Singapore Youth Culture.

P.s. EXO AND SNSD WOOOHOO

The collage composes of many of the different things Singapore teenagers engage in. For example, the popular drama "Courage. Loyalty. Intergrity. Fairness". Also, there are many popular foreign bands that are well liked by Singaporeans, for example, Girls Generation, Exo, One Direction and more. Communication is also a huge part of teenager's lifes in Singapore. There are many apps that allows people to communicate over long distances, eg. Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter. STOMP, on the other hand, is a platform whereby people highlight the disgraceful acts of Singaporeans. 

All pictures from google

By 5bonacci✋

Family Structure In China

Family Structure and Consequences

The principles of Confucianism largely guided family structure and gave the viewpoint that family was a building block for society. Confucianism put much emphasis on filial piety, which was believed to preserve harmony and keep families together. And in the concept of filial piety is worship of ancestors, which is a central tradition for the Chinese family. For thousands of years, traditional Chinese family structure was strictly patriarchal, which women had to obey their husbands and grown sons.

Gender Roles in Family

Men

Man is responsible for maintaining, providing for and protecting his family. He is given all the decision-making power when it comes to his wife, family and other family members

the man is responsible for taking care of and paying for his children, including their education.

Women

Women had little power in the family system, and the male of the family held absolute authority and power. It was not acceptable for a woman to have her own ambitions and that she should have barely any life outside her own home children live with their parents until they were married. Also, while men were allowed to have "concubines", women were not allowed to remarry. In fact, there is a famous saying, "A husband can marry twice, but his wife must never remarry."

One Child Policy

In order to combat overcrowding and overpopulation, the People's Republic of China mandated a one-child-per-household policy in the late 1970s. This law often only applied to urban families, while some rural families could get away with having more than one child. This policy influenced how children were looked at. Due to the policy, infanticide occurred in China as many baby girls were killed due to the old Chinese mindset that a male is better than a female and can carry the family lineage. Also due to the policy, many families prefer male babies to female babies.

-5bonacci ✋

 Chan Ling Han, Moo Jia Rong, Seow Jia Xuan, Zheng Boya, Malvin

 2E'2014

Terracotta Army / Warriors

Cr: China Tour Guide Website

The Terracotta Army or the "Terracotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

The figures, dating from around the late third century BC, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits near by Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were also found in other pits and they include officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.

To me, since i do not know what it is like in the afterlife, neither can i say that the chinese thinking is wrong, nor can i say that their thinking is correct. However, i think that in afterlife, things may change a little and would not be the same. Your status in the afterlife may be higher or lower than the status you are having right now. Therefore, i think that we should not be so strong on some opinions that cannot really be verified, but instead, ask questions, and some time sooner or later, you will find out the true side to your questions.

To Chinese people, the social structure in the afterlife is exactly like that in the real world, especially in Qin Dynasty, the people regarded the death same as the life. Without question, The First Qin Emperor would like to build a similar empire for his afterlife at any cost. According to historical materials, there exist sun, moon, stars, rivers, mountains in his mausoleum. To protect the empire of his afterworld, an army could be a must. The Terracotta Army was concluded one of the parts of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. 

On 29th March 1974, the heavy drought ravaged Shaanxi province, 6 young farmers in Xiyang Village were sinking a well for irrigating fields. No water found even they dug into 4 meters beneath the ground. Suddenly, a human-shaped terra-cotta without head was found, then a awful head unearthed, then more and more broken terra-cotta figures, crossbows, bronze arrowhead were dug up. The confounded farmers opined that they might find an old abandoned temple and just threw away those broken figures into the wild and sold the bronze arrowhead to the salvage station. Until 3 days later, Mr. Fang Shumin who was an irrigationist of the town inspected the aborted well and noted that it must be an ancient relic, and then he reported it to the local Cultural Center Office. The officials in the center sought all the discarded figures back and repurchased those bronze arrowheads, then kept them into the Cultural Center. After 2 month, Mr. Lin Anwen, a reporter from Xinhua New Agency, found those stored figures in the Culture Center and he realized that they must be the warriors from Qin Dynasty. On 24th June 1974, he backed Beijing and reported it to the Central Government. Then a team of archaeologists was organized to Shaanxi, and the Terra-cotta Army finally came into the real world after 2000 years.

Their clothing, hairstyles, and even moustaches can show us the differences which existed in the army. Individual differences could indicate social status or simply personal preference. Also, individual soldiers can be used to identify the area they came from through clothing design. What does this army tell us about how much political and military control the emperor had in his kingdom?

Seow Jia Xuan (15)

2E

TianAnMen Square

(Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen)

Tiananmen square is a famous monument in Beijing, the capitol of China, widely used as a national symbol of the country. It is the site where many important events in Chinese History took place.

