After 11
weeks of ‘hell’, we are finally done with this ES1102 module. To begin, I want
to thanks Brad for his patient and guidance throughout the semester. Without
him, this module will definitely be a rather boring journey for me. Though it
had been tough at times, I am glad that I had learnt something from this module.
Throughout these 11 weeks, I was made to do many assignments, ranging from
reader response to personal reflections. It wasn’t easy but I managed to pull through. I
learnt that writing is not that hard after all. All I require is a game plan.
Take for instance the reader response. What was hard was not the writing part
but the understanding of the entire text. Once I understood this and formed my
plan around it, writing became a much easier task. In addition, I also realized
that grammar is a vital component in essay writing. No matter how well the
content is, it will account for nothing if we do not pay attention to our language
and grammar. This is also my weakest link in essay writing. Throughout this
module, I had been doing my best to master the use of language and although I
can’t say that I am an expert in it now, I believe I am much better than
before. Lastly, I am sure that with more practice, I would be able to write
better essays.
ES1102
Wednesday 16 April 2014
Sunday 13 April 2014
Feedback on Presentation
Basically, I feel that it would be a good idea if we could actually incorporate this presentation into the module. I feel that this will be a good experience for the students as it provides them with an opportunity to to practise public speaking. Furthermore, they will also be able to learn from their fellow classmates by watching their presentation. It will also give them a chance to practise evaluation and feedback which is a very important skills in life
Tuesday 25 March 2014
Essay Writing (Draft 3)
Solving the problem of income inequality by the Singapore government
Done
by: Toh Jun Hao Alvin (A0113636L)
The
last few decades have seen the rapid expansion in the trading of goods and
services. Free trade areas have formed and trading between countries has
increased dramatically. In fact, the total ratio of foreign trade to GDP has risen
from 25 percent in 1960 to 52 percent in 1999 (Asia-Pacific Review, 2002). One
good example of a country which has reaped the benefits of globalization is Singapore.
She has been transformed from an undeveloped country in the past into a leader
in global commerce today. No doubt globalization has brought many benefits to
the world but with benefits also come costs. The expansion in global trading
has led to the worsening of income inequality in Singapore . According to Goldin
(2009) in his TED talk, globalization has resulted in a number of problems and
one of them is income inequality. This is further supported by Singapore’s Gini
index rating, a measure of income inequality, which has risen to a value of
0.478 in 2012, up from 0.454 a decade ago (Sun, 2013).
By
embracing trading, companies in Singapore
are able to displace domestic production and employment to cheaper labor
markets like China and India . This has
pushed down the demand for unskilled labor in Singapore . This coupled with the
inflow of foreign labor has further forced down the average lower end wages. In
fact, real median income of employed Singaporean in the bottom 20 percent has
found to have fallen by 8 percent from 1998 to 2010 (Benner, 2013). On the other
hand, rapid technological improvements due to globalization have led to an
increase in the demand for skilled workers resulting in high end wages to rise.
These two end results have led to the widening of income inequality in Singapore . While
the Singapore government has acknowledged the problem and has since implemented
several measures to tackle the issue of income inequality, more needs to be done.
Firstly,
the Ministry of Manpower has implemented changes by reducing foreign workers
quotas and hiking levies (Toh, 2013). By doing so, it has reduced the supply of
low skilled worker in Singapore, allowing for the rise in real income for this
group of workers. Furthermore, the government has partnered with multinational
corporations (MNCs) to train lower skilled Singaporean workers to take up
higher post (Tan, 2013). Government schemes like the workfare training support
also provide a platform for unskilled workers to learn new skills. Doing so
will raise the productivity of the workers and thus increase the demand for
them.
In
addition, Singapore uses a progressive tax system which taxes more on the rich
as their income increases. The government also provides subsidies and other
help to the poor through schemes like the GST Voucher Scheme and Workfare
Income Supplement (Chan, 2013). These helps to redistribute income from the
upper income group to the lower end, thus narrowing the gap between the top and
the bottom earners.
Lastly,
the Singapore government has made an effort to encourage companies to increase
the salaries of middle to lower income employees. During the finalized Budget
2013, the government came up with the Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) in order to
encourage companies to increase the wages of employees. They promised to co-fund
40% of the wage increment up to $4000 (Yahya, 2013). This would help to
increase income at the lower end, therefore narrowing income inequality.
