Being in a multicultural city like Singapore, we are
constantly being exposed to the different cultures of the multiethnic locals,
Permanent Residents and visitors. Take for example simple hand gestures like
hand kissing and holding hands. Hand kissing is a gesture that shows courtesy,
politeness and respect towards an elder, and is commonly performed by the
Malays. On the other hand, using Bangladeshis as an illustration, they too
performed hand gestures in the form of holding hands. However, the feelings
evoke from seeing these two hand gestures are total opposite. We tend to accept
and respect the Malay behavior in showing their affection for their elder and
this is partly due to our understanding of their culture since Malays form a
part of Singaporeans. However, when it comes to the Bangladeshis, who are
immigrants on working visa and tend to reside in areas away from the common
residential sites, we tend to have stereotypes about them beforehand and have
already cultivated a sense of displeasure for this group of people. Upon seeing
two guy Bangladeshis holding hands with each other, straightaway, the first
impression we have is that they are gays and immediately we have a sense of
disapproval towards their behavior. If we had taken the time to understand
their culture, we would not have misunderstood their actions and in fact, they
are displaying brotherhood, which is a social norm in their country.
In all, in my opinion, I feel that different cultures have
different social norms and it is important that we take the time to understand
and appreciate each other culture, their behavior, actions and social norms,
without forming stereotypes or a sense of disapproval or displeasure
immediately. Being able to do
that, we would then able to better enrich ourselves with the knowledge of the
various cultures in the world and also promote greater social cohesion in our
country, Singapore.
