Reflective Journal 5

Reflective Journal 5: Reflect on SES. You may want to consider the curriculum, the learning process, the assessment, difficulties you faced, how you overcame them, and how might SES be applicable in time to come. 

After term 2, SES lessons will be taught by a different teacher and focuses more on economics. As the content and method of teaching is going to be different, it is an apt time for us to reflect on not only what we have learnt, but also why.

In the very first SES lesson, the purpose of the module was outlined as improving our Cultural Intelligence through case studies. This would ensure that students gain the flexibility to adapt in the future to a culture they are unfamiliar with, even if it was not covered as a case study. However, I feel that the module had too much focus on the specific case studies, with not enough emphasis given to the 'drive' aspect of CQ. Some students have the misconception that the purpose of SES is to analyse the case studies. However, simply gaining knowledge about the case studies, mainly focused on America and China, is not enough as information is constantly becoming outdated and irrelevant.  What happens if India, which is not in the curriculum, rises to become the next global superpower? While students who followed the lesson should have gained the skill needed to research and analyse articles to improve their knowledge and awareness of other cultures, they are only doing it because it is an assignment. It is hard to say how many will apply these skills in the future. It should be noted that to cultivate an interest or ensure that students are self-motivated is an extremely difficult goal which is highly dependent on the students themselves. While I personally feel that more emphasis could have been put on this and that the module has not succeeded in achieving this aim, it is an innate flaw in the system which cannot be easily resolved. On the other hand, for those who have picked up these skills from the module and have the awareness to apply them in their real life or future will find many opportunities to do so. An understanding of corporate culture can help with business relations, while being sensitive and knowledgeable about other cultures is definitely beneficial to social relationships. While I find it difficult to examine myself without bias and decide whether I can apply - or even remember - these skills in the future, I believe that I have benefited from this module.

Aside from the content, I also found that there were a few flaws to the mode of assessment. In my very first journal entry, I commented that the use of class discussions as a mode of assessment assumes that the individual student researches and prepares adequately before the lesson. After experiencing more lessons conducted in this format, I think I have a clearer picture of what some problems are. Firstly, there are some who do not participate in the class discussion despite being prepared. This is caused by two issues. Some people prefer not to speak up as they are shy. However, this is also due to the discussion being dominated by several people. Those who need to pause to think find that they have no time to respond to questions before their points are said by other people. This makes class discussions an inaccurate in gauging a student's understanding of the issue. A second problem as mentioned above is the lack of preparation. While efforts have been made to ease the burden by reducing the number of articles and assigning questions, this also means that students have a narrower perspective of the issue. The last issue I found was a lack of time for class discussion. While class discussions are more effective in engaging the students and ensures that they have prepared beforehand, it also takes more time than if a teacher simply gives a lecture. It is difficult to obtain an in-depth understanding of the issue through a discussion without adequate time.

However, I found that the reflective journals were quite effective in shoring up the flaws in class discussion, except for the issue of a lack of preparation. The reflective journals ensures that each and every student has to post his opinion and ideas about the issue on his blog, and shows whether he has really been thinking about the issue. Moreover, it was specifically stated not to simply describe what happened, which has no personal input. The expectations and format are very different from the reflections we normally write, where most students - myself included - just try to write what the teacher wants to read rather than our own opinion. Personally, I feel that either less weightage should be given to journal entries or more journal entries should be written. I did not participate in class discussion much in term 1 but still managed to achieve a score which was above average because of my reflective journal. While I am happy that I managed to get a good grade, I think it does reflect that there is not enough weightage placed on class discussions despite the fact that it needs the same amount of preparation and thinking. Also, it is important to ensure that the entries are of consistent quality.

Overall, I think that the SES module is successful as a module which was recently introduced and is a very good concept, though its implementation can be improved on. 

(921 words)

Reflective Journal 4

In the previous lesson, we covered societal problems faced by America and China and whether they could learn from each other's different system to overcome their problems. I feel that the most significant problem faced by China would be the corrupt and inefficient government. The prevalence of corruption means that many politicians are not acting in the best interests of the country as a whole. This hinders China's economic progress and can develop into other political and social issues. Corruption leads to social unrest. Social unrest leads to less productivity. This will impact the economy as there are less profits and investors will be wary of the unstable political system. The inefficient and decentralised government also makes it harder to implement policies, as local leaders hold a lot of influence and the ways policies are implemented will thus be inconsistent across different regions. Local leaders having too much power also encourages corruption. Furthermore, China is very large. It is extremely hard to reform the entire political system and solve rampant corruption on such a large scale. As it leads to many different consequences and is hard to solve, I feel this is the most significant problem faced by China.