On
top of these actual measures, I feel that the government could actually
implement a minimum wage law. Currently, Singapore is the only country among
the developed Asian economies that does not have a minimum wage law (Ngerng,
2013). I believe that this law would be truly beneficial in itself. For
instance, it would help to close the income inequality gap in Singapore and
also prevent exploitation by employers who tend to pay employees far below the
market price.
To
sum up, income inequality in Singapore
has been worsened by globalization. The fall in demand for unskilled workers
locally due to the shifting of production base has led to the drop in their
real income. This has caused the widening of income gap as the poor get poorer
and the rich get richer. As such, the Singapore government has come up
with a number of measures in a bid to try to alleviate the problem.
Nevertheless, more could be done to help tackle the problem. Overall, I feel that
the problem of income inequality will continue to persist as the world gets
more inter-connected. There is no way to achieve perfect equality unless we
practise communism. The only thing we can do is to try to reduce the gap and
the best method to this is to encourage low skilled workers to upgrade
themselves. By doing so, it will move the lower income group higher up the
chain, thereby closing the income gap with the upper class.
References:
Asia-Pacific
Review(2002, May). Globalization and the Growth in Free Trade Agreements.
Retrieved from http://www.wright.edu/~tdung/Globalization_and_FTA.pdf
Benner,
T. (2013, November 9). Singapore Poverty in the spotlight. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/singapore-poverty-spotlight-20131178362669442.html
Chan, R. (2012, November 6). Tackling income inequality.
The Straits Times online.
Retrieved from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Retrieved from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Ngerng,
R. (2013, February 21). Singapore Has the Highest Income Inequality
Compared to the OECD Countries.
Retrieved from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Retrieved from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Sun, X (2013,
August 6). Towards a City-state of Happiness.
Today Online. Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/voices/towards-city-state-happiness
Tan,
J. (2013, February 1). How Govt Could Tackle Singapore’s Income Gap Problem: Panel.
Yahoo Online.
Retrieved
from
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/how-govt-could-tackle-singapore%E2%80%99s-income-gap-problem--panel-095938746.html
Toh, Y.C. (2013, February 25). Budget 2013: Foreign worker levies to go up,
quotas for services and marine sectors cut. The
Straits Times online. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/budget-2013-foreign-worker-levies-go-quotas-services-and-marine-sector
Yahya, Y. (2013, February 25). Budget 2013: $3.6 billion wage credit
scheme, more productivity incentives for smaller businesses. The Straits Times online. Retrieved from
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/budget-2013-36-billion-wage-credit-scheme-more-productivity-incentives
Reader Response (Edited)
Kraidy
(2002),
in his article "Globalisation of Culture Through the Media,"
analyses the debate of media impact of culture. He highlights the opposing
views towards cultural imperialism and the argument of a shift of cultural
imperialism to globalization of cultures. He then comes to a conclusion that
cultural hybridity is not a new phenomenon but one that is enhanced by
transnational media.
I am in agreement with the author
that globalization of culture is not new and that transnational media has
played an important role in enhancing cultural hybridity in today's world. In
addition, I also feel that there has been a shift from cultural
imperialism to cultural globalization. I will be explaining my views in the
subsequent paragraphs.
In his article, Kraidy
addresses the argument regarding the shift of cultural imperialism to
globalization of cultures. Personally, I believe that cultural globalization is
much more relevant in today’s world compared to past period of Western power
domination. Countries have become more equal in social standing, making
cultural imperialism less likely. In the past, Western nations have had a
strong influence on Eastern nations. However, it is no longer a one-way route
today. Eastern countries are also exerting an equally strong influence on their
Western counterparts. For instance, Korean culture is also being extended to
the west. In addition, China and India have become manufacturing hubs to many
countries in the recent years. As such, there has been a spread of cultures
from these areas to all over the world. Hence, I feel that globalization of
culture is a better term compared to cultural imperialism. To me,
cultural globalization means a transmission of ideas, values across the
world.
In the article, Kraidy also
discusses cultural hybridity. I agree with the writer’s view that cultural
hybridity is not a new phenomenon; it is
“already in existence”. This
is because cultures are never stagnant and have been evolving and changing to
the environment. Once established, they can be influenced by the interactions
of different cultures. Even before the birth of media, there was contact of
cultures through various platforms such as trade and warfare in ancient
civilization. Hence, hybridity should not be a new ‘event’. To me,
transnational media is only a factor that facilitates the evolution of culture.
In other words, it did not cause culture hybridity, it merely speeds up the
evolution.
In conclusion, this article brings to our attention the reality of cultural globalization in today’s world. It highlights to us the impact media has on cultures and the debate concerning cultural imperialism. Last but not least, it is brought to our attention that there is a shift from cultural imperialism to globalization of culture.
