The American Dream has been popularised around the world. But have you heard of the Singapore Dream? Back when I was growing, the Singapore Dream was conceptualised to denote our aspirations. Perhaps it was a nod to the American Dream. Anyway, attaining the Singapore Dream means that you have acquired the 5 Cs, namely cash, credit card, car, career & country club membership.
Nowadays, the notion of the 5 Cs is regarded as crass. Who needs a country club membership, anyway? However, even as our younger generations prize work-life balance and favour travelling and remote working, our society still cares about money and possessions collectively. The 5 Cs have been replaced by other lofty goals, such as accumulating your first $100k before you reach 30.
I used to think that because the American Dream reflects the aspirations of native citizens and immigrants alike and symbolizes their desire to be successful and wealthy, the Americans regard their jobs primarily as a way to make money.
I dare say that Singaporeans’ cultural code for work is MONEY. We are a small island nation and are conditioned to think that if we don’t hustle and make the best out of ourselves, we will be taken over by hungrier Southeast Asians and starve to death.
Okay, I am being melodramatic, but you get the idea.
Contrary to my expectations, it seems that the Americans don’t see their jobs as a way to make money as much as they perceive it as a source of identity. Got this from “The Cultural Code” by Clotaire Rapaille:
The idea that Americans tie their jobs to their self-worth is corroborated in ”The Good Enough Job” by Simone Stolzoff.
I have only read three chapters so far, but it promises to be an enlightening read. Simone details how Americans came to place so much stock on their jobs due to various factors like the decline in organised religion and the prevalence of vocational awe (that you find your calling via your job). She also advises that we find multiple sources of meaning so that when shit happens to our jobs, we won’t take it too personally.
You might have heard that it is against the law to email your colleague after office hours (8pm) in France. Trust me, sometimes my wife works past 8pm! Suffice it to say that the French have a more relaxed approach toward work than the Americans and Singaporeans.
What about your country? How do you and your countrymen perceive work?
The idea that Americans attach their self-worth to their jobs is kind of male-centric.
Women tend to value work-life balance much more than men do. The general culture might be shifting in that direction, too.
reply
Do you think that women take a back seat because they value pursuits outside of work or because they don’t fancy having to adapt themselves to emerge tops in male-dominated industries?
Personally, I think it’s great that Gen Z don’t devote their entire identities to work. The side hustle culture is strong amidst them. However, I don’t quite like how they expect things to be changed just because they happen to have the first mover advantage in regard to some emerging technologies haha
reply
I can only really speak to the American context, but there's a lot of evidence that women are very willing to sacrifice earning potential for their other priorities.
That's not exactly the same as not attaching self-worth to their career, but it's in the same direction. Women tend to have more similarly valued priorities, while men tend to focus on a top priority.
reply
Interesting. I will say that Singaporean ladies are as competitive and ambitious as their male counterparts. It’s encoded in our DNA. We even have a Singlish word for it: kiasu (scared to lose out). We exemplified FOMO before it was even a thing.
reply
That doesn't surprise. It's also true of my Chinese friends.
reply
You only spent a few weeks there but it has had a lasting impact on your worldview, huh?
reply
I didn't make any Chinese friends while I was there. Those friendships came from grad school.
reply
I see! Do you still keep in touch with them? Have they been Americanised?
I have had the benefit of having a hard-driving male mentor from The Bronx and a Jewish female mentor who was driven until they screwed her under my very eyes and stunted my career because I wouldn't throw her under the bus and make her lose her disability. I seriously learned work-life balance with this perspective.
reply
I'm not entirely sure where I got it from, because both of my parents were workaholics.
For some reason, it just never made sense to me that I should prioritize spending time at work over spending time with my friends and family.
reply
I am from the warrior class. Military all the way back to the Civil War. Except me. I became the pot smoking, acid dropping college student, but I still carry remnants of the loyalty/dedication bug.
reply
I just read this line in Simone’s book: it is family until it isn’t.
