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    GES1041 GESS1029 Lecture 4 - Students

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    Qi Tiancong
    This document provides an overview and summary of a lecture on meritocracy in Singapore. It discusses concepts like equal opportunity, efficient allocation of resources, competition, and reward. It also analyzes how the concept of meritocracy has transformed over time and presents different perspectives on its aspects and principles.

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    GES1041 GESS1029 Lecture 4 - Students

    Uploaded by

    Qi Tiancong
    16 views32 pages
    This document provides an overview and summary of a lecture on meritocracy in Singapore. It discusses concepts like equal opportunity, efficient allocation of resources, competition, and reward. It also analyzes how the concept of meritocracy has transformed over time and presents different perspectives on its aspects and principles.

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    GES1041 GESS1029 Lecture 4_Students

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    This document provides an overview and summary of a lecture on meritocracy in Singapore. It discusses concepts like equal opportunity, efficient allocation of resources, competition, and reward. It also analyzes how the concept of meritocracy has transformed over time and presents different perspectives on its aspects and principles.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    16 views32 pages

    GES1041 GESS1029 Lecture 4 - Students

    Uploaded by

    Qi Tiancong
    This document provides an overview and summary of a lecture on meritocracy in Singapore. It discusses concepts like equal opportunity, efficient allocation of resources, competition, and reward. It also analyzes how the concept of meritocracy has transformed over time and presents different perspectives on its aspects and principles.

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    GES1041/GESS1029

    Meritocracy in Singapore
    LECTURE 4
    DARYL OOI
    Overview

    1. Review: tools, models, concepts

    2. Analysis: transformation of meritocracy

    3. Ethical Toolbox: moral dialogue

    4. Assignments: Reading Quiz 1 and Journal Entry 2


    Three moral clusters

    Person-centred values
    ≈ the good owed to a person

    Calculations of well-being Virtues of character


    ≈ what’s good for a person ≈ the good in a person
    A model of ethical analysis
    1. The self-reliant • Self-reliance as virtue
    Singaporean • Employment and basic needs

    • Dependence on unpaid labour


    2. Social scientific analysis • Exploitation of low-wage labour
    • Poverty and public goods

    3. Ethical analysis • Loss of self-respect and dignity


    • Self-reliance and its conditions
    • Self-reliance and solidarity
    Five objections to inequality

    1. Suffering or severe deprivation

    2. Stigmatising differences in status

    3. Unacceptable power or domination over others

    4. Unequal starting places

    5. Unequal shares of socially produced benefits


    Four approaches in everyday ethics

    Inequality Meritocracy Multiculturalism Migration

    Structures of
    dependence
    (Teo 2017, Osman
    2018, Low 2014)

    Diverse objections to
    inequality
    (Scanlon 2003)
    Dialogue on Inequality

    Tuesday (6 Feb 2024), 4-5.30pm [Zoom link on Canvas]

    Join us! ☺
    Overview

    1. Review: tools, models, concepts

    2. Analysis: transformation of meritocracy

    3. Ethical Toolbox: moral dialogue

    4. Assignments: Reading Quiz 1 and Journal Entry 2


    Class Activity
    Word Cloud: What word comes to mind when you think
    of ‘elitism’ in Singapore?
    Video: ‘Defining elites’ (clip)

    https://youtu.be/BNg-bhnpaug?t=2890
    Tan’s approach to meritocracy
    1. Diverging concerns: ‘Meritocracy is an essentially unstable concept, binding
    aspects that work together in productive tension.’ (Tan 2012, 272-3)

    2. Shifting balance: ‘Over the decades, the delicate balance between the
    contradictory egalitarian and elitist aspects of meritocracy…has shifted towards a
    market-driven concern with rewarding the winners, leaving the losers more
    skeptical about their own prospects for upward mobility.’

    3. Destabilising conditions: ‘Today, meritocracy and its macho manifestations are


    coming under strain as fast-globalizing Singapore gears up to deal with new forms
    of national crisis, alternative sources of information and beliefs about merit, and
    widening income inequality...’
    Four aspects of meritocracy

    1. Equal opportunities

    2. Resource allocation

    3. Competition

    4. Reward
    The structure of meritocracy

    1. What are the principles of this system?

    2. What are its criteria of merit?

    3. What are its mechanisms in use?


    Aspect 1: Equal opportunities

    • Fair selection: ‘Meritocracy can be thought of as a system of selection that is blind


    to race, gender, sexuality, age, or class differences where these attributes should not
    matter. However, blindness to differences should not extend to cases where real
    advantages and disadvantages are ignored, where some kind of positive
    discrimination may be necessary.’ (274)

    • Equal starting points: ‘What matters is that there is equality of opportunity, at


    least where starting points are concerned. No one, therefore, should be
    systematically excluded from opportunities to pursue their life plans, achieve their
    potential, and profit from their success; and from basic resources such as safety,
    housing, education, and health that will be necessary for these.’
    Exercise: ‘The structure of meritocracy’

    Principles of system Criteria of merit Mechanisms in use

    1. Equal opportunity for talents Not race, gender, sexuality, age, Penalties for workplace discrimination
    or class Social provision of basic needs