Sunday 9 March 2014
Draft 2: Essay writing
How can the Singapore government solve the problem of income inequality in Singapore?
The last few decades have seen the rapid expansion in the trading of goods and services. Free trade areas were formed and trading between countries has increased dramatically. TakingSingapore
as an example, globalization has transformed her from an undeveloped country in
the past into a leader in global commerce today. No doubt globalization has
brought many benefits to the world but with benefits come costs. The expansion
in global trading has led to the worsening of income inequality in Singapore . According
to Goldin in his TED talk, globalization has resulted in a number of problems
and one of them is income inequality. This is further supported by the Singapore ’s
Gini index rating (a measure of income inequality) which has risen to a value
of 0.478 in 2012, up from 0.454 a decade ago (Sun, 2013).
The last few decades have seen the rapid expansion in the trading of goods and services. Free trade areas were formed and trading between countries has increased dramatically. Taking
By
embracing trading, companies in Singapore
are able to displace domestic production and employment to cheaper labor markets
like China and India . This has
pushed down the demand for unskilled labor in Singapore . This coupled with the
inflow of foreign labor has further forced down the average lower end wages. On
the other hand, rapid technological improvements due to globalization have led
to an increase in the demand for skilled workers resulting in high end wages to
rise. These two end results have led to the widening of income inequality in Singapore . The Singapore
government has acknowledged the problem and has since implemented several
measures to tackle the issue of income inequality.
Firstly,
the Ministry of Manpower has implemented changes by reducing foreign workers
quotas and hiking levies (Toh, 2013). By doing so, it will reduce the supply of
low skilled worker in Singapore ,
allowing for the rise in real income for this group of workers. Furthermore,
the government has partnership with multinational corporation (MNCs) to train
lower skilled Singaporean workers to take up higher post (Tan, 2013). Government
schemes like the workfare training support also provide a platform for
unskilled worker to learn new skills. By doing so, it will raise the
productivity of the workers and thus increase the demand for them.
In
addition, Singapore
uses a progressive tax system which taxes more on the rich as their income
increase. The government also provides subsidies and help to the poor through
schemes like the GST Voucher scheme and Workfare Income Supplement (Chan, 2013).
This helps to redistribute income from the upper income group to the lower end,
thus narrowing the gap between the top and the bottom earners.
Lastly,
the Singapore
government has made effort to encourage companies to increase the salaries of
middle to lower income employees. During Budget 2013, the government came up
with the Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) in order to encourage companies to increase
the wages of employees. They promised to co-fund 40% of the wage increment up
to $4000 (Yahya, 2013). This will help to increase income at the lower end and
therefore narrowing income inequality.
On
top of these actual measures, I feel that the government could actually
implement a minimum wage law. Currently, Singapore is the only country among
the developed Asian economies that does not have a minimum wage law (Ngerng,
2013). I believe that this law is truly beneficial in itself. For instance, it
will help to close the income inequality gap in Singapore and also prevent
exploitation by employers who tend to pay employees far below the market
price.
To
sum up, income inequality in Singapore
has been worsened by globalization. The fall in demand for unskilled workers
locally due to the shifting of production base has led to the drop in their
real income. This has caused the widening of income gap as the poor get poorer and
the rich get richer. As such, the Singapore government has come up
with a number of measures in a bid to try to alleviate the problem.
Nevertheless, more could be done to help tackle the problem. Overall, I feel
that the problem of income inequality will continue to persist as the world
gets more inter-connected. There is no way to achieve perfect equality unless
we practise communism. The only thing we can do is to try to reduce the gap and
the best method to this is to encourage low skilled workers to upgrade
themselves. By doing so, it will move the lower income group higher up the
chain and thereby closing the income gap with the upper class.
References:
Tan,
J. (2013, February 1). How Govt Could Tackle Singapore ’s Income Gap Problem:
panel.
Retrieved
from
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/how-govt-could-tackle-singapore%E2%80%99s-income-gap-problem--panel-095938746.html
Chan, R. (2012, November 6). Tackling Income Inequality.
Retrieved from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Retrieved from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Ngerng,
R. (2013, February 21). Singapore Has the Highest Income Inequality
Compared to the OECD Countries.
