According to the contact hypothesis, prejudice towards
out-groupscan be reduced by bringing in-group and out-group
memberstogether when six necessary conditions are met. The
conditionsrequired are: mutual interdependence; common goals; equal
status;informal,interpersonal contact; multiple contacts; and
social norms
of equality.To reduce ingaporeans! prejudice towards foreigners,
publichousing could ha"e a healthy mix of ingaporeans and
non-ingaporeans within the same housing estate, bloc#, or e"en
$oor.%n such a friendly, informal setting, ingroup and outgroup
memberswould be interacting as equals, wor#ing towards possible
commongoals such as #eeping the neighborhood safe and clean. %n
theabsence of any ob"ious con$icts, such contact would no doubt
helpto reduce prejudice as ingaporeans learn more about
non-ingaporeans through cooperation and interdependence. There
isone such scheme already present in ingapore. The
&ingapore'ermanant (esident )'(* +uota aims to pre"ent encla"es
fromforming in public housing estates and to help '( families
integratebetter into the local community.
