An opinion piece by Ling Sing Lin
This is when a person feels superior to those of lower social status. In Elizabethan England, the four main social classes were the Nobility, the Gentry, the Yeomanry, and the Poor. In most societies today, the classification is more like: upper class, upper middle class, lower middle class, and lower class, based on financial means. One can change social class quickly through marriage, usually when a pretty girl marries up the social ladder. Drastic change in financial situation can also happen, up or down. However, it is not that quick or easy to acquire the social niceties that are associated with the upper classes.
As education can affect one’s future wealth, attending an elite school also results in social snobbery, something Singaporeans are familiar with. In Sarawak, all school children wear the same type of school uniform. This is something our education system can ponder over.
Reverse Snobbery
This is sometimes referred to as inverted snobbery, when a person is proud that he is sympathetic towards common folks and shuns those of higher social status or educational levels.
Introverts
Introverts are generally quiet, reserved and introspective, especially in a new social situation. Because they usually stay silent, they may be mistakenly perceived to be a social snob, when they are in a group where they are perceived to be of a higher social class. I have personal experience of this, when I am in a group of some of my younger sister’s friends whom I am meeting for the first time. My sister is very extroverted, so my introversion in a new social situation is perceived as social snobbery.
Social Invitations
When we organise gatherings, small or large, there is always size constraint. You can’t invite all your friends. Some will inevitably be left out, and feel the snub. Such situations have to be artfully managed. Sometimes, the “uninvited” don’t realise that they also need to initiate invitations, rather than to always wait for invitations. It is not necessarily a matter of social snobbery.
Socially Marginalised
Every society has its social classes. In Singapore, with a large migrant population, many of whom do the grunt jobs, these migrant workers are the faceless and ignored people amongst our midst. They are literally invisible to many of us, whether we admit it or not. Many of us don’t acknowledge them, much less look them in the eye. Yet, if we hear their stories, I believe many of us would be moved to pity.
There are however some individuals who go out of their way to give them a little love. I have a friend who buys buns from bakeries, and just stops her car to hand the buns to random migrant workers doing roadworks. Another friend regularly invites the cleaners in her estate to her home for a meal, and chats with them about their families back home. There are also kind souls who started a voluntary organisation called HealthServe, which provides medical care to migrant workers; and several other voluntary organizations helping domestic workers.
Moral of the Story
In life, we don’t stay static in a social class. Social mobility means that we should not be social snobs when the going is good. Humility and compassion are good traits to cultivate. Perhaps you can offer cold drinks to the migrant workers working near your house?
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
