How does globalisation affect culture and security, for better and for worse?
Explain the cultural and security impacts of globalisation, including the spread of culture, threats to local identity, and cross-border threats such as disease and crime
A scaffolded answer to the cultural and security effects of globalisation. How culture spreads and mixes, how local identity can be threatened, and how cross-border threats such as disease, crime and extremism travel more easily.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point asks you to explain the cultural and security impacts of globalisation. The examiner wants you to show that globalisation affects more than the economy: it spreads culture and ideas, which can both enrich and threaten local identity, and it makes cross-border threats such as disease, crime and extremism travel more easily. A strong answer covers both the cultural and security sides, explains benefits and problems on each, and shows that greater connection brings risks as well as rewards.
The answer
Cultural benefit: exposure and mixing
On the cultural side, globalisation lets people enjoy and learn from cultures around the world: food, music, films, fashion and ideas spread across borders. This exposure makes life richer and more varied, broadens people's outlook, and can increase understanding between cultures. Cultures also mix and blend, creating new styles and ideas. For an open society, this cultural exchange is a real benefit of being connected to the world.
Cultural problem: threat to local identity
The same spread of culture can threaten local identity. As global culture, often dominated by a few powerful countries, becomes popular, local traditions, languages, customs and values can be weakened, especially among the young who grow up with global media. A country may worry that it is losing what makes it unique, or that its own culture is being crowded out. So globalisation can both enrich culture and put local identity at risk.
Security threat: disease and cross-border crime
On the security side, globalisation makes threats travel more easily. Because people move widely and quickly, diseases can spread across borders fast, and a global outbreak can reach many countries before it is contained, threatening health and the economy. Crime also becomes more cross-border: criminals, scams, trafficking and illegal goods can move between countries, and online crime can strike from anywhere. Connection that helps trade also helps threats travel.
Security threat: extremism and instability
Globalisation lets ideas spread instantly, including harmful ones. Extremist ideas and propaganda can reach and radicalise people online, so terrorism becomes a threat that crosses borders. A connected country is also exposed to instability elsewhere: conflicts, cyber-attacks and crises in other parts of the world can affect it through disrupted trade, online attacks, or threats to its people. So the openness that brings benefits also brings security risks that must be guarded against.
Examples in context
Example 1. A global disease outbreak. A disease that emerges in one country can spread worldwide within weeks because of global travel, threatening health and disrupting trade and daily life everywhere. This shows how globalisation turns a local health problem into a global security threat that countries must prepare for together.
Example 2. Online radicalisation and scams. Extremist propaganda and cross-border scams can reach people anywhere through the internet, so threats no longer stop at borders. This shows the security risks of a connected world and links directly to how Singapore responds to security threats.
Try this
Q1. State one cultural benefit and one cultural problem of globalisation. [2 marks]
- Cue. Benefit: exposure to and enjoyment of cultures from around the world (mixing, understanding). Problem: the weakening of local traditions, languages or identity as global culture spreads.
Q2. Explain how globalisation can spread security threats across borders. [3 marks]
- Cue. The fast movement of people lets diseases spread quickly, and the spread of information lets crime, scams and extremist ideas reach people anywhere, so threats such as outbreaks, online crime and radicalisation can come from beyond a country's borders.
Q3. Explain why globalisation can threaten a country's local identity. [3 marks]
- Cue. As global culture, often from a few powerful countries, becomes popular through media, local traditions, languages and customs can be weakened, especially among the young, so a country may worry it is losing what makes it unique.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original6 marksExplain one cultural benefit and one cultural problem that globalisation can bring.Show worked answer →
Benefit: exposure to different cultures. Globalisation lets people enjoy food, music, films and ideas from around the world, which makes life richer and broadens people's outlook. This is a benefit because it increases understanding and choice.
Problem: threat to local identity. As global, often Western, culture spreads, local traditions, languages and customs can be weakened, especially among the young. This is a problem because a country can lose part of what makes it unique.
What markers reward: one clear cultural benefit (exposure, mixing, understanding) and one clear cultural problem (threat to local identity or culture), each explained. The strongest answers show culture as both enriched and threatened by globalisation.
Original7 marksExplain how globalisation can create security threats for a country.Show worked answer →
Threat 1: spread of disease. Because people travel widely and quickly, diseases can spread across borders fast, as a global outbreak can reach many countries before it is contained. This threatens health and the economy.
Threat 2: cross-border crime and terrorism. Globalisation lets criminals and extremist ideas move and spread more easily, for example online, so threats such as terrorism, scams and trafficking can come from beyond a country's borders.
Threat 3: exposure to global instability. Conflicts, cyber-attacks or crises elsewhere can affect a connected country, for example through disrupted trade or online attacks.
What markers reward: two or three clear security threats (disease, crime and terrorism, instability or cyber-threats), each explained with how globalisation makes it worse. A short conclusion that connection brings risks as well as benefits lifts the answer.
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