Critical Reflection (newest 20/11)

The ES1102 module is coming to an end; yet, it is neither the end of my learning journey in the National University of Singapore (NUS) nor is it the end of my life-long learning process. The end of the ES1102 module marks the start of my “self-independent” learning journey.

At the beginning of this module, I was a passive learner; because in my thirteen years of schooling, I had a habit of relying on teachers to provide me with “ready-made” answers without taking the time and effort to do my own research on these topics. Furthermore, the result-driven education system in Singapore has always spoon-fed students, like myself, with textbook answers; thus, installing in students a mind-set that they are not encouraged to think out of the box, and they are only allowed to follow the instructions of the textbooks and their teachers. (Lay, 2012)

Initially, like my peers, I welcomed this form of education, because it made learning easier for students, all that needs to be done is to memorise all these facts and to compose them into model answers during examinations. However, when I entered university, it became clear that this form of learning that I had been so used to proved to be unsuitable and an obstacle to true learning. For example, in the ES1102 module, I am supposed to do before class tasks to familiarise myself with the topics that are going to be taught in class. After learning what was being taught in class, I am also expected to do practice to reinforce my knowledge of topics learnt. In addition, university education is not about spoon-feeding students, it gives students an opportunity to search for answers to existing problems and it strongly encourages students to be self-independent in the process of learning. Although, I am striving to become an independent learner, I feel that there is still room for improvement. Other than doing pre-class research and revision after each lesson; I could download mobile phone apps that are relevant to my subjects, thereby, enabling me to master these subjects in a fun and interacting manner.

In conclusion, I believe that learning does not stop when a module has ended, nor does it stop when I have completed my university education. Hence, the next stage of my learning is not just the learning of more knowledge for my intended major, rather it is about approaching learning in a more autonomous and self-driven way; and I could start by taking more initiative to conduct pre-class research on the upcoming topics and to do my practice and revision after every lesson.

Critical Reflection (newest)

The ES1102 module is coming to an end; yet, it is neither the end of my learning journey in the National University of Singapore (NUS) nor is it the end of my life-long learning process. The end of the ES1102 module marks the start of my “self-independent” learning journey.

At the beginning of this module, I was a passive learner; because in my thirteen years of schooling, I had a habit of relying on teachers to provide me with “ready-made” answers without taking the time and effort to do my own research on these topics. Furthermore, the result-driven education system in Singapore has always spoon-fed students, like myself, with textbook answers; thus, installing in students a mind-set that they are not encouraged to think out of the box, and they are only allowed to follow the instructions of the textbooks and their teachers. (Lay, 2012)

Initially, like my peers, I welcomed this form of education, because it made learning easier for students, all that needs to be done is to memorise all these facts and to compose them into model answers during examinations. However, when I entered university, it became clear that this form of learning that I had been so used to proved to be unsuitable and an obstacle to true learning. For example, in the ES1102 module, I am supposed to do before class tasks to familiarise myself with the topics that are going to be taught in class. After learning what was being taught in class, I am also expected to do practice to reinforce my knowledge on topics learnt. In addition, university education is not about spoon-feeding students, it gives students an opportunity to search for answers to existing problems and it strongly encourages students to be self-independent in the process of learning. Although, I am striving to become an independent learner, I feel that there is still room for improvement. Other than doing pre-class research and revision after each lesson; I could download mobile phone apps that are relevant to my subjects, thereby, enabling me to master these subjects in a fun and interacting manner.

In conclusion, I believe that learning does not stop when a module has ended, nor does it stop when I have completed my university education. Hence, the next stage of my learning is not just the learning of more knowledge for my intended major, rather it is about approaching learning in a more autonomous and self-driven way; and I could start by taking more initiative to conduct pre-class research on the upcoming topics and to do my practice and revision after every lesson.

Reference:

Lay, B. (2012). The problem with Singapore’s education system. Retrieved from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-flipside/lack-drive-due-singapore-education-system-015701542.html

Critical Reflection: The next stage for my learning (12Nov)

The ES1102 module is coming to an end; yet, it is neither the end of my learning journey in the National University of Singapore (NUS) nor is it the end of my life-long learning process. The end of the ES1102 module marks the start of my “self-independent” learning journey.

