Globalization Experiences in Singapore: National Identity, Social Challenges, and Educational Reforms
Singapore is a cosmopolitan nation that has been transformed by the forces of globalization since the 1990s. Kubler and Weber (2003) explain that “Singapore embarked on a process of globalizing its economy, its population, and its culture to make the nation relevant to the needs of the rest of the world” (p. 371). Some examples of the strategies that Singapore implemented as a result of the influences globalization are “establishing English as the language of politics, business, and education; building the economy through close cooperation with multinational corporations; importing popular culture from around the world…; sending large numbers of Singaporeans to study abroad; and encouraging the immigration of large numbers of “foreign talent” to complement its only natural resource—its people” (Kubler & Weber, 2003, p. 372). The philosophy and strategies for globalizing Singapore have had an impact on its national identity, social welfare, and educational reforms. …show more content…
The identity has been transformed from the beginnings of a nation that sought to bring immigrant populations together in a nation-state which later searched for an Asian identity as the nation became westernized. After the 1990s, “the process of globalization in its various manifestations has increasingly undermined the territorial boundedness, sovereignty and traditional role of the existing system of the modern nation-state” (Amaldas, 2009, p. 983), so globalization has influenced the national identity of Singaporeans who now live “in a cosmopolitan global city” (Velayutham, 2007, cited in Amaldas, 2009, p. 984). Singaporean citizens are multicultural and multilingual, but their national identity is defined by principles and practices of national
Singapore is a cosmopolitan nation that has been transformed by the forces of globalization since the 1990s. Kubler and Weber (2003) explain that “Singapore embarked on a process of globalizing its economy, its population, and its culture to make the nation relevant to the needs of the rest of the world” (p. 371). Some examples of the strategies that Singapore implemented as a result of the influences globalization are “establishing English as the language of politics, business, and education; building the economy through close cooperation with multinational corporations; importing popular culture from around the world…; sending large numbers of Singaporeans to study abroad; and encouraging the immigration of large numbers of “foreign talent” to complement its only natural resource—its people” (Kubler & Weber, 2003, p. 372). The philosophy and strategies for globalizing Singapore have had an impact on its national identity, social welfare, and educational reforms. …show more content…
The identity has been transformed from the beginnings of a nation that sought to bring immigrant populations together in a nation-state which later searched for an Asian identity as the nation became westernized. After the 1990s, “the process of globalization in its various manifestations has increasingly undermined the territorial boundedness, sovereignty and traditional role of the existing system of the modern nation-state” (Amaldas, 2009, p. 983), so globalization has influenced the national identity of Singaporeans who now live “in a cosmopolitan global city” (Velayutham, 2007, cited in Amaldas, 2009, p. 984). Singaporean citizens are multicultural and multilingual, but their national identity is defined by principles and practices of national