rural urban migration

Lim Yiling- Rural urban mgration

Rapid rural-urban migration has always been seen as a problem in developing country. The high poverty level in rural areas are believed to be due to the low productivity level which are believed to be due to the lack of basic services like education, health and sanitary, proper road access and technology. These areas are less developed and hence less accessible to the outsiders. Hence, in order to step out of the poverty cycle, many try to find means and ways to travel to the urban cities, hoping to look for economic opportunities. Furthermore, this reduces their time and expenses on transportation, they are also able to take advantage of the proximity and convenience and improves their opportunities for job, education, housing etc.

However, rural-urban migration may not be a good thing after all. Despite the increase in economic opportunities, it brings another set of problems with it as well.

For instance, rural-urban migration may result in increased crime rates. This is especially so when migrants from rural area are not able to find jobs in the urban areas. Even if they are able to find jobs, due to their lack of education, many settle with low-paying jobs which might not be sufficient in sustaining their daily expenses.  Such situations are common as they lack the necessary skills to survive in the industrialized urban areas. The set of skills they are equipped with can no longer be applied in the new environment. Without a job, and the pressing need for money, many resort to crime which affects the entire population as a whole.

Not only increased crime rates, it also results in congestion in the urban area. Public transportation is insufficient for the growing population, and it reduces the efficiency of transportation system. Not only that, congestion also triggers another set of problems, especially those relating to health. With more people per unit land, basic sanitation is compromised and there may be increase in pollution. This results in a strain on the resources in the urban area and might hinder its growth and progress. 

One of the more significant negative implications of rural-urban migration could be the lost of traditional cultural practices and values. This is evident in many instances of rural-urban migration. For instance, many Padaung women are have removed their neck rings due to the desire of going abroad to study or go to the city for a  better paying job. With such incidents occurring, it is imminent that many countries may start to lose their traditional practices which are unique to them.

Despite knowing these problems, many from the rural areas still have the desire to venture into the urban areas, hoping to make a breakthrough from their poverty cycle. Yet for many, this thought may only remain as a dream which may never come to realization.

 

diseases

Lim Yiling T8

As I watched the video, I learnt that as countries become more interlinked, the more vulnerable we are to events happening in other countries. For instance, SARs originated from Hong Kong. But due to the ease of travelling, the virus was carried across boundaries, affecting China, Singapore, Canada and many more. The problem no longer belonged to just one country, but is one on a global scale.

The disease was spread rapidly within countries, yet it was difficult to keep it under control as it was almost impossible to track who the virus-carriers have went and who they were in contact with. Yet at the same time, from this incident, we can also see how communication and interaction across borders has also facilitated the search for cure. Top scientists and doctors from all countries gathered together for a common cause. Despite different backgrounds, different languages, they were able to work for a common goal, and that is to save the world from this epidemic.

Diseases are not the only one whose impacts spread far and wide. A country’s economy can have even far greater devastating impacts on other countries. Take the recent credit crisis for instance. This crisis happened in the banks and financial institutions in USA, but due to the intertwining of the financial markets, it is no longer USA’s problem. In fact, it has led to many countries scrambling to find measures to mitigate the effects on their country. A global recession is well on its way, and stock markets all over the world will plunge to the depths or see a rise with the slightest movements in the US policy makers.

This crisis has affected many individuals, from the adults, who fear unemployment, to the elderly. Many of whom had placed their life-long savings by investing in bonds and shares, hoping to substantiate their savings by earning more interests. Yet most or all have vanished because of what happened in USA. Most people on the streets have to tighten their belts, cutting down on luxuries, and be more thrifty when it comes to spending.

It makes one wonder whether this connection that we have with the world is truly that desirable. Look at the countries that have not opened up. They have minimal impact on their lives. On one hand, it is true that they are unable to enjoy the benefits brought about by the global interaction, yet on the other, they are also safe from the ill-effects of any problems faced in other countries. Many of which are caused by the lack of foresight by decision makers, yet other countries are implicated because of that.

Is the lack of global interaction impeding progression or is it a form of protection from the adverse effects from other countries?

