Singapore-based undergraduate research in social and environmental causes

As someone who grew up in the urbanised city of Singapore, Environmental Studies major Jermayne Ong (Class of 2022) finds herself surrounded by unfettered consumption and is concerned about its environmental impacts.

To investigate the consumption habits of Singaporeans, she decided to embark on a research capstone to find out whether engaging in alternative modes of consumption (such as second-hand, renting, trading, or sharing) encouraged individuals to consume less.

Jermayne Ong’s capstone explored the impacts of buying second-hand, and how it affected overall consumption behaviours. Image provided by Jermayne.

Through conducting interviews, Jermayne found that engaging in second-hand purchases seemed to expose people to issues relating to waste and the environmental impact of shopping. For example, second-hand buying tended to involve more effort on the part of the buyer, such as checking for defects, or sifting through a mountain of items. This results in a greater degree of contemplation and intentionality when purchasing an item, leading to a “slower” way of approaching consumption.

Reflecting on her takeaways, Jermayne shared, “I really enjoyed my interviews! I admire how some of my interviewees have grown in their second-hand journeys and became proud proponents of thrifting and buying used. Some of my interviewees are also really passionate about being anti-capitalist or anti-consumerist, and this encourages me on my own journey too.”

Steven Sy’s capstone explored the lived experience of sex education for men in Singapore. Image provided by Steven.

For his capstone project, Anthropology major Steven Sy (Class of 2022) sought to explore the lived experience of sex education for men in Singapore, both in the formal spaces of the classroom, but also in informal group spaces.

Having personally experienced an all-male schooling environment, topics surrounding toxic masculinity and sex education were very close to his heart. Therefore, Steven wanted to embark on a project that allowed him to reflect on his experiences, his own masculinity, and also unpack why men seem to be “stuck” in their ways.

Through the research process, Steven found evidence that shows the commonly held narrative of ‘boys will be boys’ – the idea that harmful male behaviour such as mistreating or objectifying women should be tolerated because boys are naturally mischievous – is actually actively causing harm to how men perceive themselves.

In addition, Steven said that when men are not taught alternative ways to be masculine, their ways of expressing themselves are erased. This might then manifest in behaviour that causes harm to themselves or to others.

Said Steven, “We are just made to be this way because of the circumstances in which we grow up, which are especially bad for men from all-male schools. This experience made me more convinced that while men have a lot to unlearn and work on, it is possible for men to be kind, sensitive, and open-minded, and that I’m not naive or misguided for believing that we can be better.”

Ultimately, Steven concludes with a message of hope, of how men can be better. As someone who aspires to one day become a teacher, Steven hopes to engage future students in positive and affirming ways, and set a good example for the male students to unlearn all the harmful ways that they have been taught by society to be men.

Urban Studies major Lim Jingzhou (Class of 2022) has been working as a community worker at the Cassia Resettlement Team, a community organisation that serves residents who were affected by public rental housing relocation.

Jingzhou’s capstone focused on defining minimum housing needs in Singapore using participatory methods, as a natural extension of his work on the ground. He interviewed 23 persons from a range of diverse backgrounds, inviting them to share their views on the minimum housing needs in Singapore. Through his interviews, Jingzhou found that there are multiple layers to defining minimum housing needs, including space adequacy, personal spaces which provide privacy and fulfilling essential functional needs associated with a home.

Jingzhou added, “When I was writing the paper, I realised that studying minimum housing needs also helped me to recognise the stark disparity in housing conditions for households of different socioeconomic classes in Singapore. By comparing what my interviewees vocalised as minimum housing needs, and what is currently provided to, say, residents in government public rental housing, we can better recognise housing inequality.”

Jingzhou hopes that by centering the voices of people in his research, their lived realities can better inform people who are not familiar with these housing issues, and spark further conversations on housing and what it means to live a thriving and dignified life in Singapore. Combining his extensive groundwork with the role of a researcher, his research made invaluable contributions to local literature on housing in Singapore, while allowing him to apply his findings directly in service of his community work.

The capstone project is a major milestone and an integral part of the Yale-NUS College experience. A significant piece of original independent research conducted in their respective disciplines, students work with their professors to synthesise their learnings and focus on a key area of interest. These three graduating students have used the locally-based social science research project as an opportunity to deepen their engagement with and understanding of local causes close to their hearts.