The eroding power of anti-immigrant attitudes for social cohesion in Singapore: more myth than fact?

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of anti-immigrant attitudes on social cohesion in Singapore. The OLS regression models show that anti-immigrant attitudes have a negative influence on social cohesion in all analyses, but this influence is weak and falls behind the ambiguous influence of patriotism. In some of the data, there is a significant difference in social cohesion between the centre and the peripheral districts of Singapore, which can only be attributed to a small extent to composition effects. The results of the analyses thus show that the partially state-led measures for social cohesion in a post-colonial society are indeed effective. However, the multicultural Singaporean society obviously also reacts to cohesion policy measures in a group-specific manner. It is noticeable that social cohesion and an open culture for newcomers cannot be thought of separately. These policies should therefore focus even more strongly than before on social cohesion as societal cohesion.