Identity

Lim Yiling- Identity

The presence of identity can have both constructive and detrimental effects. It can help the community unite and work towards a common goal yet at the same time cause the community to have ill-feelings towards others who are different from them.

From various case studies, we can see the importance of having a sense of identity. For instance, Switzerland- during the World War II, Switzerland was able to remain independent despite various invasion plans by the Germans. This was not only because of its military deterrence, but also due to its multicultural heritage, strong sense of identity and long tradition of direct democracy and civil liberties. Such characteristics have brought Switzerland prosperity and a sense unity despite the linguistic diversity. In fact, Switzerland has a much diversified linguistic, cultural and religious composition. Yet, these differences within the country did not divide the various communities but instead brought about a Swiss identity which is distinct only to them. Its multilingual tradition is now part of its national identity and the Swiss are able to identify with each other despite speaking in different languages.

On the other hand, through World War II, we can also see the detrimental effects brought about by having a sense of identity. The strong sense of Germanic identity and superiority played an important role in starting the war. After the nation lost World War I in 1918, they were forced to sign the treaty of Versailles, a devastating capitulation, which worsened the period of economic depression and instability. The Nazi’s felt that the Jews were the ones who sabotaged the war and were displeased as they were seen to be more superior.

Furthermore, Hitler saw the Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, the disabled and so called anti-socials as parasites who were unworthy of life. He felt that they were inferior and deficient and hence saw the need to persecute them. To him, the more superior race has the right to displace such inferior races. This resulted in the death of millions of people during the Holocaust.

It is appalling to know how a sense of identity can trigger such strong sense of hatred amongst different groups, leading to the killing and elimination just because one group sees a sense of inferiority in the other. Yet such sense of identity is still necessary as it gives a community this common sense of heritage and it provides a strong bond between each individual which is vital in the cohesiveness of the community.    

Ultimately, I would feel that acceptance is a very important trait which should be adopted by every group: to accept each community’s differences for what they are. It is only then when having a sense of identity will be one which brings about truly positive effects.

IT

Lim Yiling T8

Information technology has indeed brought about major changes in our lives. Friends who went overseas for further studies are now contactable through many channels, be it through real time chat services like MSN, email or even the skpye! Overseas calls unlike those in the past, no longer costs a bomb, and in fact, video conferencing is now available. Such technology is user-friendly and it does not require IT savvy people to use it to keep in touch with their families who are located overseas.

Not only that, the birth of social networking websites like Facebook has also brought about a major revolution to how we disseminate information. Within seconds, a person can upload photos or updates of him/herself, allowing friends to keep in touch with her daily life despite not having the opportunity to meet. Even the political realm has changed! In fact, George Yeo is actually a ‘friend’ of mine in Facebook! With the presence of such a platform of communication, I am able to check out on which countries he has been to, and his thoughts on certain issues. Something which was previously seen as boring and unrelated to my life suddenly comes alive. For a more in-depth understanding of the happenings in his life, there is also a personal blog which he updates on a regular basis. Politicians are no longer people who are hard to reach, and in fact, communication with them now becomes very easy!

Also, in the ongoing presidential elections in US, the politicians are also using the internet as another channel to reach out to the masses, particularly the younger generation. Presidential campaign videos can be found on video sharing websites like Youtube. People no longer need to refer to the newspapers or the news to catch the latest updates on the campaigns. Anybody who wants to share their thoughts on the presidential candidates can also easily capture themselves on video and post it online, so that whoever is interested can catch it as well. This form of interaction transcends boundary, as long as there is access to the Internet, anyone can have access to such information.

Presidential candidates have also spent large sums of money and great efforts designing and maintaining their official websites. These websites not only provide information about them, but is also way to gather their financial backing from their supporters.  Through online banking, transfer of funds can be done in a hassle-free manner, which is one of the reasons why the Obama and McCain have such strong financial backing this time round.

