the three levels of motivation for home ownership affect Singaporeans differently, I would expect that policy contradictions will always be present. The challenge is to find an optimal balance.

'The bottom line is that Singaporeans want to live the Dream, and if the goal posts are perceived as always shifting, it would lead to anxiety and frustration. This is something we need to manage.

'Can we count on Singaporeans to learn contentment, even while they continue to count on Singapore to facilitate their achieving the Singapore Dream?'