Doing charity, encouraging healthy eating, adhering to onerous rules: Is too much being asked of hawkers?
Because of how deeply embedded hawker culture is in the fabric of Singaporean society, hawkers are often called to be in the vanguard of social change. Among their many responsibilities is an obligation to encourage Singaporeans to eat healthier meals. They are also expected to help shield lower-income families from the tide of inflation. Dr Ye Junjia, associate professor at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, who researches social and economic inequality in Singapore, says: “If hawkers are taking cost-cutting measures that don’t translate to very satisfying budget meals, then it might suggest that the budget meal system isn’t very sustainable, because it’s not benefiting lower-income customers either.” She adds it might be time for Singaporeans to adjust their expectations amid rising hawker prices. Dr Keri Matwick, senior lecturer at NTU’s School of Humanities, who studies food media discourse, says that affordable hawker meals act as an important alternative to handouts from food charities. “There’s no social stigma to eating at a hawker centre because it does still have this national and global acclaim of having good food. So it provides a dignified way for everyone to eat, regardless of class.”
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