Jan 13, 2008
Isolation: It's part and parcel of city life
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.'
