Building national unity in Southeast Asia

H2 History - syllabus 9174, 2027

Why Southeast Asian governments needed to build national unity, how they used dominant culture and multicultural approaches and the tools of education, language, religion and ideology, and how far they succeeded.

• Why unity was needed: plural societies and separatism

  Colonial borders put many peoples inside one state. Governments needed to build a shared identity, and some groups wanted to break away.

• The dominant culture approach

  Some governments built unity around the culture of the majority. This could create a strong identity, but minorities often felt shut out.

• The multicultural approach

  Multiculturalism gave each community a recognised place in the nation. Singapore made it the basis of its national identity.

• Tools: education and language

  A shared language and common schooling were powerful tools for unity. Success depended on whether the chosen language felt neutral or belonged to one group.

• Tools: religion and ideology

  National ideologies gave diverse peoples shared values. Religion could unite a majority but alienate minorities.

• The outcomes of building national unity

  Outcomes varied. Unity was strongest where policies were inclusive and growth was shared, and weakest where minorities faced force and exclusion.

• Put it together: Choose an approach to unity

  Choose a country's approach and see how well it built unity.