How Do Singaporeans Connect? Ties Among Chinese, Malays, and Indians

Chua, Vincent

¹National University of Singapore, Singapore

Vincent Chua, Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore, 11 Arts Link, AS1 #04-27, Singapore 117570, Singapore. Email: [email protected]

American Behavioral Scientist 59(9):p 1115-1128, August 2015. | DOI: 10.1177/0002764215580617

What social phenomena affect the pattern of intra- and inter-ethnic ties among Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Others in Singapore? I examine group size, ethnic solidarity, ethnic competition, and kinship as plausible explanations of inter-ethnic contact among 1,143 persons linked to 7,414 network members. I find a sizeable amount of inter-ethnic ties between Chinese and Malays. Group size is the major factor: As Chinese outnumber Malays 5.4 to 1 (76% to 14%), Malays have more opportunities for interethnic contact than do Chinese. Once the size of the two ethnic groups is accounted for, no other factor substantially affects Malay-Chinese inter-ethnic contact.