Prof. Shahi kickstarted the second lesson by reminding us
the core objectives and the relevant questions to be answered by the end of
this module. They are:
1. To understand why white men have more cargo than the
others, or in other words, the reasons for inequalities. What are the
advantages others have?
2. What can be done about it? How does the disadvantaged
ones compete with the rest of the world?
In this
lesson, I had a clearer understanding of the difference between innovation and
invention. Though both innovation and invention do overlap, there are actually subtle
differences between the two. Invention is ultimately the creation of new, fresh
and original ideas while innovation on the other hand, is the practical
application of inventions to produce something marketable and useful to mankind.
Innovation is essentially the translation of invention.
I had
also learnt that technology is neutral in its intentions. It is human-centric
and therefore magnifies human life and its activities. Technology is used to
serve the human-being and amplify what they do. However, technology applied in
a positive way may have unforeseen circumstances. Guns for example, can be used
for self-defense, or for recreational purposes such as target-shooting, but
when they fall into the hands of people with otherwise bad intentions, the consequences
are dire. Think terrorism and world war – you get the idea.
Session 2A: Technology, Society and Global Dominance
Main observation: Different societies/countries/companies are dominant at different point in time in different aspects.
The main questions for the first part of this session
are:
1. Why does some societies rise and others fall?
2. How do we build societies/companies that are dominant
leaders in their respective arenas?
Rise and fall is defined as positive or negative
development respectively largely quantifiable in terms of trade and produce
within a country (economics). The definition is non-exhaustive in nature
suggesting that additional factors such as societal quality of life also
matters in terms of the rise and fall of a society.
The example of China versus Britain is one that is
relatively easy to understand, due to its long and illustrious history. China
at the turn of the 10th century was a leading power in terms of
economic produce. For example, China’s steel production reached an approximate
125, 000 tons, a figure that even in the 18th century when the British
were supposedly more technologically advanced following the industrial
revolution were unable to match initially. China’s textile industry was largely
dominant in Asia and trade spent all the way to Africa, Middle East and Europe.
[1]
While China’s economic condition was as
such and did carried on for the better part of the Millennia, its
rulers were more concerned with maintaining a status quo. The rulers of China
were more concerned about maintaining their status as a ruling class and in
order to do so, the economic ability of the lower classes was suppressed
through social discrimination and the inaccessibility of education. Their trade
policy relied mainly upon open markets and they failed to therefore project
future threats and challenges in the face of other developing countries. On the
other hand, following the industrial revolution the British began an
expansionist foreign policy of colonization. The British used militaristic
power to dominate and colonize other countries such as India. This policy
allowed for the opening of markets and access to foreign resources that were
less costly.
While both China and Britain have two varying histories,
it is plain to see that Britain was on the incline in terms of economic
development with the aid of its naval dominance while China was on the decline
due to its failure to progress in the later part of the Millennia. This highlights
a very important aspect to social and economic development that it requires
constant progress both economically and socially and that the maintenance of
status quo within the internal environment inevitably serves to stall the
growth and development of the country as a whole. This is due to the fact that
other countries that are as well-off in terms of economic development and
growth will eventually catch up or become more economically efficient and
socially sophisticated.
Overall, the key takeaway from this part of the session was
to have the right attitude and an open mind-set. Being open refers to being
receptive to changes, as well as to welcome new ideas with open arms for
potential successes. It is also crucial to recognize the need to constantly
upgrade oneself and not to be stuck in one’s own comfort zone, as that would
lead to stagnancy in growth. Project into the future, and anticipate changes so
as to ensure sustainable development. I personally find that Prof. Shahi’s
Organization Behaviour Model is pretty related to reading 2: Innovation in the
reset world. Overall, the point is to stay hungry; stop closing doors and
instead, open windows.
Session 2B: Technology and Human development
When the word, “development” is mentioned, people commonly
tend to relate it to progress, growth and improvement. However, Prof. Shahi
enlightened the class by pointing out that development can be both positive and
negative in nature.
I came across an article on the net, “Campaign to preserve
Singapore’s Chinese cemetery pushes on” (http://asiancorrespondent.com/78465/campaign-to-preserve-chinese-cemetery-pushes-on/)
about the demolition of a part of the Bukit Brown Cemetery so as to give way
for the construction of a highway. On one hand, the cemetery is a home for a
variety of flora and fauna, of which some are identified as endangered species.
In addition, the cemetery holds high historical and cultural significance in
the Chinese for it is where traditional rituals are performed on days such as
during the Qingming Festival (also known as Tomb
Sweeping Day and Clear Bright Festival). On the other hand, it is
difficult to manage Singapore’s urban developmental needs, especially when land
is scarce. This then leads to an issue – Is it possible for economic progress
and environmental and cultural concerns to co-exist?
Due to the limitations of using national income
statistics as indication of living standards, the Human Development Index (HDI)
was developed by the United Nations as a composite measure, to provide a
broader view of a country’s standard of living. HDI is measured in terms of 3
criteria, namely real GDP per capita, education (literacy rate) and health
(life expectancy, infant mortality rates).
Strengths of HDI:
- Can be used to compare across countries and also over
time
Weaknesses of HDI:
- Does not take inequalities into consideration, such as
gender inequality, income inequality.
- Other factors that affect social well-being such as
freedom of speech and happiness level not taken into account.
For example, Singapore was ranked 18th out of
187 countries with a high HDI value of 0.895 in 2012 by UNDP. However, it was
ranked 90th on the Happy Planet Index by New Economics Foundation in
2012 and 29th highest Gini Index in terms of distribution of family
income by CIA World Factbook in 2012. This serves to show that Singaporeans are
not doing comparatively well in terms of mental well-being and that despite
having one of the highest GDP per capita, there is a widening income gap
amongst Singaporeans.
Overall, I would rate the second session 7/10. It was the
first session for individual presentations and I found my peers’ presentations
were really interesting and insightful! I hope the subsequent lessons would not
run overtime like the previous session though, as I had another lesson 15
minutes later and had to rush! L
No comments:
Post a Comment