Retrieved from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Retrieved from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Sun, X (2013,
August 6). Towards a City-state of Happiness. Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/voices/towards-city-state-happiness
Toh, Y.C. (2013, February 25). Budget 2013: Foreign worker levies to go up,
quotas for services and marine sectors cut. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/budget-2013-foreign-worker-levies-go-quotas-services-and-marine-sector
Yahya, Y. (2013, February 25). Budget 2013: $3.6 billion wage credit
scheme, more productivity incentives for smaller businesses. Retrieved from
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/budget-2013-36-billion-wage-credit-scheme-more-productivity-incentives
Sunday 2 March 2014
Ouline
How can the Singapore government solve the
problem of income inequality in Singapore?
Background information
The last few decades have seen the rapid expansion in
the trading of goods and services. Free trade areas were formed and trading
between countries has increased dramatically. Taking Singapore as an example,
globalization has transformed her from an undeveloped country in the past into
a leader in global commerce today. No doubt globalization has brought many
benefits to the world but with benefits come costs. The expansion in global
trading has led to the worsening of income inequality in Singapore. This was
also covered by Goldin in his TED talk. According to him, rapid globalization
has resulted in a number of problems and one of them is income inequality. This
is further supported by the Singapore’s Gini index rating (a measure of income
inequality) which has risen to a
value of 0.478 in 2013, up from 0.454 a decade ago.
The link between globalization and income inequality
By embracing trading, companies in Singapore are able
to displace domestic production and employment to cheaper labor markets like
China and India. This has pushed down the demand for unskilled labor in
Singapore. This coupled with the inflow of foreign labor has further forced
down the average lower end wages. On the other hand, rapid technological
improvements due to globalization have led to an increase in the demand for
skilled workers resulting in high end wages to rise. These two end results have
led to the widening of income inequality in Singapore. The Singapore government
has acknowledged the problem and has since implemented several measures to
tackle the issue of income inequality.
Solutions- actual measures
Solution 1: Reducing foreign workers quotas and
hiking levies.
Solution 2: Training of low skilled workers
Solution 3: Taxing and redistribution of income
Solution 4: Pay rise for middle/lower income group
Solution 2: Training of low skilled workers
Solution 3: Taxing and redistribution of income
Solution 4: Pay rise for middle/lower income group
Firstly, the Singapore government has implemented
changes by reducing foreign workers quotas and hiking levies. By doing
so, it will reduce the supply of low skilled worker in Singapore, allowing for
the rise in real income for this group of workers. Furthermore, the government has
partnership with multinational corporation (MNCs) to train lower skilled Singaporean workers to take up higher post. Government scheme like the workfare training
support also provides a platform for unskilled worker to learn new skills. By
doing so, it will raise the productivity of the workers and thus increase the
demand for them.
In addition, Singapore uses a progressive tax system which taxes more on the rich as their income increase. The government also provides subsidies and help to the poor through schemes like the GST Voucher scheme and Workfare Income Supplement. This helps to redistribute income from the upper income group to the lower end, thus narrowing the gap between the top and the bottom earners.
Lastly, the Singapore government has been encouraging companies to increase the salaries of middle to lower income employees. During Budget 2013, the government came up with the Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) in order to encourage companies to increase the wages of employees. They promised to subsidy 40% of the wage increment up to $4000. This will help to increase income at the lower end and therefore narrowing income inequality.
Solution-possible measure
Solution 1: Minimum wage law
On top of these actual measures, I feel that the
government could actually implement a minimum wage law. Currently, Singapore is
the only country among the developed Asian economies that does not have a
minimum wage law. I believe that this law is truly beneficial in itself. For
instance, it will help to close the income inequality gap in Singapore and also
prevent exploitation by employers who tend to pay employees far below the
market price.
Conclusion
To sum up, income inequality in Singapore has been
worsened by globalization. The fall in demand for unskilled workers locally due
to the shifting of production base has led to the drop in their real income. This
has caused the widening of income gap as the poor get poorer and the rich get
richer. As such, the Singapore government has come up with a number of measures
in a bid to try to alleviate the problem. Nevertheless, more could be done to
help tackle the problem. Overall, I feel that the problem of income inequality
will continue to persist as the world gets more inter-connected. There is no
way to achieve perfect equality unless we are practising communism. The only
thing we can do is to try to reduce the gap and the best method to this is to
encourage low skilled workers to upgrade themselves. By doing so, it will move
the lower income group higher up the chain and thereby closing the income gap
with the upper class.