    2. Efficient allocation of talents

    3. Optimal development of talents

    4. Just reward for merit


    Aspect 2: Resource allocation

    • Efficient allocation: ‘A second aspect of meritocracy relates to efficient resource


    allocation. Here the focus is on “revealing” the best person for the job, rather than
    giving people equal opportunities. The former focuses on outcomes, while the latter
    focuses on fairness.’ (275)

    • Resource scarcity: ‘Notionally, meritocracy is efficient because it identifies


    individuals with valuable qualities and qualifications and matches them to the
    appropriate roles and positions in the market and in the state. Such a system finds
    an easy fit in Singapore’s survivalist culture that constantly identifies resource
    scarcity as a key limitation.’
    Aspect 3: Competition

    • Competition and effort: ‘Competition is a third aspect of meritocracy and one that
    is closely related to the question of incentives and effort. Meritocracy does not only
    sort out scarce talent, it also encourages talented people to compete with one another
    for position, reward, and prestige, and in that way to try harder than they otherwise
    would.’ (276)

    • Individual development and social value: ‘Human capacities are thus developed
    to their potential and society can potentially benefit from the kind of
    competitiveness that brings out the best in everyone.’
    Aspect 4: Reward

    • Incentive and recognition: ‘A fourth aspect of meritocracy, and one which provides
    the incentive for competition, is reward. Reward for individual merit can take the
    form of rank, job positions, higher incomes, or general recognition and prestige. But
    other than a prize to drive competition, reward can also be seen as recognition of
    talent and compensation for one’s effort.’ (278)

    • “Market rates”: ‘As the opportunity costs of choosing a public sector career began
    to rise, talented Singaporeans needed to be offered higher “compensation” which
    would also act as an incentive to join the civil service…Legislation to peg these
    salaries to a “market rate” was swiftly passed.’
    Exercise: ‘The structure of meritocracy’

    Principles of system Criteria of merit Mechanisms in use

    1. Equal opportunity for talents Not race, gender, sexuality, age, Penalties for workplace discrimination
    or class Social provision of basic needs

    2. Efficient allocation of talents

    3. Optimal development of talents

    4. Just reward for merit


    Overview

    1. Review: tools, models, concepts

    2. Analysis: transformation of meritocracy

    3. Ethical Toolbox: moral dialogue

    4. Assignments: Reading Quiz 1 and Journal Entry 2


    Three norms of fruitful dialogue
    • Listen. ‘Avoid the automatic comeback…and work for better understanding. Ask
    questions, and mean them. Restate others’ views to make sure you “get it” – later you
    can ask for the same consideration back. Expect that you have as much to learn as
    they do.’ (Weston 2018)

    • Connect. ‘Seek common ground. Approach differences against a background of


    probable agreement. Recognise complexity on the other side (and yours). Don’t
    polarize. There are no simple “yes” and “no” positions.’

    • Welcome. ‘Look for first steps and partial measures. No problem is going to be
    resolved all at once. Think constructively; make suggestions.’
    Two kinds of moral dialogue
    Fruitless dialogue Fruitful dialogue

    Dominate! Listen to the other side.

    Polarise! Connect with the person.

    Win! Welcome opportunities.


    Class Activity
    Vote: Which norm is the hardest to honor?
    Overview

    1. Review: tools, models, concepts

    2. Analysis: transformation of meritocracy

    3. Ethical Toolbox: moral dialogue

    4. Assignments: Reading Quiz 1 and Journal Entry 2


    Reading quizzes (15%)
    • 4 quizzes in Weeks 4, 6, 8, 10
    • 5 MCQs each on required readings only
    • Submit on Canvas Quiz by Friday 2359

    • No time limit
    • One attempt
    • Note on use of ChatGPT
    Journal Entry 2
    • Which passage in our readings on meritocracy moved or frustrated you most? Write
    about its ethical significance.

    • Pick one aspect of meritocracy (from Tan’s discussion) that resonates most with your
    past or current experience. Write about its ethical significance.

    • Which of Scanlon’s (2003) objections to inequality best explains your own responses to
    elitism?

    • Imagine a campaign in Singapore against ‘a tyranny of the excellent or elite’.

    • Design your own prompt.


    Week 4 Online activities

    1. Exercise: Which norm is the hardest to honour?


    https://PollEv.com/discourses/IbKCoqC9FVsczsy8zs2ml/respond

    2. General Questions (about the module, concepts, moral clusters, Week 4


    readings…)
    https://PollEv.com/discourses/pwW6Q1T9A5czB86OifaTt/respond
    Dialogue on Inequality

    Tuesday (6 Feb 2024), 4-5.30pm [Zoom link on Canvas]

    Join us! ☺
    12 Feb Lecture Recorded

    Recording will be uploaded on Canvas


    Office hours

    Daryl Ooi By Appointment (can request zoom or in person


    at AS3 05-03)

    Melvin Ng Tuesdays 2-3pm, Wednesdays 10am-12pm

    Chloe Oh Fridays 12-2pm

    Kaelynn Yap Fridays 10am-12pm


    Thank you.
    Lecturer Daryl Ooi [email protected]
    Instructor Melvin Ng [email protected]
    Tutor Chloe Oh [email protected]
    Tutor Kaelynn Yap [email protected]

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