I feel that the most significant problem faced by America would be their education system. America's academic rankings are plummeting, and many students find themselves unable to qualify for college. There are more and more drop-outs in America, and without higher education, their job prospects in the already shaky economy are slim. As a whole, the American economy will also be greatly affected as it needs a skilled workforce to meet demand. However, this problem is extremely hard to resolve. To begin with, the actual cause of plummeting grades is not clear. Most likely, it is a number of different factors that have contributed to this situation, which range from a culture which places less emphasis on academics to funding cuts. It is thus difficult to directly tackle the root of the problem and will take a large amount of effort and time to solve this issue. However, this is largely impossible in America due to its political system. Political parties often disagree and create a deadlock where it takes a long time to get anything done and the resulting policy may not be the most effective. Teachers unions also hold a large amount of influence and money and are known for blocking educational reform. The National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers spent nearly $62 million on candidates and expenditures for ballot incentives in 2008. As this problem has far-reaching consequences such as exacerbating the issue of America's stagnating economy, budget deficit and high unemployment rate as well as being extremely hard to resolve, I feel this is the most significant problem faced by America.

However, I feel that most of what was presented in class was oversimplified. Something which I felt could be expanded on more was how a solution from one country cannot be directly copied and implemented in another country to similar effect. This is partly due to the culture and the interplay between political, economic and social issues. China and the US both face the problem of a large rich-poor divide. China's government plans to reform personal income tax and has come up with a proposal and gathered feedback from the people last year. However, this is not so easy to implement in America. There is heated debate over whether taxes for the rich should be increased. However, because of the political situation in America, it is difficult to negotiate an effective deal between Democrats and Republicans without taking an excessive amount of time. Thus this solution cannot simply be directly copied from China and implemented in America.

Such limitations work both ways. There is a problem of dissatisfaction with the government in China. China can learn from America by granting individual rights such as freedom of speech, expression and the press, people are more likely to use alternative platforms to give constructive criticism and solve the root problem such as corruption. However, this is not likely due to the political system in China which is more authoritarian. In other words, it is extremely unrealistic that America and China can accept and implement solutions learnt from each other - in fact, it is extremely unlikely that they can solve these societal problems at all in the near future.

I also feel that the different problems faced by America and China also reflect on their culture and ideology to some extent. China faces political and social issues such as social unrest, corruption, materialism and selfishness. This reflects how China has an ideological void which it is trying to fill with Confucianism, which has been described as both unrealistic and not tackling the origins of corruption and poor governance. America faces problems such as a political system which is inefficient in passing new laws and overspending on healthcare which reflects its beliefs in individual rights.

(828 words)

Reflective Journal 3

While the American and Chinese perception of self may seem a bit abstract, I think that they both reflect quite clearly in our life. Our current situation is rather unique as there is no fine line between the different cultures in Singapore. Singapore has aspects of both the American and Chinese perception of self. For example, the American perception of self over society does hold true in Singapore. Singaporeans believe in their individual rights, and especially for the younger generation, are more liberal like Americans. For example, in last year's General Elections, the dominant People's Action Party suffered a great decrease in popularity. Singapore is not a single party state like China, and more Singaporeans are using alternative media to voice their dissent. Whether these complaints are valid or not, this does show that Singaporeans value and exercise their freedom speech and freedom of expression.

However, Singapore also has aspects of the Chinese perception of self. For example, the concept of 'social harmony' is also present in Singapore. There are people who are afraid to speak out and disagree with other people, though it is not that prevalent in Singapore as in China. The China government promoting Confucianism as a means of social cohesion and easing social dissent also seems familiar-since the early years after independence to the present day, the Singapore government uses education to promote social cohesion. The 2007 Civics and Moral Education syllabus (http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/aesthetics-health-and-moral-education/files/civics-and-moral-education-primary-english-2007.pdf) states that one of the considerations made when developing the syllabus is the "The unique multicultural heritage of our nation that upholds values like service to the nation and community above self...thrift, diligence, respect for authority and the belief in social order."