Yet at the same time, we need to remain cautious towards this form of freedom. Due to the lack of proper regulations, any information, regardless of its reliability and credibility can be disseminated with ease and this may have grave repercussions since it is a tool that spreads information far and wide. This is especially dangerous when there are any misleading ideologies which may result in global unrest. Furthermore, IT has brought about another set of problems. One of which is cyber bully. In fact, several superstars in South Korea have chosen to commit suicide after numerous attacks and offensive comments made about them online. Although it may be a virtual world behind the computer screen, it has major impacts in the real world. Worried that this situation will continue to perpetuate, the South Korean authorities are now investigating the situation, finding means and ways to prevent such cyber bullies from getting away with such irresponsible behavior.

But with the large volume of activities going on every second, the possibility of such a regulation remains unseen.   

Human rights

Human rights

Human rights: a commonly used term in political speeches and statements. Yet, what does it mean to us, humans? What are our rights? How do we reinforce these rights of ours?

Human rights refer to the “basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.” Examples of rights and freedoms which are often thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education.

Yet, looking at the ‘rights’ that we are entitled to, can we confidently say that we are able to exercise all of the above entitlements mentioned above? Even being born in a peaceful and prosperous city like Singapore does not mean that I am able to exercise my rights freely. The freedom of expression definitely seems foreign to many in Singapore. But of course, this issue remains debatable since recent development of laws seem to have reestablished this right of ours. However, is it true freedom of expression? Or is it only said to be so? I suppose this question can only be answered after observation for a longer period of time.

What about our fellow mankind in less developed countries? Do they have their human rights? Or have they even heard of such a term in the first place?

For instance, India is the second most populous country in the world. Although economic growth has been accelerated over the years, the country’s per capita income remains low and 26 percent of the population live below the income poverty line. As a result, many social problems arose due to poverty, and internal forced labor may constitute India’s largest trafficking problem; men, women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labor working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery factories.

While no comprehensive study of forced and bonded labor has been completed, NGOs estimate this problem affects 20 to 65 million Indians. Women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Children are subjected to forced labor as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups. There are also victims of labor trafficking among the thousands of Indians who migrate willingly every year to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers. In some cases, such workers are the victims of fraudulent recruitment practices that lead them directly into situations of forced labor, including debt bondage; in other cases, high debts incurred to pay recruitment fees leave them vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous employers in the destination countries, where some are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude, including non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, unlawful withholding of passports, and physical or sexual abuse.

According to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it was stated: ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’

Yet, from the above mentioned cases, it makes us wonder where has all the talk on human rights gone to? The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not seem to be evident in reality. Needless to say, these people are robbed of it. They are robbed of their dignity, basic rights, possessions, health and even their life. With such situations made known to the world, what can we do for them? Are we in any way alleviating their situation?

Or on a deeper note, are the developed and more powerful countries indirectly robbing them of their rights as well?

 

Iraq war

Iraq war

In this lecture about war, the most prominent example that came to my mind was definitely the recent Iraq war. Partly because that received a whole lot of media coverage and it happened when I was more concerned with current affairs.

I totally agree with the lecturer about the point that war is a legalized form of violence. In war, men can kill each other without convicted by the law. In fact, they are laud for doing so. The more enemies you capture or kill, the more heroic you are.  Ironically, the aim of the war was to ‘curb terrorism’, for ‘greater peace and harmony’. But honestly, after so many years of fighting, the removal of Saddam Hussein as the dictator of Iraq, removal of coalition forces etc, has the aim been fulfilled? Has there been greater peace and harmony? I’m sure we all know the answer to that.

Ultimately, I felt that the main reason for engaging in a war was due to national pride. United States of America was deemed to be the all-time strong power. America was definitely one of the leading powers be it financially, or in terms of technology. Yet, with such extensive resources, they were ‘publicly humiliated’ during the 911 attacks: A strong power like them actually succumbed to the attacks of terrorists. They are not that invulnerable after all.

I would think that by using the reason of ‘fighting terrorism’ would be a very noble excuse for revenge.  The world will definitely not condone the idea of America taking revenge. But if it were for a more noble cause of fighting for greater peace and harmony, it becomes more acceptable as other countries also have this constant fear of being attacked as well.  

