Reflective Journal 5: Reflect on education. You may choose reflect on the necessary priorities of education, how far the ideals and realities of education converge, how the problems discussed about education in US and China can be resolved. You should explicitly explain how class discussion on education in US and China have influenced/shaped your views.
Education. As most of us know, education is the imparting of skills and knowledge and its purpose is to prepare a nation’s people for the workforce by equipping them with the adequate skills and also for propaganda.
In my opinion, the main purpose of education is to learn, to learn new knowledge and skills.
During class discussion, I strongly agree with the ideal education system that we have discussed, and I feel that schools should be as such to stretch a student’s potential.
Critical thinking and creativity in this era is an important asset, as it sets apart the brilliant from the normal. In this present day and age, getting a degree alone is not enough. Degrees are way too common in this current age. Every year, 6 million students graduate from college in China. With an increasing number of graduates around the world, a degree alone is no enough to succeed. Being able to think creatively and critically by adapting to different situation is important in this day and age.
What exactly is critical thinking? I feel it is able to come up with multiple solutions for a question and to be able to think more than what it seems to be, and to be able to analyze problems and information. What is creativity? I feel that it is to be able to think differently from the norm, coming up with ideas and solutions that most people are unable to think of. Present students have rigid minds, which I will talk about later, thus being able to think critically would set one apart.
After going through nine years of education myself, I would say the problem with the Singapore’s education system is that it is too rigid. The system is structured in such a way that we are not able to think out of the box and creatively, as students are taught to answer in only one way. Since primary school, often have I been rejected by teachers whenever I ask for reasons for the answers, and all I get is, “Do not ask so much. This is the answer”. This has caused my burning passion for learning to be dampened over the years, and I am sure I am not the only one. By instilling a mind-set that there can only be one answer, it causes students to forget the skill of thinking of other endless possibilities to the question. Students become inflexible or like what the Chinese say, dead brain – si nao(死脑).
In China, it’s almost a similar case. Teachers teach, students accept without questioning. My Chinese scholar classmate explained to me that in China, students would never question what the teacher teaches, but just accept everything wholesale, without any questions. This does not promote much thinking among Chinese students.
Another reason we discussed about is standardised testing. Standardised testing is used by countries throughout the world to gauge a student’s potential. After the class discussion, I suddenly linked schools to multinational companies. In the U.S, test scores are used to determine funding to the school. This is much like a company, where results are based on Key Performance Index(KPI). As we have discussed, immense pressure is placed on to teachers and students. This causes schools and teachers put in too much focus on test scores, resulting in students placing too much emphasis on scoring rather than learning. For example, in China, students use rote memorisation rather in order to score well, memorising sample answers. In the U.S., standardized tests have caused teachers to place more emphasis on certain subjects, while disregarding others.
Standardized testing is the root of the problems faced in education. It is the emphasis on scores and results that causes students and teaches to forget the real purpose of education which is to learn.
However I question myself, is there any other way to gauge a student’s rate of learning? Other than tests, I feel there is no other way to gauge the learning of a student. Without tests, students may see no point in learning, and thus not make an effort to listen in class.
Rather than removing standardized testing I have a suggestion to change the education system.
I encourage the use of testing; however, I have an alternative to the methods of testing. In place of standardized testing, I feel that presentation is a more apt way of testing. Students can present what they have learnt, this not only teaches them research skills, but also hones presentation skills and teaches them to think critically when questions are raised by learning how to answer questions on the spot. This provides a holistic development for the students, developing skills that we deem important during class.
In conclusion, I feel education has forgotten its purpose.
795 words
Monday, April 9, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Reflective Journal 4
Political apathy of Singaporean youths and Chinese youths in the developed provinces would be my main focus. What exactly is political apathy? I feel it is the lack of passion and zest for the political on goings within a country.
Should you ask any Singaporean student who the current Minister of Education is, only a handful would tell you who he is. Even myself, did not know the answer until I went online to search for the answer.
