Singaporean Youth Culture
By Asta, Shila, Emma Line and Cecilie
On the surface, the Singaporean youth culture appears to be similar to that of the Western countries. They have adopted many Western idols, ways of associating with each other, etc. One may consider this a sign of admiration and idolizing, but rather than that more of an expression of the fact that the Singaporean youth is torn between many cultures. As Singapore have been colonized in the past and is now a hotspot for international business, the country itself is also deeply influenced by the many cultures it has been and is now exposed to. Another reason for the difficulties in creating a culture of their own may be that the country underlies an awe for the government. As it is quite strict, youth rebellions have been kept to a minimum, which may have caused the lack of development on the cultural front. In singapore your are of legal age when you’re turned 21, but already at the age of 18 they are obliged to do military service for at least two years, if they are done studying. Sparetime and school To be considered a “successful” young Singaporean, grades a very important. This is based on the very capitalistic and internationally focused community of Singapore. Good grades are crucial and that is why a lot of the singaporean youths put grades as a top priority in their lives. This results in lots of time for studying and less time for partying and social activities. “In this system, many intelligent and street-smart youths with ‘less-than-celebrated’ grades are deemed to have ‘failed the mark’.’” This sentence describes how much your future life depends on how much you care for school. This was mentioned in the article “In defense of young Singeporean adults.” |
Party Culture The party culture in Singapore, and generally in the eastern part of the world, is very different from the western. In western cultures such as the ones found in America and various European countries, parties are not always held because of a special occasion, but often just because people would like to bond with others. In contrast to that the Singaporean parties are always based on a celebration or a special occasion. The parties often consist of a dinner and then later on some singing and dancing. One of the big events in Singapore is the annual festival called the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). The event is organised by the Ministry of Education with the purpose of celebrating the achievements of their youth in their co-curricular activities (CCAs). The festival starts in April and culminates in a big celebration in July that lasts a month. The purpose of the SYF is to engage students from schools across Singapore who have or will be participating in the performing arts, sports and/or uniformed group CCAs. Sexual behavior of the Singaporean youth As mentioned earlier, Singaporean and Western youth culture is very similar. However, sex is one topic that differentiates the Singaporean youth culture from that of the Western, as premarital sex is a taboo. Sex before marriage is not accepted, and therefore there are less teen pregnancies. Girls has to be virgins before marriage, otherwise they will be looked upon as immodest. Even though sex is a taboo, the Western way of thinking has influenced the younger generations. A survey on channelnewasia.com from 2007 shows that 46 per cent of younger people find sex before marriage alright. |