You must have felt helpless and indignant during that time - not a good recipe for mental health
reply
Definitely male centric
But there are many women who are childless and career focused. Prominent in Germany, USA and South Korea
reply
Americans very strongly believe they are what they do
It seems to me that is fairly universal? I mean I get it that you could point to some tribe in the jungle to disprove it, but I mean among world economies it seems like a universal concept.
Does an italian surgeon not view his life thru that same lens? A russian banker? A japanese nuclear scientist?
reply
I agree that who you are = work is a universal concept. I also think that there are nuances in which this is manifested across societies, especially collectivistic ones.
I think in Japan, loyalty to the group plays a huge part. You may want to have some personal space outside your work, but you are unlikely to decline a weeknight round of drinks or a weekend golf gathering, out of deference to your boss and seniors. In Singapore, we draw the line between work and life more strictly.
reply
I think the Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa are the exception to the rule
reply
Probably is true. In a related note....a former neighbor of mine was from Jordan. We became sociable and would have occasional BBQs etc.
One day his wife was complaining that her sewing machine was broken. It just so happen that a few weeks earlier I saw a sign in town advertising "sewing machine repair" (it stuck in my mind since its sort of a niche shop to have).
I mentioned this to her and he was blown away. He mentioned that only in America could you find such specialization. In Jordan, you could find some handyman that might be able to fix it, but no one would go to the lengths to specialize in something as narrow as "sewing machine repair".
reply
Nice anecdote, thanks for sharing
reply
I think specialization is a feature of an advanced economy ever since David Ricardo wrote about comparative advantage.
What was your neighbor occupation?
reply
Owned a pizza restaurant. It was very good Neapolitan-style. He actually taught me quite a bit about dough making.
reply
Very cool
Interesting fact about Jordan: it is a Palestinian state. 60 to 70 percent of Jordan is Palestinian.
reply
10 sats \ 1 reply \ @freetx 26 May
Yes, at the time I knew him I was a "lapsed" catholic.
Since that time I've re-read the bible a few times. Turns out Jesus was baptized by John The Baptist in the Jordan River.
The strange history is that he was born a Muslim, who converted to Christianity when he met his wife (she was Lebanese). During his conversion he started studying Christianity / Rome / etc. This led him becoming fascinated with authentic pizza....
reply
Lebanon 🇱🇧 has an interesting history.
Beirut was known as the Paris of the Middle East
I've really noticed this moving around from a generational perspective -- the younger folks I've hired need to be dealt with really differently from the older. Here's a caricature:
Older: grind and live for the company in order to make it big. Younger: maintain their own identity, work is more to pay the bills.
So far so good -- it's a choice based on values. What isn't a choice based on values is that the younger folks often feel entitled to the same fruits of the older folks' strategy: they want to make it big, but figure it's their birthright or something. They eventually realize that the corporate world is not that concerned with their self-actualization, and then they get upset, and either leave, or languish.
Not sure if the ones who leave find greener pastures elsewhere. Not sure how it will play out for either group en-masse over time.
reply
As you interact with your Gen Z employees, have you relied on any tried-and-tested ways to boost their motivation and maintain their focus on the job at hand?
reply
Half of it is the usual stuff, just more emphatically: find out what they care about, work with them to connect that to as much job-related tasks as possible. In white collar work it's almost always possible for a manager to find ways to do this because there are so many degrees of freedom. Most managers are inept, sadly.
The part that's unique to Millennial / Gen-Z is to gently get them to understand that the workplace doesn't exist simply to help them self-actualize. This is obvious to the point of absurdity for other demographics, but often a necessary caveat for this group.
reply
42 sats \ 1 reply \ @Akg10s33 5 Jun
I would also like to go to Singapore... it looks very interesting and educational... traveling is my passion, except that I have only known countries in South America. I am from Venezuela and I have been to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile.
reply
Welcome to Stacker News! Thank you for your interest in my country. I also look forward to learning from your travel experiences. I have never been to South America ;(
reply
I would say around here (Spain) code is to get a job that pays for the bills and enjoy your life as much as you can. Obviously, I am just generalising.
reply
I'm an immigrant in Spain, and have had many jobs, and people always seem to do their jobs because it either pays the bills or because they love their jobs.