Among most youths in Singapore, politics would never be one of their top priorities. Among my friends and classmates, seldom or never would we discuss about the political happenings in Singapore, even during the General elections held last year. For most youth, the most they knew about General Elections was Tin Pei Ling or Nicole Seah. I remember a principal dialogue held last year regarding the General elections in Singapore. Compared to past dialogues that I have attended, the participation of student voicing their views on this matter was considered extremely little. And those who went up to voice their opinions shocked Dr Hon with their lack of understanding and interest in politics in Singapore.
I would say that Singaporean youths such as me, are mostly apathetic towards politics. For me, I stay away from politics because I have no interest for it. I feel PAP’s dominance in Singapore’s political arena resulted in my lack of interest. In the 2011 General elections, PAP dominated the elections, winning 81 out of 87 of the seats in parliament. And for the past few General Elections, such results were a common sight. It is this kind of expected results that killed my interest in Singapore politics. With PAP dominating the political arena, Singaporeans are able to predict the result even before they are announced. (My mother predicted all the results correctly)
Another reason is that we are happy with the way our lives are. Singapore is considered by many as a first world country with our annual GDP of 2011 259,823.8 Million U.S. dollars, and our GDP per Capita is ranked 11th in the world (http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/economy/hist/gdp2.html). Youths in Singapore lead comfortable lives and most of us do not see a need for a change. This satisfaction with their lives would result in youths becoming uninterested in politics. In other countries such as Syria, the people are unhappy with the way the government runs the country, thus the people upstage protests and demonstrations against the government. It is dissatisfaction that forces people to be involved in politics, and in Singapore, most youths are happy with the lives they have.
In the developed provinces of China, youths are also apathetic towards their countries politics. China is a single party state where the Chinese Communist party has complete control over the political scene in China. Because China is a communist state, no elections are being held and the Chinese have no say over the choosing of the leaders of the country.
It is widely considered that Chinese youth in the developed provinces are politically apathetic. I feel that Chinese youths are not willing to participate in politics mainly due to the fact that the Chinese Youths are the Millennials, a generation largely regarded as self-centred. These youths are more interested in chasing branded goods that being involved in politics. They are widely considered to care more about themselves rather than other people, let alone their country’s politics. Another reason was because of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese government severely oppresses any opposition towards the government with measure such as arresting, for example Ai Weiwei, and the Great Firewall of China. Events such as the Tiananmen incident where university students upstaged protests against the Chinese government and the army was called in to disperse the protests, causing many to be killed, cause the Chinese youths to think twice before meddling in politics. It is this fear of being oppressed that Chinese youth are being repelled from participating in politics.
However I feel that although the Chinese youth are not active in politics, they cannot be considered politically apathetic. During my time at the Beijing Satellite campus, my observations of Chinese students made me surprise of how concerned they were about their countries politics. I remember one time, I overheard a conversation between two male students. They were extremely worked up while discussing the credentials and abilities of their next premier Xi Jing Ping over breakfast. I could feel the zest, passion and concern during their conversation, something you can seldom find in Singaporean students. I noticed that politics was a common topic among Chinese students.
In conclusion, by comparing Singaporean youths and Chinese youths, Singaporean youths are much more apathetic towards politics. And by the way, the Minister of Education of Singapore is Heng Swee Kiat.
Should you ask any Singaporean student who the current Minister of Education is, only a handful would tell you who he is. Even myself, did not know the answer until I went online to search for the answer.
Among most youths in Singapore, politics would never be one of their top priorities. Among my friends and classmates, seldom or never would we discuss about the political happenings in Singapore, even during the General elections held last year. For most youth, the most they knew about General Elections was Tin Pei Ling or Nicole Seah. I remember a principal dialogue held last year regarding the General elections in Singapore. Compared to past dialogues that I have attended, the participation of student voicing their views on this matter was considered extremely little. And those who went up to voice their opinions shocked Dr Hon with their lack of understanding and interest in politics in Singapore.
