Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The impacts of globalization have been discussed in both academic and public domains as it continues to expand in various directions. In order to prepare people to perform well, government bodies are placing emphasis on equipping people with the “right” education to innovate and ride global trends. Moreover, education acts as a great social leveller and plays an essential role in providing opportunity for individuals to succeed. However, in reality, to acquire the desired education can be a challenge and this progression from lower to middle and upper class can be immensely restricted. One reason for this is that admission to school is determined by academic performance, which are influenced by families’ financial position. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s “The Forms of Capital” (1986), we discuss how the process of globalization has redefined multiple forms of capital and exacerbated social inequalities. Although the concept of social inequality is not a new phenomenon, we argue that the process of globalization makes it more difficult for certain groups of people to possess, accumulate, and convert capital into desired wealth. This study stresses the importance of implementing policies that seeks to address the problem of equity in education; it argues that implementing policies that aim to treat everyone fairly and provide equal access can only be plausible if all people are placed at the same starting point and require the same amount of help. Using Singapore as an example, “all schools are good schools” only when “unequal” support is given to different groups of Singaporeans.