Yet it is a very scary thought. That once the leader of a country decides to engage in a war, its citizens have to follow the orders from above regardless of whether they agree to it or not. According to the statistics a recent Gallup poll, it revealed that 56% of Americans felt that the war wasn’t ‘worth it’. Meanwhile, for the first time, a majority say they would be “upset” if Bush sent more troops, and a new low of 36% say troop levels should be maintained or increased. An earlier Washington Post poll showed that two-thirds of the public believe the US military is bogged down in Iraq while almost three- quarters think the level of casualties is unacceptable. The figures match or exceed the previous high-water mark of public disenchantment. More than half believe the war has not made them safer.

All this statistics just point out one thing: The Americans are not agreeing with their leaders. Yet the Iraq war continues. Aren’t the leaders suppose to represent the voice of the citizens? What about all the talk on USA being the epitome of a democratic nation?

Most importantly, where is the peace America has been fighting for?

women and society

I found today’s topic ‘Women and the Family’ very intriguing, and it prompted me to think deeper into the issue. Maybe it is because I am a female, and the social problems that we are talking about are most probably the problems that I will be encountering in the future.

Globalization has led to a change in the roles of women. Modern women not only have to take care of the family, they, like the men are also now in the working society. While watching the video, many thoughts came to my mind. If I were in those working women shoes (only in a matter of time), what will I do? Will I continue to work? Or will I like some of the women in the video choose to give up their career because of their children? Or will I choose to work part-time?

I used to detest the idea of being a housewife. It seemed too boring and too tiring. There seems to be a never-ending workload, and there seems to be no off-days. It is a 24/7 job, and it doesn’t seem to get much credit. However, after watching the video, I realized that women are trying so hard to juggle between both their work and their family. But more often than not, they are not able to achieve the best of both worlds. In the end, both their quality of work and their family time are compromised. Not only that, they are now over-burdened with so many things: work, husband, children, housework etc. The work scope of a woman has increased tremendously and it seems like an impossible mission.

So while watching this video, I started to ask myself some questions. Do I want to work while taking care of my family? Will I be able to handle both well? In the end, I decided against it. There seems to be a high possibility of me inclining towards one of them. I highly doubt that I have the energy to handle both well. So, which do I forgo? Work or children? Should I like modern women, build up my career first, then give birth at a later age?

Work achievements may seem very attractive. You gain the respect of your colleagues, and there is all the hype and glamour that comes along with it. But someday, all these will pass. Instead, family achievements are things which you can boast for a lifetime. These are the things which will bring warmth tou your heart. Even if all else fails, I know for sure that my family won’t. But of course, that is provided that we put in the effort in the first place.

After this lecture, the thought of having a child seem very appealing. It seems so blissful to be able to spend time with your child. Taking care of a child is an ongoing challenge. The amount of joy that a child can bring is really up to anyone’s guess. They are so unpredictable, but at the same time, this is what makes it so attractive and meaningful.

But of course, whether women are able to stay at home to take care of the child also depends on the husband’s pay cheque. With the escalating inflation rates, is the income of one parent enough to sustain the family’s living expenditure? Everyone hopes to spend more time with their children. But does the economic conditions allow? In the video, those who were able to quit their jobs to take care of their children were women who were highly educated. Not only that, their spouse had the financial ability to take care of them even if the wife stayed at home. They have a choice of to work or not to work. But those whose husbands do not earn a substantial amount of money have no choice. They have to work. If they don’t, their standard of living will be compromised.  

For the poor, the only way for them to break out of the poverty cycle may be to provide their children with education. But in order to do that, parents will have to work so as to provide them with the opportunity to study.

class and inequality

While going through the lecture, there were many new insights. But what hit me most was the fact that the richest 1 percent in the word actually receives more income than the poorest 50 percent of the world’s people. It truly showed how the world’s resources are unequally distributed.