I would say that Singaporean youths such as me, are mostly apathetic towards politics. For me, I stay away from politics because I have no interest for it. I feel PAP’s dominance in Singapore’s political arena resulted in my lack of interest. In the 2011 General elections, PAP dominated the elections, winning 81 out of 87 of the seats in parliament. And for the past few General Elections, such results were a common sight. It is this kind of expected results that killed my interest in Singapore politics. With PAP dominating the political arena, Singaporeans are able to predict the result even before they are announced. (My mother predicted all the results correctly)
Another reason is that we are happy with the way our lives are. Singapore is considered by many as a first world country with our annual GDP of 2011 259,823.8 Million U.S. dollars, and our GDP per Capita is ranked 11th in the world (http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/economy/hist/gdp2.html). Youths in Singapore lead comfortable lives and most of us do not see a need for a change. This satisfaction with their lives would result in youths becoming uninterested in politics. In other countries such as Syria, the people are unhappy with the way the government runs the country, thus the people upstage protests and demonstrations against the government. It is dissatisfaction that forces people to be involved in politics, and in Singapore, most youths are happy with the lives they have.
In the developed provinces of China, youths are also apathetic towards their countries politics. China is a single party state where the Chinese Communist party has complete control over the political scene in China. Because China is a communist state, no elections are being held and the Chinese have no say over the choosing of the leaders of the country.
It is widely considered that Chinese youth in the developed provinces are politically apathetic. I feel that Chinese youths are not willing to participate in politics mainly due to the fact that the Chinese Youths are the Millennials, a generation largely regarded as self-centred. These youths are more interested in chasing branded goods that being involved in politics. They are widely considered to care more about themselves rather than other people, let alone their country’s politics. Another reason was because of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese government severely oppresses any opposition towards the government with measure such as arresting, for example Ai Weiwei, and the Great Firewall of China. Events such as the Tiananmen incident where university students upstaged protests against the Chinese government and the army was called in to disperse the protests, causing many to be killed, cause the Chinese youths to think twice before meddling in politics. It is this fear of being oppressed that Chinese youth are being repelled from participating in politics.
However I feel that although the Chinese youth are not active in politics, they cannot be considered politically apathetic. During my time at the Beijing Satellite campus, my observations of Chinese students made me surprise of how concerned they were about their countries politics. I remember one time, I overheard a conversation between two male students. They were extremely worked up while discussing the credentials and abilities of their next premier Xi Jing Ping over breakfast. I could feel the zest, passion and concern during their conversation, something you can seldom find in Singaporean students. I noticed that politics was a common topic among Chinese students.
In conclusion, by comparing Singaporean youths and Chinese youths, Singaporean youths are much more apathetic towards politics. And by the way, the Minister of Education of Singapore is Heng Swee Kiat.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Reflective journal 3
Reflective Journal 3: Reflect on the changing roles of women. You may choose to consider how the changing roles of women in society made an impact on you by drawing on examples from China, the United States and/or Singapore.
By comparing past to present, the roles of women have changed drastically. In most western and eastern societies, women were mainly confined in their homes, being in-charge of the household matters. Women were often seen as the lesser sex compared to the males, hence resulting in a lower status in society. This is extremely evident in ancient China. During the twentieth century in America, movements and protests for gender equality is rampant. This was one of the underlying reasons for the change in roles of women.
What exactly is gender equality? In my own opinion, I believe that gender equality is empowering both men and women equally, where neither gender is being treated differently. I feel the underlying reason for gender inequality is due to the biological differences of men and women. Because women are physically weaker compared to men, this could have instilled perceptions of women to be the weaker gender in numerous societies, resulting of difference in treatments and attitudes between both genders.