At the beginning of this module, I was a passive learner; because in my thirteen years of schooling, I had a habit of relying on teachers to provide me with “ready-made” answers without taking the time and effort to do my own research on these topics. Furthermore, the result-driven education system in Singapore has always spoon-fed students, like myself, with textbook answers, and installed in students a mind-set that they are not encouraged to think out of the box, they are only allowed to follow the instructions of the textbooks and their teachers. (Lay, 2012)

Initially, like my peers, I welcomed this form of education, because it made learning easier for students, all that needs to be done is to memorise all these facts and to compose them into model answers during examinations. However, when I entered university, it became clear that this form of learning that I had been so used to prove to be unsuitable and an obstacle to true learning. For example, in the ES1102 module, I am supposed to do before class tasks to familiarise myself with the topics that are going to be taught in class. After learning what was being taught in class, I am also expected to do practice to reinforce my knowledge on topics learnt. In addition, university education is not about spoon-feeding students, it gives students an opportunity to search for answers to existing problems and it strongly encourages students to be self-independent in the process of learning. Although, I am striving to become an independent learner, I feel that there is still room for improvement. Other than doing pre-class research and revision after each lesson; I could download mobile phone apps that are relevant to my subjects, thereby, enabling me to learn and recap lessons anywhere and anytime.

In conclusion, I believe that learning does not stop when a module has ended, nor does it stop when I have completed my university education. Hence, the next stage of my learning is not just the learning of more knowledge for my intended major, rather it is about approaching learning in a more autonomous and self-driven way; and I could start by taking more initiative to conduct pre-class research on the upcoming topics and to do my practice and revision after every lesson.

Reference:

Lay, B. (2012). The problem with Singapore’s education system. Retrieved from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-flipside/lack-drive-due-singapore-education-system-015701542.html

Globalisation Essay (final, 31/Oct)

In today’s world, the advance in technologies has led to an increase in the integration of culture across the globe. However, it has also resulted in many social issues, one of them being the loss of local culture when people over embrace American culture; thus, developed nations around the world are trying to ameliorate the loss of local culture which resulted from globalisation.

According to Murphy and Ross-Larson (2004), more than 85 per cent of worldwide films were produced in the United States; and certainly, globalisation has expanded the circulation of cultures within and beyond nations. However, an excess of American cultural codes such as McDonalds, Macintosh, Michael Jackson, and Mickey Mouse pose a threat to the indigenous culture of various communities around the world.  Moreover, America’s cultural imperialism uses political, military and economic capabilities to extend their ideologies and cultural codes at the disadvantage of other nations’ local culture. (Weckert and Adeney, 1977; cited in Mishra, 2003)

One of the existing methods to tackle the loss of heritage is the effort of governments to promote local heritage. Governments have been introducing programmes at different levels of local communities, from school to workplaces, to promote local culture. For instance, the Singapore government promotes local and regional history and culture through organising the “I Love Museums Campaign”.  However, this effort by the government has its limitations. The power of globalisation could be difficult to resist, hence the mere efforts of governments to limit American culture and promote native heritage is barely enough. Even after many attempts by the government to encourage the embracing of local culture, S. R. Nathan, the former president of Singapore, continues to regard Singapore as a nation with no culture. (Yini, 2012) This clearly shows that an individual’s interest in embracing local culture and not the government’s effort is the main factor that determines whether a nation can withstand the influence of cultural globalisation. Thus, individuals should participate more enthusiastically in promoting local heritage. One possible solution is to reward individuals who avidly promote and preserve their heritage. For instance, giving acknowledgement to individuals who take the initiative to emphasise the need and urgency to embrace and promote local culture to the populace. Only then will it be possible for people to commit more time, money and effort to conserve their “dying” heritage. Hence, governments should play a part in confronting cultural colonisation; however, this effort should not be restricted to the governments, individuals should also eagerly contribute to the efforts of preserving of their culture.

The second method to ameliorate cultural imperialism and the loss of local culture is the opposition of foreign cultures. This strategy could be executed by setting a quota on locally produced programmes on mass media to ensure that a minimum number of native programmes are being viewed by the population and to assure the spread of local culture and ideologies. For example, the Hungarian government has insisted on a quota of 15 per cent of local programmes on public channels. (Murphy & Ross-Larson, 2004) Nonetheless, this method could be ineffective in today’s societies where the internet is highly accessible. Even though the government may limit the number of foreign programmes on public channels, people can still freely view or access foreign movies, programmes and news through the internet. Moreover, aggressive quota-based policies can result in concerns that restrictions on foreign programmes may constrict people’s rights and freedom to choose. In place of quota-based policies, what could be done is to allow individuals to participate in the process of producing television programmes. For instance, television stations could organise plot writing competitions, which require the populace to create storylines that promote indigenous traditions, values and heritage sites; and the best plot chosen will be made into a programme. Hence, countering cultural imperialism does not imply the adopting of hostile attitudes towards foreign cultures. Furthermore, when preserving native culture, a balance between local and American culture should be maintained.