Essentially, what this means is that we unknowingly have been exposed to both American and Chinese culture, and their perception of self. The question then would be what the Singaporean perception of self is? Personally, I think that a place society over self. I am the type of person that does not speak out a lot, either because I am not confident in myself or because I do not want to challenge other people and have to defend my own views. I would rather maintain the status quo rather than try and fight for change unless something is seriously wrong. While this seems to show that I lean totally towards the Chinese perception of self, this is also not entirely true. Having just said that I would fight for change if something is seriously wrong, there are indeed situations when I would value the self over society in terms of freedom of expression and freedom of speech. For instance, if the government suddenly announces that Singapore is now a single party state and all opposition parties are outlawed, I would disagree with that. If something goes against my individual rights, I will still place the self over society.

In other words, there is no single perception of self which I strictly adhere to. Due to the unique culture of Singapore as well as the education and exposure I have been privileged enough to have went through, I find that I have a mesh of different aspects from different cultures in my perception of self. The fact that I think I lean more towards the Chinese perception of self is possibly due to personal preference and personality, as I am more withdrawn and conservative. I suspect that most of my classmates and Singaporeans in general are also similar, and have integrated different aspects of both American and Chinese perceptions of self and made their own unique conclusion. However, there is no fine line on which side we stand.

I think that there are two main reasons for this. As already mentioned, Singapore's unique global position and heritage results in a lot of exposure to different cultures. Another reason which was not previously mentioned is education. Think about it; what are we learning now? Socio-economic studies. How many students would think about things such as their perception of self if they had not gone through this module? Practically zero. Through the discussions in class and the way these discussions are guided, how we view ourselves and the world has changed. Socio-economic studies is just one example. While it is said to encourage cramming and rote memorisation, class interaction is increasingly being stressed. It is commonly said that young children are easily impressionable. So teachers are now shifting from simply lecturing to encouraging students to question. Currently, Singapore is somewhere in the middle of a shift from the more stereotypically Asian system of rote learning to a more interactive and innovative system similar to America. Whether young children are encouraged to question their teacher or told to simply listen may lead to an emphasis on either social harmony or freedom of expression. Looking back on my primary school education, I wonder if I would still lean towards the Chinese perception of self if I had been more encouraged to speak up in the past.

(830 words)

Reflective Journal 2

The different management styles of Google and Lenovo do portray the different cultures in America and China. In Google, employees are empowered and are given more freedom in their work to innovate and experiment. The relationship between employees and their superiors are also more informal. This is similar to American culture, which prides itself on being more open and creative, with ideas such as freedom of speech and democracy being strongly emphasised. However, Lenovo has a small group of top executives to make decisions for the company, with few employees voicing their opinions. This reflects on China's culture as well, which places strong emphasis on Chinese value such as respect, and where employees probably think that speaking out is rude. Their superiors probably would not take their views into account as well due to this culture. As such, China is known for being more focused on manufacturing and copying ideas rather than innovating. This has helped China in the beginning, with its large supply of cheap labour, but Chinese companies such as Lenovo now find it difficult to adopt a different management style.

Personally, I would prefer to work in Lenovo compared to Google. Google's management style may seem like it encourages creativity, but the peer review system makes it hard for Google to decide how to fund projects. Therefore, even if you have a good idea, you may not necessarily be supported by Google. If you have a truly good idea which you are passionate about, you might as well set up a company and follow through yourself. In any case, I do not find myself to be neither creative nor passionate. I would probably be happier in Lenovo's structured system where all I have to do is listen to my superior. While it may seem more tedious or boring, I do not find myself passionate about any particular job or subject yet. In other words, as of now, I feel that a job is simply a job. I would only work for practical reasons, namely money. I do not have the intrinsic motivation to work harder than I need to, and therefore feel that whether I work at Google or Lenovo, I would probably still treat it as "work" and not enjoy one over the other. I do not even have the extrinsic motivation of money as I am not really ambitious and would be content without needing an extravagantly large pay check. Lenovo's system allows one to stay in their comfort zone as they never really have to try and be innovative, or make important decisions unless they climb to a top position in the company.