In recent times, it is evident that roles of women and men and starting to reverse, a sign that we are inching towards gender equality. Firstly, in America, 62% of the net increase in workforce between 1992 to 2005 are women. I personally feel the reason for this is because of the women’s rights movements during the twentieth century. I feel these movements actually managed to break the stereotypes of what women should be, giving them self-believe that they can be as competent as men, and that they should not comply to traditional stereotypes just because the society says so. Thus women are willing to break the barriers which were put in place in society. To me, this shows that women no longer confine to the stereotypes, instead they take on new roles.
Secondly, 48% of married women provide half or more of the family income, which means, they are the breadwinners of the family. More often than not, men were seen as the breadwinners of the family, and women were supposed to stay at home. In my opinion this shows that men are starting to lose their dominance between the two genders. This I feel, is the case of reversal in roles. 154, 000 men in America are stay at home dads, and the numbers are on the rise. Although this is considered a small number compared to the male population in America, this actually reflects the reversal of roles. In the past in America, it was not acceptable for men to stay at home to take care of household affairs as this was seen as the job by women. I feel the cause for this is the change in mind-set between both genders due to movements such as the feminist movements. With the feminist movement, the society slowly change the traditional mind-set that males are more superior, and slowly accept that males and females should be treated equally. Thus resulting in both genders taking on the opposite gender’s traditional roles, as can be seen in the statistic. Women could come up with the mentality that “what men can do, women can do too”, thus, they broke the barriers and took on roles that were once seen as unacceptable for women. I feel men on the other hand, may have slowly come to terms that men and women are both equal. They may also have the mentality that they can also take on roles that women took. Hence I feel, this could have resulted in the reversal of roles.
One real life example is that of my family. My father was the sole breadwinner of the family, while my mother stayed at home. But due to unforeseen circumstances, my father left his job, while my mother found a job to make ends meet. This was a reversal of roles. At the beginning, it was hard for my father to stomach the fact that he was no longer the one bringing back the bacon, as he felt that was the basic responsibility of a man. Although he still could not find a job, overtime, he has come to terms with the fact. Thus I feel this is evident that the change of roles of women could be due to the fact of the change in mind-set of society. As long as particular women are able to break the stereotypes placed on women by society, and become an example for the rest of the population, the rest will slowly follow suit. This would eventually lead to the society coming to terms with this change.
In conclusion, I feel that roles of women have changed due to the fact that women are willing to fight for their rights and break the barriers that were in-placed by society, thus resulting in society accepting the change in roles.
(799 words)
references: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff11.html
http://stopharass.com/article-women-marketplace.htm
By comparing past to present, the roles of women have changed drastically. In most western and eastern societies, women were mainly confined in their homes, being in-charge of the household matters. Women were often seen as the lesser sex compared to the males, hence resulting in a lower status in society. This is extremely evident in ancient China. During the twentieth century in America, movements and protests for gender equality is rampant. This was one of the underlying reasons for the change in roles of women.
What exactly is gender equality? In my own opinion, I believe that gender equality is empowering both men and women equally, where neither gender is being treated differently. I feel the underlying reason for gender inequality is due to the biological differences of men and women. Because women are physically weaker compared to men, this could have instilled perceptions of women to be the weaker gender in numerous societies, resulting of difference in treatments and attitudes between both genders.
In recent times, it is evident that roles of women and men and starting to reverse, a sign that we are inching towards gender equality. Firstly, in America, 62% of the net increase in workforce between 1992 to 2005 are women. I personally feel the reason for this is because of the women’s rights movements during the twentieth century. I feel these movements actually managed to break the stereotypes of what women should be, giving them self-believe that they can be as competent as men, and that they should not comply to traditional stereotypes just because the society says so. Thus women are willing to break the barriers which were put in place in society. To me, this shows that women no longer confine to the stereotypes, instead they take on new roles.