In conclusion, globalisation has influenced people around the world to discard local cultures and traditions, while American culture and values have been adopted. This phenomenon has become so problematic that governments of developed nations are trying to address this issue by introducing different schemes. After evaluating two of these strategies, in reference to policies from Hungary and Singapore, it is undeniable that each of these policies has its own limitations. The inference drawn from this evaluation is that it is extremely important that individuals play a part in resisting cultural imperialism, preserving local cultures and safeguarding native values in an era of globalisation.

Reference

Mishra, G. (2003). Globalization and Culture. Retrieved from http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292

Murphy, C. & Ross-Larson, B. (2004). Human Development Report 2004, Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World. Chapter 5, pg 86-105. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr04_chapter_5.pdf

Nwegbu, M. U. Eze, C.C. & Asogwa, B. E. (2011) Globalization of Cultural Heritage: Issues, Impacts, and Inevitable Challenges for Nigeria. Retrieved from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/nwegbu-eze-azogwa.htm

Yini. (2012). Common S’pore identity has yet to develop: former president Nathan. Yahoo! Newsroom. Retrieved from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/common-s%E2%80%99pore-identity-has-yet-to-develop--former-president-nathan.html

Globalisation Essay (Final Draft)

In today’s world, the advance in technologies has led to an increase in the integration of culture across the globe; yet, it has also resulted in many social issues, one of them being the loss of local culture when people over embraced American cultures. Other than describing why globalisation has led to the loss of local culture, an evaluation of two methods adopted by developed nations to improve this phenomenon will also be discussed.

USA’s advantages in hard power have resulted in an invasion of developed countries’ indigenous heritage by American culture. According to Cait Murphy and Bruce Ross-Larson (2004), more than 85 per cent of worldwide films were produced in the United States; certainly, globalisation has expanded the circulation of cultures within and beyond nations. However, an excess American cultural codes such as McDonalds, Macintosh, Michael Jackson, and Mickey Mouse post a threat to the indigenous culture of various communities around the world.  Moreover, America’s cultural imperialism uses political, military and economic capabilities to extend their ideologies and cultural codes at the disadvantage of other nations’ local culture. (Weckert and Adeney, 1977; cited in Girish Mishra, 2003)

One of the existing methods to tackle the loss of heritage is the effort of governments to promote local heritage. Governments have been introducing programmes at different levels of local communities (from school to workplaces) to promote local culture. For instance, the Singapore government promotes local and regional histories and culture through organising the “I Love Museums Campaign”.  However, this effort by the government has its limitations. The power of globalisation is being deemed as difficult to resist, hence the mere efforts of governments to limit American culture and promote native heritage is barely enough. After many attempts by the government to encourage local culture, Singapore is still being regarded as a nation with no culture clearly shows that individual’s interest in embracing local culture and not the government’s effort is the main factor that determine whether a nation can withstand the influence of cultural globalisation. Thus, individuals should participate more enthusiastically in promoting local heritage. One possible way is to emphasise the need and urgency to embrace and promote local culture to the populace; only then will it be possible for people to commit more time, money and effort to conserve their “dying” heritage. Governments should play a part in confronting cultural colonisation; however, this effort should not be restricted to the governments, individuals should also contribute to the efforts of preserving of their culture.

The second mean to ameliorate cultural imperialism and the loss of local culture is the opposition of foreign cultures. This strategy could be executed by setting a quota to locally produced programmes on mass media to ensure that a minimum number of native programmes are being viewed by the population and to assure the spread of local culture and ideologies. For example, the Hungarian government has insisted a quota of 15 per cent for local programmes on public channel. (Murphy & Bruce Ross-Larson, 2004), Nonetheless, this method is ineffective in today’s societies where internet is highly accessible. Even though the government may limit the number of foreign programmes on public channels, people can still freely view or access foreign movies, programmes and news through the internet. Moreover, aggressive quota-based policies can result in concerns that restriction to foreign programmes may constrict people’s rights and freedom to choose. In place of quota-based policies, what could be done is the promoting of indigenous traditions, values and heritage sites in locally produced programmes, while maintaining a balance of local and foreign programmes on radio, television and newspapers. Hence, countering cultural imperialism does not imply the adopting of hostile attitudes towards foreign cultures; furthermore, when preserving native culture, the balance between local and American cultures should be observed.

