Sociology of Singapore's Hawker Culture: Ethnicity, Race, and Society

This essay provides a sociological analysis of Singapore's hawker culture, exploring its origins and significance within Singaporean society. The paper examines how ethnicity, race, and cultural diversity have shaped the hawker culture, highlighting its recent recognition as an integral part of Singapore's heritage. The essay discusses the role of multiculturalism in the development and spread of hawker culture, emphasizing how different ethnic groups and their culinary traditions have contributed to the diverse food landscape. It also delves into the reasons behind the growing importance of hawker culture, including public engagement, its reflection of multicultural heritage, and its accessibility. The essay utilizes sociological concepts such as race, ethnicity, and culture to explain the changes observed in Singapore, arguing that hawker culture embodies the principles of multiculturalism and offers a quintessential Singaporean experience. Finally, the paper addresses the limits of multiculturalism in Singapore, concluding that the nation's pluralistic nature has facilitated the sharing of cultural practices, as evidenced by the flourishing hawker culture.

Sociology and social science
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Introduction
The paper describes the hawker culture in Singapore. It also explains how ethnicity, race and
culture have contributed to hawker culture in Singapore. “Hawker culture” started through the
hawkers in Singapore who prepared common dishes in their center (Catherine Henderson, 2014).
Place of ‘hawker culture' within Singapore society. Why hawker culture appears to have
garnered official interest and acknowledgment as an immutable part of Singapore heritage,
culture, and society only recently?
The stand of hawker culture within Singapore is based on multi-culturalism. In Singapore,
August 2018 everyone had enjoyed the hawker culture in Singapore (Chaney & Ryan, 2012).
The country is believed to have a large number of ethnic groups which live together without
strife. The government in Singapore handle an unequal crisis which results from groups. Due to
this, the entire population of Singapore is characterized with a lot of culture from different
subgroups within the country. Increased aspect of multiculturalism in Singapore catalyzes the
spread of culture in the country. Presence of different cultures in Singapore formed the aspect of
hawker culture last year. The hawker culture was the time marked by the use of available
Singaporean cultural practices. The hawker culture in Singaporean is related to food taken in the
country. Last year the country decided to introduce the hawker culture in UNESCO-a body in the
UN that handles cultural related issues in the country. Singapore has a variety of dishes which
are forming an integral part of the nation. Dishes in Singapore have distinct features which mark
the food heritage for Singaporeans (Benjamin, 1975). Due to increased use of the hawker culture,
Singapore has tried as much as possible to ensure hawker culture is incorporated in the
UNESCO.

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The reasons which enable the hawker culture to have appeared as a significant event in
Singapore are;
At first, the issue of hawker culture was achieved after public engagement in the country. In
Singapore, a poll was conducted part of the SG heritage plan in 2018. The meeting argued that
there was the need to protect the cultural diversity in the country and that's when the issue of
hawker culture started (Ganapathy & Kwen Fee, 2012). The food heritage culture in Singapore
forms the basis of intangible cultural heritage amongst more than 3500 respondents in the nation.
In addition during the national talk in Singapore hawker culture was agreed to be an intangible
cultural heritage that represents the multicultural heritage in the nation. Most of the people in
Singapore argues that hawker culture is important not only to the nation but also to the entire
world.
On another hand, hawker culture has been identified as a reflection of multicultural heritage in
Singapore. The food heritage in Singapore includes the ethnic dishes which they believed were
brought by different peoples migrating to Singapore many years ago (Henderson, 2017). The
food heritage has formed a lineage for future generations who are being taught on new hawker
culture.
Also, hawker centers in Singapore can be easily accessed. This was part of the reason why
Hawker culture in Singapore was campaigned for. There are more than 110 centers attributed by
hawker culture in Singapore. Most of these hawker centers have been converted to dining rooms
and that why the country has decided to incorporate the issue of hawker culture in UNESCO. All
citizens in Canada are under common bond due to a shared love for food in the country
(Henderson et al., 2012).