There is a known protest that happened at TianAnMen in 1989, commonly known as the 'June Fourth incident' or the " 89 Democracy Movement". The incident went on for approximately one and a half months, with the causes of conflict ranging from the death of Hu Yaobang, economic reforms and more. The two parties that caused the civil conflict were the Communist party of China, Government of the people's republic of China.

To me, this civil conflict reflects the people's difficulties as they struggle for equality, an anti corrupted government, freedom of press and speech.

To China, it shows that they've had problems and hardships as they country progresses. This must also have been a really hard time for the people as tens of thousands of people lost their lives in the protest.

The Communist Party of China forbids discussion of the Tiananmen Square protests, and has censor information related to it. Following the protests, officials banned all films and books that are controversial. Within a year, most media access to information related to the protests were blocked. 

The government's viewpoint towards the incident is that the use of force was necessary in order to control the people and ensure order in society. Chinese leaders often reiterate this line when questioned about the incident by foreign press.

The clearing of Tiananmen Square was criticized around the world. The US immediately put economic sanctions on China, and large-scale protests took place in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu, and other cities. Many of the people who had protested in Beijing left the country, and many countries around the world offered them visas and refugee status. The Tiananmen Square Massacre remains a banned topic in China as of 2012, and any mention of it in media, literature, or art is subject to censorship. 

From this incident, I believe we can learn the importance of social order. Riots and protests are a clear example of social disorder and will cause dire consequences.

Ling Han

Tiananmen Square

This picture reflects the Tiananmen square protests of 1989, commonly known as the 'June Fourth incident'. Tiananmen square is a famous monument in Beijing, the capitol of China, widely used as a national symbol. The June Fourth incident went on for approximately one and a half months, with the causes of conflict ranging from the death of Hu Yaobang, economic reforms, political corruption, career prospects, social unrest in Eastern Europe and more. The two parties to this civil conflict are the Communist party of China, Government of the people's republic of China, People's liberation of China and the People's Armed Police, against commoners such as university students, factory workers and many more.

To me, this civil conflict represents a time of hardship for the people as they struggle to gain social equality, a government without corruption, freedom of press and speech, as well as socialism and democracy. To China, it shows that they've had problems and hardships as they country progresses. This must also have been a really hard time for them with the death count up to 2000 and more than 10000 injuries. 

The Communist Party of China (CPC) forbids discussion of the Tiananmen Square protests, and has taken measures to block or censor information. Textbooks have little, if any, information related to the protests. Following the protests, officials banned controversial films and books, and shut down a large number of newspapers. Within a year, 12 percent of all newspapers, 8 percent of publishing companies, 13 percent of social science periodicals and more than 150 films were banned or shut down. In addition, the government also announced it had seized 32 million contraband books and 2.4 million video and audio cassettes. Access to media and internet resources on the subject are restricted or blocked by censors. 

The party’s official stance towards the incident is that the use of force was necessary in order to control a 'political disturbance' and helped to ensure the stability necessary for economic success. Chinese leaders, including general secretaries Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, reiterate this line when asked about the question by foreign press.

The clearing of Tiananmen Square was criticized around the world. The US immediately put economic sanctions on China, and large-scale protests took place in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu, and other cities. Many of the people who had protested in Beijing left the country, and many countries around the world offered them visas and refugee status. The Tiananmen Square Massacre remains a banned topic in China as of 2012, and any mention of it in media, literature, or art is subject to censorship. Therefore, from this incident, i believe we can learn that we should try not to have riots, but instead representatives to talk things through calmly. Riots  an only cause harm; even if the goal was accomplished, this cannot be exchanged with the hundreds and thousands of casualties of our fellow human beings. 

Zheng Boya (24)

2E

The Great Wall of China

Cr: Picture from Google

The Great Wall of China actually consists of numerous walls and fortifications, many running parallel to each other. Originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (c. 259-210 B.C.) in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads into the Chinese Empire, the wall is one of the most extensive construction projects ever completed. The best-known and best-preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th through 17th centuries A.D., during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

To me, The Great Wall of China came to function more as a psychological barrier between Chinese civilization and the world, and remains a powerful symbol of the country’s enduring strength. To China, The Great Wall of China shows what people are able to do if they are committed. They believe their inner strength is symbolized by the wall. The Chinese don't see it merely as a wall but as the strength of its people personified.