Secondly, 48% of married women provide half or more of the family income, which means, they are the breadwinners of the family. More often than not, men were seen as the breadwinners of the family, and women were supposed to stay at home. In my opinion this shows that men are starting to lose their dominance between the two genders. This I feel, is the case of reversal in roles. 154, 000 men in America are stay at home dads, and the numbers are on the rise. Although this is considered a small number compared to the male population in America, this actually reflects the reversal of roles. In the past in America, it was not acceptable for men to stay at home to take care of household affairs as this was seen as the job by women. I feel the cause for this is the change in mind-set between both genders due to movements such as the feminist movements. With the feminist movement, the society slowly change the traditional mind-set that males are more superior, and slowly accept that males and females should be treated equally. Thus resulting in both genders taking on the opposite gender’s traditional roles, as can be seen in the statistic. Women could come up with the mentality that “what men can do, women can do too”, thus, they broke the barriers and took on roles that were once seen as unacceptable for women. I feel men on the other hand, may have slowly come to terms that men and women are both equal. They may also have the mentality that they can also take on roles that women took. Hence I feel, this could have resulted in the reversal of roles.
One real life example is that of my family. My father was the sole breadwinner of the family, while my mother stayed at home. But due to unforeseen circumstances, my father left his job, while my mother found a job to make ends meet. This was a reversal of roles. At the beginning, it was hard for my father to stomach the fact that he was no longer the one bringing back the bacon, as he felt that was the basic responsibility of a man. Although he still could not find a job, overtime, he has come to terms with the fact. Thus I feel this is evident that the change of roles of women could be due to the fact of the change in mind-set of society. As long as particular women are able to break the stereotypes placed on women by society, and become an example for the rest of the population, the rest will slowly follow suit. This would eventually lead to the society coming to terms with this change.
In conclusion, I feel that roles of women have changed due to the fact that women are willing to fight for their rights and break the barriers that were in-placed by society, thus resulting in society accepting the change in roles.
(799 words)
references: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff11.html
http://stopharass.com/article-women-marketplace.htm
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Reflective journal 2(graded)
To me progress for countries means how much their economy has improved in terms of Gross Domestic Product and solving unemployment rates, society gaining more freedom, in terms of human rights and the amount of say the citizens have in the country, and the country’s political power. Should a country’s economy become stronger, with a lower unemployment rate, happier citizens, people given more freedom and the country becoming politically more powerful, then I would say this country would have progressed.
China and America are the two major powerhouses in the world right now. I would discuss about the societies of both countries and conclude which country has progressed more based on their societies.
China is a communist country with a one party regime. The people of China do not have a say in who rules the country as the Communist party have ultimate power within the country. No elections are being held at all. Many deem this as a country with a lack of freedom, as the citizens do not have the luxury in choosing their political leaders, unlike Singapore, where elections are held. Many feel that China is not making much of a progress in becoming a democratic state as the Chinese citizens are being given minimal power within the country as they do not have a say in the country. However I beg to differ. During the research and presentation, Nicholas brought a very significant case study – of rule enforced on pets in Beijing, to limit each household to a single registered animal no taller than 35cm sparked of a public demonstration, mainly by youths, which resulted in President Hu Jintao intervening. To me, this is a sign that China is taking baby steps towards becoming a democratic country. To me, the public demonstration shows that the Chinese citizens, mainly the youths, are starting to show their unhappiness when their interests are compromised. They are starting to stand up for their rights. This is an encouraging sight. The people in China are starting to understand that the party does not have absolute power. It is the people who hold the rights to decide. I feel what has caused this changed is due to the “me generation”. The “me generation” is the current Chinese youths in the developed provinces, who are mostly individualistic and materialistic. Compared to their parents and the earlier generations, the “me generation” is considered a group of selfish people, often only thinking of benefiting themselves. Whereas the older generation grew up in a time where one thinks of the majority ahead of themselves. The reason for this change could be because of the one child policy. The child is being sheltered and showered with all the love of their parents and grandparents, causing them to become spoilt and individualistic. This selfishness may not be a bad thing after all. This individualistic mindset has made the youth learn to stand up for their rights when they feel that their interests are threatened. The are more willing and more courageous compared to the previous generations. The youths of China would become the main driving force towards democracy for China.
