Influence of Mainland Chinese popular culture on the construction of the Singaporean Chinese cultural identity

Past studies have detailed the effects of consuming television programs on cultural identity construction, especially with regards to those of the transnational Chinese community. With the rise of social media, cross-exchange and consumption of other cultural contents have increased exponentially. Building on Collier and Thomas’s Cultural Identity Theory, this study will aim to elucidate the effects of consuming popular Chinese cultural content on the construction of cultural identity among Singaporean Chinese youth. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, it was found that popular Chinese cultural content enabled the construction of a unique cultural identity through “othering”. However, the content itself had minimal effects on shaping cultural identity. Comparatively, other factors like government policies and local media were found to be more influential. Keywords: cultural identity, food, language, Mainland Chinese popular cultural contentsBachelor of Social Sciences in Public Policy and Global Affair