People may be throwing away their food just because they are afraid of putting on too much calories, whereas we have people in Africa scouring for food and even have to resort to eating tree barks to survive. it is really a waste of resources if we come to think of it. But how do we solve this problem? The poor will always be trapped in a vicious cycle which they can never get out of. Even if they do, how many can there be? Being poor, they have do not have access to the basic needs. Education, basic sanitation etc. how many of them have even heard of that in the first place? Without these in place, how will they have the health and the means to improve their productivity? How will they be able to get out of the poverty cycle which they have been trapped in since generations?

On the other hand, the rich people have the access to what the poor don’t. Basic sanitation, education, luxury goods, technology, knowledge, capital and many more. All these help to augment their wealth to even greater heights. In the end, the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. The income gap becomes wider, resulting in greater income disparity.

All these are further worsened when the rich and powerful start to exploit the poor of their services. For instance, a few years back, the media unraveled the painful reality that NIIKE was exploiting its workers. Despite the brand being one of the world’s largest, most popular, and most profitable shoe and clothing companies in the world, workers are paid wages which are insufficient to meet their basic needs. Not only that, they are also faced with health and safety hazards. Nike is so profitable that it is well able to afford to double the workers’ wages without increasing the retail price. Yet, they choose to exploit their workers. Workers in Vietnam and china earn only a meager sum of $4 per day. Not only do they have to work for long hours, they also have to suffer from poor working conditions.  

It is not only Nike who is doing this. There are also other brands who are also exploiting their workers. Such problems can only be resolved if there is sufficient regulation, which ensures that the companies pay the fair sum to the workers, and not exploit them for their services. Such problems of inequality have been haunting us since ancient times. It is difficult to fully resolve this problem until mankind eliminate their sense of self-centeredness and selfishness.

week 1 entry

As an engineering student, I have never given too much thought about the problems faced by society. However, after going through the lecture, and reading through the article, I came to realize that while countries strive to develop, we have to acknowledge the problems that come along with it.

Take Japan for instance. They are frontier of technology and development, with a world standing that is well sought after of by many other countries. However, they themselves face a set of unresolved social problems due to the seeking of success.

Firstly, they face an aging population. As Japan starts to develop, more people spend more time on work for financial gains. There is a general trend of men and women rejecting marriage, delaying marriage or married couples having fewer children or even none at all. As a result, the nation is now facing lower rates of reproduction and coupled with a longer lifespan due to medical advances, Japan suffers a general aging of the population. More and more people are aged above 65. Although such situation is commonly faced by developed country, this phenomenon is far more evident in Japan. Japan’s economic growth will soon be burdened by the increase in medical and cost caring for the elderly. This has detrimental effects not only on economically but socially as well.

Not only that, the mental state of many in the population is also in peril. The stress level in the country has been increasing over the years due to increased expectations from both work and home. It has taken a toll on many, resulting in an unstable state of mind. The number of suicide attempts has topped 30,000 for over a decade. Its suicide rate has shot up since the mid-1990s to become one of the highest in the world. It mainly resulted due to unemployment, health issues, financial difficulties and family problems. Not only is Japan troubled by high suicide rate, there is also an increase in murder attempts. For instance, there has been a recent knife stabbings in Tokyo recently where a 25 year old man, Kato was arrested for stabbing 17 people within 3 minutes, killing at least 7 in this shocking attack. When interrogated, Kato revealed a stunning revelation that he all he wanted was to kill strangers. He was tired of his life and was sick of everything.

This incident was not an isolated one. Instead, it sparked off an increase in stabbing attacks throughout Japan, to such an extreme where the Japanese authorities are now seeking ban on possession of double-edged knifes. Gone are the days where Japanese can walk freely on the streets, without the worry of a sudden attack. As no one can predict what could happen the next moment.

These problems are only the tip of the iceberg. Japan faces an increasingly persistent set of social problems which requires appropriate measurements from the authorities. Hence, this is where the role of a sociologist comes in. With their expertise and insight, it is imperative for them to analyze the social problems that the country is experiencing. The result of sociological research will greatly aid lawmakers, educators, administrators as they are able to come up with policies which are well-targeted at the crux of the problem.