*The Debatewise Blog
Yu Austin Liu’s view of globalisation
In a sense, I am already a product of globalization and its effects. Although I was born in Singapore, my father was from China and my mother from Singapore. That they met in a university in the United States and later settled in Singapore is largely a result of modern globalisation.Globalisation is the increasing economic, social, cultural and political integration in the world today, made possible by technological advances which have effectively reduced distances between various parts of the world. Globalization can be considered to have begun since the middle to late 19th century due to colonialism and the accelerated economic integration that followed. The influx of migrants into Singapore was spurred by the ease of transportation and the attraction of better wages and hence the foundation of Singapore was built by globalization.
More recently, Singapore has been affected by globalization in various other ways. The comparatively high standard of living here is due to global trade. Singapore is lucky to be in such a strategic geographical location, allowing it to become an important port, benefiting from trade and related activities, such as importing raw goods and exporting refined products. The economy of Singapore also benefits from the increased tourism brought about by globalization, which has made travel easier and more attractive.
As a result of this, my friends and I enjoy a reasonably high standard of living and much of the country has access to information around the world through various media such as television and the Internet. As a consequence, Singaporeans are exposed to many new ideas in their daily life. An effect of this is the general embracing of Western ideals and values, especially among the youth. This includes the rise of individualism and in some cases a desire for greater freedom of speech and press. A natural consequence of this is the decreasing interest in traditional language and culture and a decreased sense of cultural awareness among Singaporeans, who are largely ethnic Chinese, Malays and Indians. The desire for greater freedom to grow and develop has also led to some amount of “brain drain”, although the inflow of talent into Singapore is also quite sizeable.
The future of Singapore will also be intimately associated with globalization and its effects. Whether this is for the better or worse, however, will to a large extent depend on how our citizens and the government make the best out of the situation.
Yu Austin Liu, Singapore