In conclusion, globalisation has impacted people around the world to discard local cultures and traditions, while American culture and values are being adopted. This phenomenon has become so problematic that governments of developed nations are trying to address this issue by introducing different policies; two of these schemes were being discussed. After evaluating these means, it is undeniable that both strategies have their limitations. In addition, the importance of individuals in resisting cultural globalisation, preserving local cultures and safeguarding native values has been highlighted.

Reference

Mishra G. (2003). Globalization and Culture. Retrieved from http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292

Murphy C. & Ross-Larson B. (2004). Human Development Report 2004, Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World. Chapter 5, pg 86-105. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr04_chapter_5.pdf

Nwegbu M. U., Eze C.C. & Asogwa B. E. (2011) Globalization of Cultural Heritage: Issues, Impacts, and Inevitable Challenges for Nigeria. Retrieved from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/nwegbu-eze-azogwa.htm

Globalisation Essay (Draft 1)

In today’s world, the advance in technologies has led to more culture integration across the globe; yet, it has also undeniably resulted in many social issues, one of them being the loss of local culture and local traditions when people over embraced Western cultures. Other than describing why globalisation has led to the loss of local culture, evaluation of two means adopted by different countries to improve this phenomenon will also be discussed.

According to Cait Murphy and Bruce Ross-Larson (2004), more than 85 per cent of worldwide films were produced in the United States. Certainly, globalisation has expanded the circulation of cultures within and beyond nations. However, an excess of McWorld (McWorld does not limits too McDonald, it can also refers to Western cultural codes such as Madonna, Macintosh, Michael Jackson, Mickey Mouse and etc.) has threaten the cultural heritage of various communities around the world.  Moreover, Western nations’ cultural imperialism uses political and economic capabilities to extend their ideologies and shared cultural codes at the disadvantage of other nations’ local culture. (Weckert and Adeney, 1977; cited in Girish Mishra, 2003)

Effort of governments to promote local heritage is one of the existing methods to tackle this loss of native culture due to globalisation. Governments have been introducing programmes at different local communities levels (from school children, to working individuals) to promote local culture. For instance, the Singapore government promotes local and regional histories and culture through organising the I Love Museums Campaign.  However, this effort by the government has its limitations. The power of globalisation is being deemed as difficult to resist, hence the mere efforts of the government to limit Western cultures and promote “localness” is barely enough. The fact that after much attempts by the government to encourage local culture, Singapore is still being widely view as a country with a lack of unique culture and heritage clearly shows that individual’s interest in embracing local culture and not the government’s effort is the main factor that determine whether a nation can withstand the influence of cultural globalisation. A possible way to improve such a phenomenon is to emphasise the need and urgency to embrace and promote local culture to the populace; only then will it be possible for people to place more time, money and effort to conserve their “dying” heritage. Thus, governments should play a part in confronting cultural colonisation, yet it should not be restricted to the governments, individuals should also contribute to the preserving of their local culture.

Another existing mean to ameliorate cultural imperialism and the loss of local culture is the reducing or blocking of external cultures. This mean could be executed by setting a quota to locally produced programmes on mass media to ensure that a minimum number of native programmes are being viewed by the population and to assure the spread of local culture and ideologies. For example, the Hungarian government has insisted a quota of 15 per cent for local programmes on public channel. (Murphy & Bruce Ross-Larson, 2004), Nonetheless, this method is ineffective in today’s societies where internet is highly accessible. Even though the government may limit the number of foreign programmes on public channels, people can still freely view or access foreign movies, programmes and news through the internet. Moreover, aggressive quota-based policies can result in other problems. In the case of Hungary, there are concerns that such restriction to mass media may constrict the people’s rights and freedom to choose. In place of quota-based policies, what could be done is the promoting of locally produced programmes through other channels such as screening of these programmes at museums and other heritage sites, while maintaining a balance of local and foreign programmes on radio, television and newspapers. Hence, countering cultural imperialism does not imply that hostile treatments towards foreign cultures should be adopted; furthermore, when advancing native culture, the balance between these two cultures should be observed.

