The lecture first started off with us looking at the paradoxes of society. The paradoxes of modern society are indeed many and to solve such problems may be quite tough. Paradoxes of modern society not only occur between countries but also in countries themselves.

 

Take for instance, Singapore. It is reported that our income gap has been widening over the years. The problem of unequal income distribution is indeed becoming more and more real in Singapore. Although Singapore’s economy is on the rise, the increase in income of the higher-income was much greater as compared to those of the lower-income. Furthermore, with problems of inflation, the lower-income would be more affected than those of higher-income. This might widen the income gap even further. We probably have to ensure that prices of consumables do not rise sky high, until it becomes unaffordable for the lower-income.

 

We then moved on to talk about globalisation and social problems.

 

What is the first thing that you would think of when you hear the term globalisation? Perhaps most of us would think of globalisation as something good, something that will bring about positive changes in society, and something that is very essential in this day and age. Yet, globalisation is one of the causes of social problems in the world today. Problems such as inequality, child-labour and stress may have been caused by globalisation. I have to admit that initially it was a pretty weird idea for me to know that globalisation may actually lead to certain social problems. This is because I have always viewed globalisation as a process which brings about more positive changes than negative ones, and a process which is essential in bringing about progress in many parts of the world.

 

I remember watching a documentary about child labour in India sometime ago. It caught me by surprise to realise that children (mostly under the age of twelve) were actually involved in sewing details on clothes of mega brands. These clothes had details and sequins so intricate that it took a child the whole afternoon just to complete one piece of clothe. The children, who were of schooling age, were seen sewing the clothes in back lanes of houses instead of studying at school.

 

This situation can be seen, not only in India, but also in a few other developing countries. Globalisation can be said to be one of the causes of this social problem. With globalisation, there is greater connectivity between countries which leads to greater ease of importing and exporting of goods. Companies which aim to lower their cost of manufacturing hence will outsource their manufacturing to countries with lower labour cost, such as China or India. In such developing countries, where a great proportion of population are struggling the basic necessities, children are needed to bring home extra cash for the family. This thus results in child labour abuse.

 

Ironically, it is also due to globalisation and modernisation that we are able to find out more about social problems in other countries. There have been reports in the mainstream media about labour abuse, as well as child labour abuse. Some documentaries have been filmed about such labour abuse. With these modern technology, as well as the connectivity of the world, more and more people are aware of such abuse, and are standing up for the innocent.

 

At the end of the day, the question still stands, globalisation, good or bad?

 

hope to polish up this piece soon! I hope I make sense. =)