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The other aspect which makes the hawker culture in Singapore as a major aspect is due to the
fact that hawkers in Singapore are dedicated as masters of the trade (Kwok & Ali, 1998).The
acknowledgment of hawker culture comprises a culinary technique which is passed from one
generation to another generation.
The concept of understanding culture, race, and ethnicity as a useful aspect in explaining hawker
culture in Singapore. Whether I agree with hawker culture as Singaporean culture.
The section utilizes the sociological concepts on matters related to race, culture, and ethnicity. It
also accounts for the changes noted in Singapore. Some of the concepts useful in explaining the
hawker culture in Singapore based on culture, race, and ethnicity includes;
The concept of race has changed in almost all culture in Singapore. Most of the people in
Singapore are more concerned on development of “hawker's culture” in the nation. In the past,
different reports have indicated how the issue of race affected different nations. In Singapore, the
issue of hawker culture one can argue that it has been supported by different people from
different backgrounds. This shows that the country has unity and no cases of race discrimination.
Having multiple races in the nation means having common ideas but not discriminating each one
another. Racism has been identified as the common factor which deters developments in most of
the nations. In Singapore, all groups have ensured no issues of racism thus encouraging
developments. Increased concern for hawkers' culture in the country shows a positive step for
conserving cultural heritage from different races in the country.
On another hand, the concept of ethnicity explains more on multiculturalism in Singapore.
Ethnicity is a general time that explains the cultural practices and values of the groups found in a
certain nation (Lian, 1999). Some of the concepts describing the issue of ethnicity include the

Sociology and social science
normal languages we talk, the religious practices in a nation, traditions activities and other
commodities which calls for a sense of direction. In Singapore, the term ethnicity has influenced
most of the cultural practices found in the country. The overall hawker culture in Singapore has
developed due to ethnicity. Different groups with different dishes merged to form a common
culture that is the hawker culture. Ethnicity is, therefore, a major concept which has facilitated
the hawker culture in Singapore due to shared values and practices in the nation from different
groups. When groups come together it means that there is a unit and needs to conserve available
services. Ethnicity in Singapore has supported Hawkers culture in different ways (Lian, 2016).
In Singapore, increased immigration has resulted in new groups which induces new concepts
related to hawker culture in the country. Reports indicate that increased immigration of different
groups in Singapore provide reliable information that will help in designing a single culture that
binds the society.
In addition, the concept of ethnicity helps in improving fairness in the community. This forms
the basis for cultural sharing in society. Culture in a real sense shows the values and norms
accepted by a certain group in society. In Singapore, the hawker culture involved the new
practices of dining that resulted from interaction of hawkers at hawking centers (Senin & Ng,
2012). This formed an integral part of hawker culture since different hawkers used various
cultures to come up with a common acceptable culture which they wanted to incorporate it to
UNESCO. In Singapore, hawkers prepare food using the culinary practices whereby the food
reflects the multicultural makeup created in the country. Reports indicate that most of the dishes
prepared by the hawkers incorporate different norms and values borrowed from different groups
and countries such as China, Malay and the Indians culture on food preparation. This shows how

Sociology and social science
hawkers in Singapore have emulated different cultural activities to come up with a common dish
for all communities in the country. In simple words, hawkers in Singapore takes inspiration by
the confluence of cultures, use of different experiments and adapt to new dishes which are
transformed to meet the needs of residents in the country.
Therefore, on the question of whether I agree with hawker culture as Singaporean culture, the
main argument is that hawker culture has emulated the principles of multiculturalism. Dining in
hawker centers is entirely a quintessentially Singaporean experience induced by different groups
from different countries. The aim was to allow individuals to allow a common diet regardless of
differences in the country (Chua & Kuo, 1991).
Limits to the way culture and multiracial Singapore have talked about previously.
From the class content, it's clear that there is no limit on the issue of multiculturalism in
Singapore. Multiculturalism at first appeared as an intellectual and political issue. This was
evident in different countries such as Britain and Singapore too (Velayutham, 2017). At this time
the nations could allow a small number of immigrants in the country but as of now, the concept
of multiculturalism has no limits. Singapore has been identified a plural nation meaning that it
has a large number of groups from different countries who have helped in forming new culture,
for example, the issue of “hawker culture” which is now a national campaign in Singapore.
There are no limits of multiculturalism and this has facilitated sharing of cultural practices.
Conclusion
In Singapore, the issue of multiculturalism has been discussed as an aspect attributed to post-
colonial development. The concept of multiculturalism has enhanced nation building in
Singapore (Velayutham, 2017). The migration policies regulate the economy basis whereby

Sociology and social science
immigrants in the country are for economic and social benefits. This, therefore, shows that the
groups in Singapore have different capabilities which when combined together results to a
sophisticated culture as seen hawker's culture in the country.

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References
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