America on the other hand, is widely known as one of the most democratic countries in the world. It is the leader of the world, both economically and politically. Even though America is a first world country while China is a developing country, America has its own societal problems too. America is facing unrest within the youths, with unemployment rife among the youth population. Fresh graduates are unable to find jobs, but they are doing nothing much about it other than being unhappy about it. Compared to the past generations, they do not stand up for their rights as much as their predecessors do. The civil rights movement and the activist movements are examples of the past generations standing up for their rights, and thus creating change, making the States a better place. Back in 2008, the youths played a big role in the presidential elections. Majority of the youths chose Obama because they felt that he would be the one that would bring about change, that he would solve their problems. But four years on, they have seemed to have lost confidence in him, but they have done nothing on their part. They were given the power to choose who would be the one to solve the problems America is facing. But they also hold the power to take him down. Even if they have tried protesting, they lack leadership and enthusiasm in their protests. I feel that the reason could be that the youths in America feel that they are powerless in changing the country’s fate. They are pessimistic towards their countries situation and have lost hope. They have lost the understanding of democracy. Democracy is a state of society characterized by the formal equality of rights and privileges (definition from dictionary.com). The youths in US are not standing up for their rights as they should be. They are not demanding change for the better even though their currently their lives are not smooth sailing. In a time when America is in an economic crisis, I feel that the youth have a huge role to play in turning the tides against themselves. They must be willing to stand up once again like their past generations, point out to the government where they are going wrong. This is essential for America to drag themselves out of this sticky situation.
In conclusion, I feel that China’s society has progressed as it is taking baby steps to becoming a democratic society. When China was known to be a state where the people have little say with the country, where people are suppressed for rising up against actions taken by the government, the “me generation” of China are starting to learn to stand up for their individual interest and not blindly follow whatever the government says. Such as in the 1960s, during the Great Leap Forward, where Chairman Mao initiated a plan for China to undergo rapid industrialization, and everyone followed blindly, even though it was a bad decision. Whereas America has in fact regressed. Their youths are not standing up for their rights like the past generations do. They do not understand that America is a free and democratic state, where one is allowed to stand up and fight for his rights when he feels that his interests have been compromised. I feel that the youths of all countries have a huge role to play in driving their countries progress. They are the future of the country. They need to know the importance of standing up for their rights. I feel that the Chinese are beginning to slowly understand the meaning of democracy and are inching towards becoming a democratic state. I feel that should China eventually become democratic, it is the “me generation” that would be the spark for this change. They would be the first ones to realize that they have the choice to not conform to whatever the party decides as it is the people who have the ultimate power within the country. America however is not moving forward. Should the America recover from the economic downturn and remain as the world’s leader, it is up to the youths to save America.
China and America are the two major powerhouses in the world right now. I would discuss about the societies of both countries and conclude which country has progressed more based on their societies.