What I find mesmerizing is the authority people give here to their bosses, it's like everyone hates their boss but nobody does anything to fight them when they are wrong.
reply
Which part of the world are you originally from? It’s hard to imagine my countrymen challenging their bosses openly haha
reply
21 sats \ 1 reply \ @pakovm 29 May
One thing is challenging your boss, another is correcting then politely and offer solutions for a problem (lets say you need a day off and you already made all the arrangements to have the day covered so your boss doesn't have to worry about it) and still be seen as something that shouldn't be done and a defiance of your boss' authority.
It's strange to me, never saw anything like that in my country.
reply
Yup I’m surprised the Spaniards keep quiet about this, given their gregarious nature.
Singaporeans won’t take this lying down haha
reply
Yes, you are right. Some people love it.
Regarding the second part of your comment, I think it’s the same issue. You have a job that pays bills , enough money to enjoy you spare time with friends and family, so why bother getting problems with your boss.
I know it’s wrong but I think it is how it works.
reply
I wanna ask: how do youths cope when the youth unemployment rate has been so high in Spain for years?
Personally I try to have a siesta at work whenever I can. I cannot believe the rest of the world hasn’t caught up with the Spaniards!
reply
“I wanna ask: how do youths cope when the youth unemployment rate has been so high in Spain for years?“
Two possible answers : family support and , lately, emigrating to other European countries.
Regarding siesta: I can only recommend to have it in a regular basis though not longer than 15-30 minutes . This is enough to replenish your energy levels.
reply
Lol! I don’t have time to take a longer nap even if I want to haha.
Do you take a cup of coffee before your siesta? Read somewhere about the benefits of combining coffee n siesta together
reply
Personally, I take coffee after the siesta.
reply
In my country that is India people consider their work like worship. There is a culture that people respect their work the way they pay respect to God. It doesn't matter to them, what they are getting back. Dedication, transparency are elements in work culture here.
reply
Wow reverence towards work. I don’t think I can ever achieve this mindset haha
reply
This is very easy
reply
In my country that is India, work culture is all about celebrating differences among people.
India is like a collection of different cultures, and each part of the country brings its way of looking at things. This mix brings together people with varied experiences and thoughts at work, creating a colorful blend of ideas. Having different perspectives helps in coming up with new solutions, being more creative, and making better decisions.
Talking about personal objectives or 5 CS, I would assume that Cash, Car, Career and Credit card are valued but club membership isn't a thing here. Instead of it they save more and more. It's just a normal behaviour. Every individual who earns handsome amounts value saving in Fiat or buying SIPs or Mutual Funds just to save on taxes.
reply
Nice that India is a harmonious country in spite of its diversity
reply
I live in Canada. The cultural code of work is try to extract the most out of your employer as possible for the least amount of production possible.
But I was an employer for for 15 years so admittedly somewhat biased.
reply
Sounds like Canadians have the right priorities, haha.
As an employer, how did you prevent your business from being “exploited”?
reply
We had a lot of staff turnover over the years. It’s a pain in and ass and expensive but best for the long term health of the business. Regardless of having the right priorities if employees routinely produce less economic value than they are paid by the business eventually the business will fail. Excluding government workers of course. They can extract more than they produce in perpetuity.
reply
Gulp. Note to self: no more shitposting on SN during work!
reply
Nothing wrong with some shitposting time if you are producing at a high level.
reply
I let you know after my work review this Wednesday haha
reply
If your review isn’t good you can show them your SN portfolio of posts and say stackers gave you an excellent review. Haha.
reply
on their jobs due to various factors like the decline in organised religion and the prevalence of vocational awe (that you find your calling via your job)
this is very interesting.
reply
Thanks, mate. I will do a proper book review when I finish it
reply