Asian Values done by Yvelyn Koh

Link: Asian values VS western values
Content:
Although their arguments vary, advocates of Asian values maintain that there are clear and often sharp differences between the values and traditions in the East and in the West.  
They argue that Asians tend to value community and Westerners value the individual. Whereas Asians appreciate order and harmony, Westerners appreciate personal freedom.  
Other so-called 'Asian values' include saving and thriftiness, insistence on hard work, respect for leaders and family loyalty.  
Dr Mahathir and Mr Lee argue that the supposedly universal human rights documents and treaties actually privilege Western values to the detriment of Asian values.  
Opinion:
I think that regardless of whether it is western or Asian values, both are unique in their own ways. We can't put any of them superior than the other, both values have their supporters and offenders. All of us have a different mind set, all of us will never agree on something together, there must be bound to have a few who disagrees. Everything have their goods and beads, nothing is perfect. Asians prefer Asian values, just like how western prefer their own western values. In the end, we must respect each values as they are what makes us who we are today.

The myth of the bilingual Chinese Singaporean by JunTian

Summary:  Singapore’s former prime minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew shared his concerns over the erosion of the Chinese language. He said that "Many younger Singaporeans may now lose out from not being able to speak Mandarin, he said, stressing that Chinese Singaporeans who gave up Chinese were losing ‘something very valuable’. They would lack self-confidence as ethnic Chinese and would also not be able to take advantage of the rise of China and its attractive market of 1.3 billion people." Language is a curious thing in this multi-cultural country with four official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. In school, lessons are conducted in English but a second language is mandatory. There have been various campaigns encouraging Singaporeans to both “Speak Good English” and remember how “cool” their mother tongues can be. Singaporeans are told from a young age that our bilingualism is an asset. But, it is easy to forget just how difficult it is to be effectively bilingual. One has to be constantly exposed to both languages in different forms – books, TV, and music – and in association with different subject matter – news, pop culture, and technical jargon – to keep them in tiptop condition. Attending mandatory language classes from the ages of 7-19 does not automatically make one fluent. How we speak is indelibly tied to our sense of self. It encompasses how we think, how we communicate and how others perceive us.

Opinion: I feel that learning and mastering our Mother Tongue is equally important if not more important than English. As the Chinese market gets stronger each day, the importance of the Chinese language becomes more and more significant. Apart from the economic reasons, our Mother Tongue also signifies our cultural roots and values. Over the years, the increasing Western influence have caused an erosion in our Asian cultures and values. Therefore, by mastering our mother tongue, we can retain our roots and cultures as true Asians.

Leaders Fear an Erosion of Their Cultures : Awash in English, Asians Fret

Summary:
English in Southeast Asia is quickly rising, where use of it is widely seen as a key to success in business and commerce, is stirring the concern of officials and intellectuals who fear that Asian values and national identity are being eroded. Countries in the region faces a problem. Countries  recognises that English provides access to vital Western science and technology as well as valuable market in the West. English Yet they worry a dilution of the cultural strength and cohesion that have helped Southeast Asia emerge in the past few years as one of the fastest-growing economic areas in the world is the price they had to pay. The flow is becoming a flood which is a threat as important value my be lost.

Opinion:

In my opinion, the flow of information is even harder for the government to control with the presence of internet. No matter how it is control, it will somehow still spread. The only way to prevent erosion of Asian value is to start taking useful action that can preserve and retain it. Such as having school to teach them more about Asian culture by conducting mother tongue program to let them understand more about their culture.   

One-child policy: China's army of little emperors

link to article
Summary: After the introduce of the one-child policy in China, the offspring from than on became the "spoilt generation". The authorities thought that it was a success but it came with an unintended consequences which fundamentally changed the phycology of young Chinese man and woman. Chinese children born after the policy have grown up to become less altruistic and trusting, more timid, less competitive, more pessimistic and less conscientious than the Chinese who were born just before the policy. This differences in the kind of personality traits which influence social relationships, that could have important ramifications for China’s future.

Opinion: In my opinion, this result are unexpected and so to live on with it some changes in live had to be made in order to survive. if the changes are not made one will only suffer from reality and would live on with a difficult live. (longer pls)

Pampered Little Buddhas

Summary:
Parents have been accused of creating a generation of badly-behaved school kids by treating them like gods. A teachers’ union boss claimed that some adults wait on their children hand and foot, as if they are “little Buddhas”. Dr Mary Bousted, leader of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said they are spoilt which makes relating to other children at school difficult. They don’t do the washing up, they don’t do the hoovering or chores. It doesn’t do them any favours if you make them little Buddhas at home and it doesn’t do them any favours in school. The effect is that children don’t understand their responsibilities to other children. They expect to get what they want immediately and not understand that there are other children in the class and the school who need the attention. They don’t understand their responsibilities towards adults, that adults are not there to serve them.

Opinion:
In my opinion, I believe that children nowadays are getting more and more spoilt due to the fact that they always get what they wanting without having to work for it. I see many children following their parents around in shopping malls using their phones all the time. This is unhealthy because children even as young as 4 are already more familiar with phones than some adults are with it. This shows that they are being bought phones at a young age and have been updated with the news devices constantly. This shows that parents are too afraid from stopping their children because they do not want to make their child unhappy over a small matter.

Pampered and lazy, or willing to take risks

Summary

Most people have griped how teenagers of Generation Y and Z lack of resilience as they are unable to cope with failure and setbacks and hence unlikely candidates to develop and sustain fast-growth venture.

However, the write of the article begs to differ. He has noticed how entrepreneurial and innovative teenagers of the Generation Y and X  are if they were encouraged to venture and take risks. They started ventures with low capital and follow their distinct. If they did not succeed , they will attempt another time.  The author hence believe that they should create a culture where teenages have a choice to create their first job and have the skills and confidence to start a venture. Gradually, more entrepreneurs will be created with real experience and resilience.

Opinion

I strongly agree with the writer of the article's opinion. While adults may criticise teenagers of our generation that we are pampered, soft and easily bruised, I believe that we also possess the innovation and resilience especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. Look at the creation of blogshops, youtube channels by the teenagers of our generation. They have made use of the technological skills they have to earn a living from themselves. Hence, it is evident that they are innovative when it comes to entrepreneurship. We are also not ones who easily give up as we follow more dreams closely and we know what our goals are at the end of the day. Thus, I hope that the label of our generation being pampered, soft and easily bruised would be removed.


 http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/managing/blogs/the-venture/pampered-and-lazy-or-willing-to-take-risks-20120709-21qdj.html#ixzz2tMizdcVV

The pampered generation by ZhiGang

Summary: Parents wants their children to get the best. Many parents are driven by the thinking that their children’s lives must be better than them. As parents are usually busy due to their work, they are not able to spend the time with their children. Thus, they try to obligate to their children to satisfy their needs by giving the best to their children like the latest technology – smartphones. Consequently, this kind of teaching has produced an entire generation of weak, selfish, pampered children.

Opinion: In my opinion, this kind of teaching is ridiculous. I feel that this kind of satisfaction for the children is too much. Children needs the love from their parents and not technology that take over their parents. This kind of habit soon develops a bad habit for their children as they have their parents to buy them what they want. As a result, they feel that there is a never-ending form of satisfaction as they persuade their parents to buy more and more.