In conclusion, globalisation has impacted people around the world to discard local cultures and traditions, in place, Western cultures and values are being adopted. This phenomenon has become so problematic that governments around the world are trying to tackle this issue by introducing different policies. This essay discussed two different means that were introduced; after evaluating these means, it is undeniable that these means have their limitations. In addition, this essay has also highlighted the important roles that individuals played in preserving local cultures against cultural globalisation. Thus, to succeed in safeguarding local values shouldn’t individuals put in more efforts?

Reference

Mishra G. (2003). Globalization and Culture. Retrieved from http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292

Murphy C. & Ross-Larson B. (2004). Human Development Report 2004, Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World. Chapter 5, pg 86-105. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr04_chapter_5.pdf

Nwegbu M. U., Eze C.C. & Asogwa B. E. (2011) Globalization of Cultural Heritage: Issues, Impacts, and Inevitable Challenges for Nigeria. Retrieved from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/nwegbu-eze-azogwa.htm

Reader Response (The Double Edge of Globalization

    In Nayan Chanda’s article, “The Double Edge of Globalization”, he identifies that globalisation has led to an increase in trading across the globe; however, it has also result in environmental issues and depletion of natural resources.

    In today’s world, globalisation has undeniably led to many environmental problems; nevertheless, the social issues that globalisation causes cannot be ignored. Chanda criticises globalisation for giving rise to the three main issues that people concern about: deforestation, pollution, and global warming. However, it must not be neglected that at the same time, globalisation has also been penalised for a widening social inequality within and among nations, and a loss of local traditions. 

    As stated in Kohut and Wike’s article, “Assessing Globalisation Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration”, “the growing gap between rich and poor” has resulted in undesirable social issues, such as increasing resentment towards the rich and growing burden of the government to look after the poor.
    Moreover, Kraidy’s article, “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media”, states that an over flow of Western cultures, especially America’s culture, has brought about the loss and deterioration of local cultures among youngsters who favour Western cultures over local cultures. The embracing of pop music, Hollywood movies, and fast food has indisputably led to the decline of local cultures and traditions.
    In conclusion, after evaluating Chanda’s view on how globalisation has led to environmental destruction and Kohut, Wike and Kraidy’s articles which emphasise on social issues resulting from globalisation, the loss of “localness” and the widen gap between the wealthy and the poor are as important as, or even more such, than environmental consequences.

Summary of The Double Edge of Globalization (final)

Globalisation has led to an increase in trading across the globe; however, it has also result in the depletion of natural resources, as well as, environmental issues.  There is no concrete evidence to show that the investment of transnational companies in countries where law enforcement is ineffective brings about environmental issues; nevertheless, it is undeniable that logging and deforestation contribute to one-fifth of worldwide carbon emissions. In the closely connected world today, China’s combustion of fossil fuels, and excessive use of chemicals not only pollutes its own soil, water and air, but it also causes worldwide problems when they are being soaked up in the air, causing acid rain globally. Moreover, globalisation gives rise to global warming, which is reducing the global economy to one-fifth of its current size, as well as creating damage that is comparable to the World Wars and the Great Depression. Although nations are reducing deforestation and efforts are being made to increase public consciousness, USA’s refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol shows that reluctance and a lack of obligation are the main factors as to why globalisation is a constant threat in the modern world.

Summary - The Double Edge of Globalization

Globalization has led to an increase in trading across the globe; however, it also results in the depletion of natural resources, as well as, environmental issues.  There is no concrete evidence to show that the investment of transnational companies in countries where law enforcement are ineffective brings about environmental issues; nevertheless, it is undeniable that logging and deforestation contributed to one-fifth of worldwide carbon emissions. In the closely connected world today, China’s combustion of fossil fuels, and excessive use of chemicals not only pollutes its own soil, water and air; these pollutants causes worldwide problems when they are being soaked up in the air, causing acid rain globally. Moreover, globalization gives rise to global warming, which leads to the reduction of global economy to one-fifth of its current size, as well as creates damages that are comparable to those of the World Wars and the Great Depression. Although nations are reducing the destruction towards deforestation, and efforts are being made to increase public consciousness; USA’s refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol shows that reluctance and a lack of obligation is the main factors as to why globalization is a constant threat in the modern world.

ES1102 Scary Oil Summary Exercise

A further increase in oil prices is the most serious threat faced by modern economy. Fear of military crisis between Israel and Iran has lead to a 25% soar in oil prices, which resulted in global recessions. Iran's attacks on Israel embassies has not only lead USA to step up on military measures against Iran, but also to forbid Iran's advancement in nuclear weapon