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PEOPLE living in packed cities are so sick of crowds that, when they head home, all they want is to be alone.
When it comes to this, Singaporeans are no different from those living in other densely populated cities, such as Tokyo and New York.
Sociologists said that Singapore is not the only country experiencing the trend of neighbours becoming increasingly isolated from one another.
"In a dense city, you get people in your face all the time, so you learn to value the privacy of your home", explained sociologist Paulin Straughan.
Dr Straughan, an associate professor with the National University of Singapore, added that Singaporeans often do not poke into their neighbours' lives because they respect their boundaries, and not because they are selfish.
She said: "If you don't want your neighbours to walk into your house whenever they see you home, you
won't do it too".
Madam Cynthia Phua, an MP for Aljunied GRC,said that, besides keeping to themselves, neighbours are getting into more conflicts.
She said that the designs of newer flats, which have fewer common corridors, also reduce the opportunities that neighbours have to interact.
In fact, a hawker in the vicinity is usually the first to notice when something goes wrong; say, for example, when an elderly person goes missing.
Sociologist Angelique Chan explained it thus: "Old people tend to have a routine and, when the coffee shop owner doesn't see them for days, they will notice".
In future, with Singaporeans living longer and on their own, Dr Chan said that the danger of isolation would be "very high".
Madam Phua wants more residents to attend community events to get to know their neighbours better.
She said: "I always say, a good neighbour is better than a thousand relatives".
This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Jan 13, 2008.
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