Singapore and its place in the world

Enduring Understandings
Students should understand that:
1. Society is made up of institutions, norms and ideals born
out of culture, in its attempts to prescribe an appropriate
way of life.
2. The roles that persons play in society are not innate. Roles
are, to some extent, defined by institutions which they are
part of, and as such, can be re-defined or resisted.
3. Social institutions, however large or small, do not represent
a completely accurate and entirely appropriate way of life.
These institutions exist in relation to others within a
society, as they grapple for power.
4. The norms and ideals of a society at any point represent
the views held by the dominant group. As a consequence,
those who find themselves different from this group, or on
the losing end of this power struggle, are forced to conform
to these ideals and norms, or risk being deemed deviant.
5. We live in an interconnected world and we need to be
aware of what is happening around the world as there are
implications (direct or indirect) on our society.
6. Singapore has traditionally remained open due to its small
size and this outward orientation has been crucial to the
countrys success but this openness may be under threat
because of changes in both the internal and external
environment.
7. Singapore's approach to defence is shaped by both the
unique circumstances surrounding our country's
independence and the enduring geostrategic limitations we
face.
8. Singapore needs to differentiate itself from the new

Essential Questions
1. What are the major institutions in your society?
2. How do these institutions put their ideals and norms into
place?
3. How is appropriate behaviour or conformity acknowledged?
4. How is non-conformity handled?
5. How does your way of life either fit or distance itself from
that of the majority?
6. Is the way of life that the majority subscribes to in society
as a whole necessarily good or morally justified?
7. How do external factors affect what is happening in your
society?
8. How does what happen in another society affect you and
your society?
9. What are the opportunities and challenges which your
society faces in this environment that is filled with VUCA
(Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity)?
10. What are the functions of diplomacy?
11. What are the factors which determine the approach that
different countries take to establish diplomatic relations?
12. How does a society define itself to stay competitive and
relevant?
13. How does Singapore contribute to the global
community?

competition and to develop new sustainable, competitive

strengths for the economy,
9. The functioning of diplomacy is influenced by a
complicated combination of different interrelated factors
and diplomacy is an instrument of good governance.

The Arts, Humanities, Culture and Heritage

Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

Students should understand that:

1. The arts and culture are an integral part of Singapore
which the country must continue to nurture because they
allow us to appreciate beauty and love, and uplifts our
spirits.
2. Arts institutions also play a key role in the cultural shift
taking place in Singapore - to define success more broadly
- while arming students with skills relevant to the
workplace.
3. It is important that we do not just have a domestic mindset
to the arts. We need to look at how Singapore can play a
role globally in the art world.
4. The arts are a broad subdivision of culture, composed of
many expressive disciplines. In modern usage, it is a term
broader than art which usually means visual arts
(comprising both fine art, decorative arts and crafts).
5. In modern academia, the arts are usually grouped with or
are a subset of the humanities.
6. The arts form the foundation of our cultural heritage. The
convergence of rich and diverse cultural influences has
endowed Singapore with both a traditional and
contemporary outlook.
7. The arts serve many purposes and have value to both
individuals and society and some of these intangible
benefits range from providing entertainment to developing
the whole person and adding richness and depth to society.
8. By culture, anthropology means the total way of life of a
people, the social legacy the individual acquires from his
group. Our culture can be regarded as that part of the
environment that is the creation of man. Culture arises out
of human nature, and its forms are restricted by both

1. What are different forms of the arts and what roles do they
play in society?
2. What is the value of the arts and humanities to you and
your society?
3. How do the arts and humanities contribute to the human
experience?
4. What is culture and what is its role in society?
5. What is a cultured person?
6. What is heritage and why is it important to preserve
cultural heritage?
7. What is the link between the arts and our cultural heritage?
8. What are some threats to our cultural heritage?
9. How important is it to preserve our culture and heritage?
10. What are the challenges of promoting the arts in
Singapore?
11. How important it is for a society to appreciate the arts?
12. What threats do modernisation and globalisation pose to
culture?
13. How important is it for you and your society to retain
traditions and customs in a rapidly modernising world?
14. How does Singapore develop its own identity and
culture?

mans biology and natural laws.

9. Rapid modernisation and globalisation pose a threat to the
preservation of culture and heritage and we need to be
aware of the challenges and find ways to deal with them.