Me, Myself and I(deology)
What factors shape your world view? Here are policies and mega-trends that shape mine.
In trying to make more sense of the world, I find myself drawn to analysing global events and history. In doing so, I wondered, how do people form their world views? Status quo is constantly changing right under our noses despite no lack of news. Why do people seem unwavering in their views, no matter how dodgy the alleged facts or how much information is presented against their ideology?
When I turned to myself for answers to these questions, I came to realise there are four megatrends that influence and perhaps to some extent harden my world views.
Gender Equality
[or at least that women vote and get educated]
Though I grew up in a society with strong gender roles, i.e. women were caring, and men were providing, at least almost no one blinks about the fact that women vote, can go to school, and are in the labour force. In other societies, this is not a given. In some parts of the world, women risk their lives just to receive education. Throughout history, women had fewer rights and had less access to jobs other than taking care of the household.
As a woman, this policy I was born into was favourable. The belief I have is that gender equality is overall favourable. Because of this, unsurprisingly, I do not have trouble supporting policies that lead to more equality, such as equal rights for all genders people identify with. I support of everyone, regardless of gender, being able to receive education, contraception, freedom from spurious prosecution, property rights, right to vote, and the right to marry by choice amongst others. On the contrary, people who have a fundamental belief that people’s rights depend on gender, race, caste, age, wealth, education, and other measures might not agree with me.
Education Using The Global Language of Our Time
The country I grew up in, the Philippines, was a colony of the United States from 1898 to 1946. In this period, the Americans instituted public schools where English became the mode of communication for most subjects. This policy produced generations of English-speaking people, including myself. This means, language barriers to working in English-speaking firms and countries are very small, if any at all. Fortunately, English is the current global language of business and law. Had it been Latin or French that served as the world’s lingua franca, I may not have had the mobility I have experienced. I therefore have the view that keeping this policy of teaching English (perhaps supplemented by Chinese in the future) for generations to come would be beneficial for the country and the global workforce.
Globalisation
Having worked for a local subsidiary of a global firm and an Australian firm, and having moved to work in New Zealand and in the UK, I am very aware that my career is a product of globalisation. I realise it would not have been possible if the Philippines was closed to foreign investment from Australia, nor if New Zealand and the United Kingdom closed its borders on labour movement. It would therefore be no surprise that I would tend to favour open, not closed borders. I realise that open borders is not a universal good, but it is my preference.
Information Technology
My father was averse to information technology. He had serious doubts about whether a world with internet, smart phones and computers was good. He would probably frown on the dependency we have on computers nowadays. And perhaps reasonably so, as technological advancement happens so fast that it is hard to comprehend. On the other hand, it is hard for me to feel the same way. My career would not have been possible without it. My interviews for overseas roles were done via Skype. My move to other countries was done at the speed it did because of online processes. Had it been the ‘old’ world without our current information technology, I would not have had a chance at an international career.
What does this mean for the ideologies I hold? I would support data democratisation and policies that would enable more people to have access to computers and the internet. Likewise I am against censorship and people trying to monopolise information.
A disclaimer that perhaps should go without saying: I do not claim this to be everyone’s experience. I recognise the events that shape my own biases and ideology. I know there will be some people who share these views and some people who will not.