Another reason would be the culture. I find that the culture in Singapore is more similar to China than to America. With a predominantly Chinese population, and having spent a lot of time in schools with a Chinese majority, I find that Chinese values such as respect are also emphasised here in Singapore. While the education system is taking a shift towards a more creative approach to learning, it is still notorious for rote-learning and developing conformity. Though this has been useful in the past to produce reliable managers, it has now been pointed out that Singapore now needs more creative and flexible leaders to remain competitive. It has even been said that Singaporean schools kill curiosity. While I have been lucky enough to have went through programmes that claim to be better at promoting critical thinking, innovation and curiosity in students, I still feel that there may be a culture shock if I work at Google. I would prefer a more similar environment which does not take me out of my comfort zone, even if others perceive it to be a "worse" environment. One has to question, why should the management style of Lenovo be seen as less creative than that of Google anyway?

The Lenovo management style is similar to Apple's management style, with the top executive making the important decisions-in this case, it used to be Steve Job's. Steve Job's prided himself on Apple's management style, which had a clear distinction between employees and their superiors. Yet Apple has come up with many innovative and wildly successful products. Despite the similarity in management style, Chinese companies such as Lenovo have a huge difference in creativity as compared to Apple. Therefore, it makes sense to conclude that creativity is not caused by the management style. The Google management style can only encourage creativity, but it ultimately depends on the innate ability of it's employees to think out of the box. This is partly why it has such a stringent selection process. Apple was successful not because of it's management style, but because of Steve Jobs, who allegedly planned out 4 years of new products for Apple before his death. In other words, if someone who is not creative joined Google, he would still remain as someone who is not creative, which is why I would see no point in joining Google.

(832 words)

Reflective Journal 1

This reflective journal entry will be about my opinions and expectations on Socio-Economic Studies (SES)

First of all, I will be giving my thoughts about the purpose of SES. Personally, I found SES to be quite different from what I expected. As SES is a new module and has a name which makes one think the subject is quite complex, I was not very sure of what to expect. It turned out to be quite different from what I expected, and was a lot more focused on case studies compared to theories. At the same time, however, the teacher warned that the purpose of SES was not to teach us about the case studies, but the skills needed to analyse those case studies. I feel this is actually very important, as the case studies themselves may not be relevant in the future, but the ability to apply reasoning to analyse an issue will always be relevant. This also prevents mere "mugging" or simply memorising information. Therefore, I would say that SES is an important and interesting subject.

However, while SES makes sense in theory, actually carrying it out may be a problem. Because of the nature of what SES tries to accomplish, it is difficult to test the skill of students with traditional examinations. Thus the mode of assessment focuses on class discussions and reflective journal entries, such as the one I am writing right now. However, this method of teaching and assessing students is highly dependant on the student preparing himself adequately before the lesson. An inherent part of the case method of teaching is that research has to be done beforehand in order for a fruitful discussion. If this does not happen, students cannot learn from one another and understand the different approaches other students have when given the same issue. Even if students do their research, they also may not feel comfortable participating in the discussion either. I do not usually participate actively in discussions myself, which is reflected by my consistently low oral participation points. Other students may also feel the same way and decide not to engage in the discussion. Furthermore, the discussions will be led by students instead of the teacher, which makes it more likely that the discussion will not involve everyone. While teaching SES through case studies makes the subject more interesting and 'real', it also has the downside of needing active participation from students.

However, a large part of the assessment is also based on reflective journals, and the two papers which students are required to complete. Even if students do not research beforehand or do not participate in class discussions, they are still forced to think through the compulsory reflective journals after each lesson. Even if the discussion was not very meaningful, students can still learn from one another--and in fact are forced to do so--by commenting on the reflective journal of other students. The research paper and term paper also help ensure that the student has to do a minimal amount of research and critical thinking. While I feel that this also makes sense in theory, as SES is a new module, unforeseen problems may still arise.

My expectation of SES is quite simple. As long as it can achieve the goal of teaching new skills and knowledge, it has already served it's basic function. If it is possible, I would like SES to help push me out of my own comfort zone as well to participate more actively in class, as I usually choose to remain silent and will probably continue to do so unless something forces me out of my comfort zone.