Understanding low-income families
The plight of low-income families in Singapore and how policies and services could be relooked to help this vulnerable group were surfaced at a conference titled “Working with Low-Income Families in Singapore: Challenges and Innovations” organised by the Social Service Research Centre (SSR) at NUS Arts and Social Sciences on 21 April. SSR Advisor Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who launched the Centre dedicated to local social intervention research last April, graced the event as Guest-of-Honour.
In his keynote address, Mr Goh highlighted the valuable role of research in strengthening evidence-based policies and professional practice in working with vulnerable families, as well as deepening our understanding of effective intervention models and approaches.
He added that in order to empower these families and find solutions to social issues, stronger linkages between the government, community partners and academia are required. “This SSR conference brings together partners from all three units. It is an important platform for knowledge to be shared, ideas exchanged and the links between the theory of social science research, government policies and the practical aspects of implementation on the ground, strengthened,” said Mr Goh.
Mr Goh (left) sharing insights with participants of the conference
Through a series of informative sessions on topics ranging from health and housing to debt and cultural demographics, the conference, held at the NUS Society Kent Ridge Guild House, showcased local research efforts and provided participants with a greater understanding of low-income families. Bringing together more than 300 academics, professionals and policy makers, it also facilitated the cross-fertilisation of ideas aimed at improving policies and services for this sector of society.
The conference kicked off with presentations of three research studies undertaken — a discussion by SSR Director Associate Professor Irene Ng from NUS Social Work on how poor health affects employment both directly, as well as indirectly through a sense of reduced personal mastery; a study by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Dr Neo Yu Wei, Senior Lecturer at SIM University, on the perceptions of social workers with regard to public rental housing issues and its implications on policy recommendations; and a project by SSR Research Fellow Dr Ong Qiyan and Dr Walter Theseira, Senior Lecturer at SIM University, which examined the effectiveness of a debt-relief programme and how factors such as educational level and debt repayment strategy could cause debt and poverty, and affect day-to-day functioning.
Summing up the purpose of the conference, Assoc Prof Ng said, “In a way it’s kind of hypocritical of us; we’re here privileged, in power, talking about low-income families in this air-conditioned place, but we need this because we need to understand…to do better.”
See media coverage.
From left: Dr Neo, Asst Prof Ng and Assoc Prof Ng answering questions from the floor during the panel discussion
