How does globalisation show up in the everyday lives of ordinary people?
Describe how globalisation is experienced in everyday life through goods, jobs, media and travel, and how different people experience it differently
A scaffolded answer to how people experience globalisation day to day. The goods we buy, the jobs we do, the media we consume and the travel we take, and why globalisation is experienced differently by different people.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point asks you to describe how globalisation is experienced in everyday life, and to recognise that people experience it differently. The examiner wants you to move from the big idea of globalisation to its real, daily presence: the goods we buy, the jobs we do, the media we watch, and the travel we take. A strong answer gives concrete everyday examples and makes the key point that globalisation has both winners and losers, so the same process feels very different to different people.
The answer
Globalisation in the goods we use
People experience globalisation most obviously through the goods they buy and use. A typical day involves products from many countries: a phone made overseas, clothes from abroad, and food imported from around the world. Global brands are available everywhere. This means that ordinary shopping connects people to the world economy, often without them thinking about it. Globalisation is woven into everyday consumption.
Globalisation in jobs and the economy
Globalisation shapes the jobs people do. Many work for companies that operate across borders, or in industries that export to the world or serve foreign visitors. Others work alongside, or in competition with, people from other countries. For some, globalisation brings new and better jobs; for others, it brings competition or the risk that their work moves overseas. So people experience globalisation strongly through their working lives.
Globalisation in media and travel
People experience globalisation through media and entertainment: watching shows, listening to music, playing games and following trends from around the world on their phones and screens. They also experience it through travel, going abroad for holidays, study or work, and meeting people from other cultures at home. These experiences bring the wider world into daily leisure and broaden how people see the world.
Why people experience it differently
Globalisation does not feel the same to everyone, because it creates winners and losers. People with in-demand skills, higher incomes, or jobs in global industries tend to gain: better jobs, global opportunities, and access to travel and goods. People with fewer skills, lower incomes, or jobs that face foreign competition may feel the downsides more, such as job insecurity or rising prices. So a person's situation, their job, income and skills, shapes whether globalisation feels like an opportunity or a threat.
Examples in context
Example 1. A globally connected workplace. A Singaporean working in a multinational company may collaborate with colleagues overseas, travel for work, and use skills valued worldwide, experiencing globalisation as opportunity. This shows the everyday working life of a globalisation winner.
Example 2. Competition and rising costs. A worker in a job that faces competition from cheaper labour abroad, or a family feeling the pinch of rising prices, may experience globalisation as pressure rather than benefit. This shows the other side of the experience and links to how Singapore responds to economic changes.
Try this
Q1. State two everyday ways a person experiences globalisation. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: the goods they buy (foreign-made products and food), the media they watch (global shows, music, trends), their jobs (global companies, export industries), and travel.
Q2. Explain how globalisation can be both an opportunity and a threat depending on the person. [3 marks]
- Cue. Those with in-demand skills, higher incomes or jobs in global industries gain better jobs and opportunities, while those with fewer skills or jobs facing foreign competition may feel insecurity or rising prices, so the same process helps some and hurts others.
Q3. Describe how media and entertainment show globalisation in daily life. [3 marks]
- Cue. People watch shows, listen to music, play games and follow trends from many countries on their phones and screens, so the global flow of culture reaches their everyday leisure and shapes what they enjoy.
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 marksDescribe two ways people in Singapore experience globalisation in their daily lives.Show worked answer →
Way 1: through the goods they buy. People use products made in many countries, from phones and clothes to food, so daily shopping connects them to the global economy. This shows globalisation as part of ordinary consumption.
Way 2: through media and entertainment. People watch shows, listen to music and follow trends from around the world on their phones and screens. This shows the global flow of culture reaching everyday leisure.
What markers reward: two clear everyday experiences (goods, jobs, media, travel), each with an example. The strongest answers show globalisation as a normal, daily part of life, not an abstract idea.
Original7 marksExplain why different people may experience globalisation in very different ways.Show worked answer →
Reason 1: different jobs. Some people gain from globalisation, such as workers in global companies or export industries, while others lose out, such as those whose jobs move overseas or who face competition from foreign workers.
Reason 2: different incomes. Wealthier people can enjoy global travel, goods and opportunities, while poorer people may feel the downsides, such as rising prices, more than the benefits.
Reason 3: different skills. People with skills that are in global demand do well, while those without may struggle as the economy changes. So the same globalisation helps some and hurts others.
What markers reward: two or three reasons (jobs, income, skills) showing that globalisation has winners and losers, each explained with an example. A short conclusion that experience depends on a person's situation lifts the answer.
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