A Multicultural Space in the Global Cityscape

E10 3

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Abstract

The forces of globalization, which have been variously defined by economic, political, social and cultural terms, have reconfigured urban markets and places through cross-cultural linkages. This paper examines how these movements transform small local businesses in Singapore through a case study of a neighborhood coffee shop. Formerly a state-supported urban space that facilitated multi-ethnic interactions during Singapore’s urban transformation, this structure faced dual challenges of maintaining its profitability and character in the new global cityscape. This paper argues that, through the changing face of its workers and adoption of niche cuisine, the vision of neighborhood coffee shops as multicultural spaces of interaction is giving way to the formation of ethnic enclaves. As such, this paper illustrates how global forces simultaneously enhances, challenges and shapes multiculturalism in a city.