China is a communist country with a one party regime. The people of China do not have a say in who rules the country as the Communist party have ultimate power within the country. No elections are being held at all. Many deem this as a country with a lack of freedom, as the citizens do not have the luxury in choosing their political leaders, unlike Singapore, where elections are held. Many feel that China is not making much of a progress in becoming a democratic state as the Chinese citizens are being given minimal power within the country as they do not have a say in the country. However I beg to differ. During the research and presentation, Nicholas brought a very significant case study – of rule enforced on pets in Beijing, to limit each household to a single registered animal no taller than 35cm sparked of a public demonstration, mainly by youths, which resulted in President Hu Jintao intervening. To me, this is a sign that China is taking baby steps towards becoming a democratic country. To me, the public demonstration shows that the Chinese citizens, mainly the youths, are starting to show their unhappiness when their interests are compromised. They are starting to stand up for their rights. This is an encouraging sight. The people in China are starting to understand that the party does not have absolute power. It is the people who hold the rights to decide. I feel what has caused this changed is due to the “me generation”. The “me generation” is the current Chinese youths in the developed provinces, who are mostly individualistic and materialistic. Compared to their parents and the earlier generations, the “me generation” is considered a group of selfish people, often only thinking of benefiting themselves. Whereas the older generation grew up in a time where one thinks of the majority ahead of themselves. The reason for this change could be because of the one child policy. The child is being sheltered and showered with all the love of their parents and grandparents, causing them to become spoilt and individualistic. This selfishness may not be a bad thing after all. This individualistic mindset has made the youth learn to stand up for their rights when they feel that their interests are threatened. The are more willing and more courageous compared to the previous generations. The youths of China would become the main driving force towards democracy for China.
America on the other hand, is widely known as one of the most democratic countries in the world. It is the leader of the world, both economically and politically. Even though America is a first world country while China is a developing country, America has its own societal problems too. America is facing unrest within the youths, with unemployment rife among the youth population. Fresh graduates are unable to find jobs, but they are doing nothing much about it other than being unhappy about it. Compared to the past generations, they do not stand up for their rights as much as their predecessors do. The civil rights movement and the activist movements are examples of the past generations standing up for their rights, and thus creating change, making the States a better place. Back in 2008, the youths played a big role in the presidential elections. Majority of the youths chose Obama because they felt that he would be the one that would bring about change, that he would solve their problems. But four years on, they have seemed to have lost confidence in him, but they have done nothing on their part. They were given the power to choose who would be the one to solve the problems America is facing. But they also hold the power to take him down. Even if they have tried protesting, they lack leadership and enthusiasm in their protests. I feel that the reason could be that the youths in America feel that they are powerless in changing the country’s fate. They are pessimistic towards their countries situation and have lost hope. They have lost the understanding of democracy. Democracy is a state of society characterized by the formal equality of rights and privileges (definition from dictionary.com). The youths in US are not standing up for their rights as they should be. They are not demanding change for the better even though their currently their lives are not smooth sailing. In a time when America is in an economic crisis, I feel that the youth have a huge role to play in turning the tides against themselves. They must be willing to stand up once again like their past generations, point out to the government where they are going wrong. This is essential for America to drag themselves out of this sticky situation.
In conclusion, I feel that China’s society has progressed as it is taking baby steps to becoming a democratic society. When China was known to be a state where the people have little say with the country, where people are suppressed for rising up against actions taken by the government, the “me generation” of China are starting to learn to stand up for their individual interest and not blindly follow whatever the government says. Such as in the 1960s, during the Great Leap Forward, where Chairman Mao initiated a plan for China to undergo rapid industrialization, and everyone followed blindly, even though it was a bad decision. Whereas America has in fact regressed. Their youths are not standing up for their rights like the past generations do. They do not understand that America is a free and democratic state, where one is allowed to stand up and fight for his rights when he feels that his interests have been compromised. I feel that the youths of all countries have a huge role to play in driving their countries progress. They are the future of the country. They need to know the importance of standing up for their rights. I feel that the Chinese are beginning to slowly understand the meaning of democracy and are inching towards becoming a democratic state. I feel that should China eventually become democratic, it is the “me generation” that would be the spark for this change. They would be the first ones to realize that they have the choice to not conform to whatever the party decides as it is the people who have the ultimate power within the country. America however is not moving forward. Should the America recover from the economic downturn and remain as the world’s leader, it is up to the youths to save America.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Reflective journal 1
When I realised that I was taking CDE for my IHE this year, it made me wonder what this module is actually about. Is it about understanding cultures only? In what way is it special from the other IHE modules? These kind of questions kept popping out of my head.
