2nd Lesson

On the 2^nd lesson of TWC, we discussed on the issue of colonialism and development. The issue of colonialism is on how certain countries have been able to dominate other societies not just militarily or economically, but socially as well, among others. On the topic of development, we discussed on the use and interpretation of the Human Development Index (HDI) as a measurement of development. At the end of each specific topic, a few of my classmates came and presentations on the shifting of global power and the implications of technology for human society.

One point I found interesting would be how broad the definition of colonization can be stretched. Prior to the class, my initial perception of colonization had been one of military, economic and political dominance, where the dominant power takes over the governing, defending and economic direction of the colony. This was the case with Singapore while it was under the British. Yet, after this lesson, I realized that cultural dominance can be a form of “colonization” as well, albeit in a more subtle form. Examples raised would be the popularity of Japanese and Korean pop culture among most Singaporean youths today.

Another interesting point to note would be Prof Shahi’s perception of entities. He described all entities as being in accordance with a pyramid model. The ascending slope is deemed the Rising Star, and is the entity that is most concerned with research and development to constantly improve itself and make it a dominant player. The tip of the pyramid is the Dominant Player, where currently it is the strongest of the entities concerned. The descending slope is labeled as the Falling Star, which are formerly dominant entities that are now in decline, due largely to their unwillingness and inability to accept change and innovation. Prof Shahi used the examples of Apple Inc. and Microsoft, comparing Apple as the Rising Star, with its i-Products being extremely properly among consumers, and the company showing no signs of slowing down. Microsoft, however, was likened the Falling Star, with its products showing little or no signs of increasing popularity, and losing much competitive ground with Apple.

One more interesting point to note would be the introduction of the HDI as a method for showcasing the level of development of the society. On a whole, the indicators of the HDI: life expectancy, adult literacy rate and GDP, reflects the overall development of a country rather accurately.

From the topics we discussed in the 2^nd lesson, I learnt that colonization may not necessarily be as rose-tinted as many in Singapore perceive it to be. For Singapore, its importance as a trading hub led the British to devote more resources to its development, and manage it in a much more favorable manner. That, however, was not the case in some of the other British colonies. India, for example, experienced racial oppression during its time of British rule.

Another key point to take away would be how the HDI can be used to measure development of the country. On a whole, most countries with high values for each of the 3 indicators tend to be the most developed country. Norway, the number 1 on the HDI, ranks in the top 10 for all 3 indicators.

Although we were short of time, I feel that some portions, such as the HDI, should be explained in slightly more depth.

Given that some parts, particularly the 2^nd portion, was slightly rushed, I would rate this lesson a 7.5/10. Regardless, it was still a highly informative and, most importantly, fun lesson.

First Lesson

Today was my first official lesson of Technology and World Change (TWC). To sum it all up, it was a pretty enjoyable experience. Truthfully, I was looking forward to the “ice-breaker” portion of the lesson, and I guess it went better than I had first thought. It was pretty enjoyable knowing the interesting (and sometimes humorous) facts about each other. We then watched 2 videos related to TWC called “Gun, Germs and Steel” and “Shift Happens”, followed by a brief introduction into what to expect from TWC.

The question posed by the “Guns, Germs and Steel” was simple, yet invokes a lot of thought: if everyone was born human, why does inequality still exist among human societies today? Through our discussions, we pinpointed several factors, such as geography, political development, and the receptiveness of innovation of the people, among many others.

Another topic we discussed in class was the issue of change: is change necessarily a good thing, and is it always accepted? I suppose everyone agreed that change is necessary if the society wishes to advance itself in the right direction. However, not everyone is open to change, which could be one of the reasons why there is unequal development among countries today.

I feel that although technology is an extremely powerful tool for the progress of our society and for mankind, it should be managed and handled with care and prudence. We have often heard of the many ills that technology has brought upon our society. Yet, technology can also be the most effective solution to solve all this ills. For example, industrialization brought about by advances in technology has caused increased pollution in our environment. Fast forward to a few decades later, and we have already begun developing just about everything considered “green”, helping bring down pollution levels.

Another point I feel is of relevance is that people should be receptive of change, especially in a society like ours today. In these few past decades, we have developed at such breakneck pace in such a short period of time that if people were to be un-accepting of change, they would clearly be left behind in every aspect of their daily lives. Today, electronic devices, such as handphones and laptops, are used so often in our everyday lives that we would be forgiven for forgetting the fact that just 50 years ago, people are still communicating via snail mail and the like. It is not an exaggeration to say that in the next 50 years, our way of life now may even become obsolete to the people of that generation. Hence, change is a phenomenon that we must attempt to embrace, and not shun it like a pest.

I felt that generally the lesson was well-paced, though some of the readings that were given to us could be discussed more in-depth and not just skimmed through.

As such, I would rate the first lesson an 8/10.