References:
Jeanette Tan (Feb 1, 2013). How govt could tackle
Singapore’s income gap problem: panel
Retrieved Feb 28, 2014, from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/how-govt-could-tackle-singapore%E2%80%99s-income-gap-problem--panel-095938746.html
Retrieved Feb 28, 2014, from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/how-govt-could-tackle-singapore%E2%80%99s-income-gap-problem--panel-095938746.html
Robin Chan (Nov
6, 2012). Tackling income inequality
Retrieved Feb 28, 2014, from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Retrieved Feb 28, 2014, from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Roy Ngerng (Feb 21, 2013). Singapore Has The Highest Income Inequality Compared to the
OECD Countries
Retrieved Feb 28, 2014 from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Retrieved Feb 28, 2014 from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Friday 28 February 2014
Draft 1: Essay writing
How can the Singapore government solve the problem of income inequality in Singapore?
The last few decades have seen the rapid expansion in the trading of goods and services. Free trade areas were formed and trading between countries has increased dramatically. Taking Singapore as an example, globalization has transformed her from an undeveloped country in the past into a leader in global commerce today. No doubt globalization has brought many benefits to the world but with benefits come costs. The expansion in global trading has led to the worsening of income inequality in Singapore. This was also covered by Goldin in his TED talk. According to him, rapid globalization has resulted in a number of problems and one of them is income inequality. This is further supported by the Singapore’s Gini index rating (a measure of income inequality) which has risen to a value of 0.478 in 2013, up from 0.454 a decade ago.
By embracing trading, companies in Singapore are able to displace domestic production and employment to cheaper labor markets like China and India. This has pushed down the demand for unskilled labor in Singapore. This coupled with the inflow of foreign labor has further forced down the average lower end wages. On the other hand, rapid technological improvements due to globalization have led to an increase in the demand for skilled workers resulting in high end wages to rise. These two end results have led to the widening of income inequality in Singapore. The Singapore government has acknowledged the problem and has since implemented several measures to tackle the issue of income inequality.
Firstly, the Singapore government has implemented changes by reducing foreign workers quotas and hiking levies. By doing so, it will reduce the supply of low skilled worker in Singapore, allowing for the rise in real income for this group of workers. Furthermore, the government has partnership with multinational corporation (MNCs) to train lower skilled Singaporean workers to take up higher post. Government scheme like the workfare training support also provides a platform for unskilled worker to learn new skills. By doing so, it will raise the productivity of the workers and thus increase the demand for them.
In addition, Singapore uses a progressive tax system which taxes more on the rich as their income increase. The government also provides subsidies and help to the poor through schemes like the GST Voucher scheme and Workfare Income Supplement. This helps to redistribute income from the upper income group to the lower end, thus narrowing the gap between the top and the bottom earners.
Lastly, the Singapore government has been encouraging companies to increase the salaries of middle to lower income employees. During Budget 2013, the government came up with the Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) in order to encourage companies to increase the wages of employees. They promised to subsidy 40% of the wage increment up to $4000. This will help to increase income at the lower end and therefore narrowing income inequality.
On top of these actual measures, I feel that the government could actually implement a minimum wage law. Currently, Singapore is the only country among the developed Asian economies that does not have a minimum wage law. I believe that this law is truly beneficial in itself. For instance, it will help to close the income inequality gap in Singapore and also prevent exploitation by employers who tend to pay employees far below the market price.
To sum up, income inequality in Singapore has been worsened by globalization. The fall in demand for unskilled workers locally due to the shifting of production base has led to the drop in their real income. This has caused the widening of income gap as the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. As such, the Singapore government has come up with a number of measures in a bid to try to alleviate the problem. Nevertheless, more could be done to help tackle the problem. Overall, I feel that the problem of income inequality will continue to persist as the world gets more inter-connected. There is no way to achieve perfect equality unless we are practising communism. The only thing we can do is to try to reduce the gap and the best method to this is to encourage low skilled workers to upgrade themselves. By doing so, it will move the lower income group higher up the chain and thereby closing the income gap with the upper class.
References:
Jeanette Tan (Feb 1, 2013). How govt could tackle Singapore’s income gap problem: panel
Retrieved from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/how-govt-could-tackle-singapore%E2%80%99s-income-gap-problem--panel-095938746.html
Robin Chan (Nov 6, 2012). Tackling income inequality
Retrieved from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Retrieved from http://www.singapolitics.sg/fast-facts/tackling-income-inequality
Roy Ngerng (Feb 21, 2013). Singapore Has The Highest Income Inequality Compared to the OECD Countries
Retrieved from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
Retrieved from http://thehearttruths.com/2013/02/21/singapore-has-the-highest-income-inequality-compared-to-the-oecd-countries/
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