When I was briefed about how we are going to get assessed for this module, I knew it was going to be a tough module. A lot is required from us to do well for this lesson. We have to prepare ourselves well by reading notes in order to be able to participate actively during class, voicing our opinions about topics related to our module such as the role of women.
The first tutorial was about Cultural Quotient. This phrase is not entirely new to me, as it is part of Hwa Chong’s plan to educate students. But I have never fully understood what this actually really meant. But through our first tutorial, I was able to get a more in depth idea of what this phrase really means. There was this question posed to the class that really got me thinking - Is being efficient in CQ really necessary to survive in this constantly changing and globalized world? This made me recall when I was back in Beijing for the Beijing satellite programme a month ago.
I was in a foreign land living for 6 weeks. The Chinese in Beijing definitely have cultural differences with us Singaporeans, but how am I going to overcome these differences in order to live amicably with the local Chinese. One of the methods mentioned in the article was to prepare ourselves by reading up on the culture, getting to understand it better. That was something that I did not do in Beijing, yet I was able to live with the Chinese for six weeks without any cultural clashes. How did I do it? I certainly did not prepare myself, but how was I able to not offend anyone there? In class, it was said that language is the main factor for one to be able to interact with other cultures. But is it really true? Yes to a certain extent in my opinion. Language allows you to communicate with others, thus in this process, get to know and understand the opposite party’s culture in much more depth. When you are able to communicate, information is being transferred from one person to the other. And it is this transfer of information that allows you to be able to understand the dos and the don’ts of the particular culture.
But language is not the most important factor in my opinion. I feel that by actually immersing oneself into the culture, you are able to learn more than just by communicating with the people. By immersing one’s self, you are able to observe how one behaves. Through their behavior you can understand how their culture have affected their actions. And this was what I did in Beijing. I observed the chinese’s behavior, actions and how they interact with one another. It was like learning in an outdoor classroom. And from these observations, I am able to slowly become like one of them, thus I am able to interact with them.
When I was briefed about how we are going to get assessed for this module, I knew it was going to be a tough module. A lot is required from us to do well for this lesson. We have to prepare ourselves well by reading notes in order to be able to participate actively during class, voicing our opinions about topics related to our module such as the role of women.
The first tutorial was about Cultural Quotient. This phrase is not entirely new to me, as it is part of Hwa Chong’s plan to educate students. But I have never fully understood what this actually really meant. But through our first tutorial, I was able to get a more in depth idea of what this phrase really means. There was this question posed to the class that really got me thinking - Is being efficient in CQ really necessary to survive in this constantly changing and globalized world? This made me recall when I was back in Beijing for the Beijing satellite programme a month ago.
I was in a foreign land living for 6 weeks. The Chinese in Beijing definitely have cultural differences with us Singaporeans, but how am I going to overcome these differences in order to live amicably with the local Chinese. One of the methods mentioned in the article was to prepare ourselves by reading up on the culture, getting to understand it better. That was something that I did not do in Beijing, yet I was able to live with the Chinese for six weeks without any cultural clashes. How did I do it? I certainly did not prepare myself, but how was I able to not offend anyone there? In class, it was said that language is the main factor for one to be able to interact with other cultures. But is it really true? Yes to a certain extent in my opinion. Language allows you to communicate with others, thus in this process, get to know and understand the opposite party’s culture in much more depth. When you are able to communicate, information is being transferred from one person to the other. And it is this transfer of information that allows you to be able to understand the dos and the don’ts of the particular culture.
But language is not the most important factor in my opinion. I feel that by actually immersing oneself into the culture, you are able to learn more than just by communicating with the people. By immersing one’s self, you are able to observe how one behaves. Through their behavior you can understand how their culture have affected their actions. And this was what I did in Beijing. I observed the chinese’s behavior, actions and how they interact with one another. It was like learning in an outdoor classroom. And from these observations, I am able to slowly become like one of them, thus I am able to interact with them.
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