The history of the Great Wall of China traditionally began when fortifications built by various states during the Spring and Autumn (771–476 bc)[1] and Warring States periods (475–221 bc) were connected by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, to protect his newly founded Qin Dynasty (221–206 bc) against incursions by nomads from Inner Asia. Subsequent dynasties differed in their approach to Qin's precedent: the Han (202 bc – 220 ad), the Northern Qi (550–574), the Sui (589–618), and particularly the Ming (1369–1644) were among those that rebuilt, re-manned, and expanded the Walls, although they rarely followed Qin's original routes; conversely, the Tang (618–907), the Song (960–1279), the Yuan (1271–1368), and the Qing (1644–1911) mostly left the Walls to rot, having resolved the Inner Asian threat via active campaigning and diplomacy (the Tang, Yuan, and Qing), or was simply not in a position to build walls (the Song). At several points throughout its history the Great Wall proved unable to prevent invaders from conquering China, including in 1644 when the Manchu Qing marched through the gates of Shanhai Pass and replaced the most ardent of the wall-building dynasties, the Ming, as rulers of China. The Great Wall of China most visible today largely dates from the Ming dynasty. The wall subsequently became a revered national symbol in modern China.

Unification of China: The Great Wall is a powerful symbol. It represents the unification of China, because it was linked together as China was unified for the first time in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). It represents the awesome ability of the Chinese to work together for the good of the country, which we should learn from them. If anything bad happens in Singapore or in times of crisis, I hope we can learn from them and work together as one country towards one single goal.

-Malvin (27)

2E

Beijing National Stadium

Cr:picture from google.com

Beijing national stadium

The Beijing national stadium represents the event, the Olympic Games, held in china 2008. It is a symbol building of the 2008 Olympics. The Beijing national stadium has set a very good example to the world's architectural history. The stadium covers an area of about 258 thousand square meters (99.614 square miles), which can accommodate 80,000 fixed seats and 11,000 temporary seats. Its appearance was formed by big steel frames. Its top surface is saddle-shaped with the major axis of 332.3 meters (1,090 feet) and the stub axis of 296.4 meters (972 feet). The tallest point of the stadium is 68.5 meters (225 feet) above the ground and the lowest point is 42.8 meters (140 feet). The top is covered by semi-transparent air bubble film. This kind of material is waterproof and can make enough sunshine penetrate into the stadium. Owing to that, the lawns in it can grow well.

In it, the designs of everything are humanistic. The circular shape of the stadium represents 'heaven', while the adjacent square form of the National Aquatics Center (Water Cube), also design-engineered by Arup, is a reflection of the Chinese symbol for Earth.

The structural form of the stadium is popularly described as a 'bird’s nest', with its pattern inspired by Chinese-style 'crazed pottery'. Seemingly random, the pattern abides by complex rules for which advanced geometry was defined. 

As Beijing is located in one of the world’s most active seismic zones, Arup used advanced seismic analysis to test the stadium under various earthquake conditions and ensure that the structure can withstand major shocks. The bowl-like stands zone surrounds the court. The stands can be changed in many ways, which can satisfy the needs of different numbers of spectators in different periods. During the Olympics, the temporary seats were set at the top of the stands zone. Rows of the stands distribute scientifically. No matter where the spectator is seated, the whole game can be seen without any visual obstruction. The stadium adopted the electro-acoustic public-address system. It makes the index of voice definition reaches 0.6. This number assures that all the audience can hear the broadcast very clearly. What's more, there are more than 200 wheelchair seats intended for the disabled. Indeed, the Beijing national stadium was well built and stunning. It was a great feat and china had outdone themselves. It is the pride of china. 

The building's dynamic form has created a new icon for china and Beijing. The creation of this marvelous building has given us many learning points. We can learn from china, for they are really thoughtful and built a stadium where the spectator could view the game without any visual obstruction from any of the seats, and there were ore than 200 wheelchair seats for the disabled. Furthermore, they had tested the stadium under various earthquake conditions and ensure that the structure can withstand major shocks. I think it is remarkable that they even thought of this problem that could happen. They are extremely cautious and considerate while building this building, which we should learn from them.

--by Jia Rong

Advantages and Disadvantages of One Party Rule

Advantages

-more unity in government

-things can be done faster as there is no competition of interests

-All MPs have the same rights

Disadvantages

-lack of representation, no one to counter argue decisions made 

-less variety of ideas

-no democracy

Countries under one party rule

Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, China

Singapore: Multi Party System (slightly towards dominant party system)

Since the day Singapore officially gaining sovereignty on 9 August 1965, its politics has been dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP). The PAP has been in government and won every General Election since then. 

However, there are some people who think that Singapore should have a one-party rule as they believe a two-party system is not workable for a small country like Singapore, and that a one party system can help steer the country in one direction. For example, in the 2012 budget debate, politicians challenge each other on their said comments, accusing them of making allegations that discredit their opponents. Thus, this shows that a two-party system will be detrimental as politicians will fail to work on crucial issues of making good policies for the country.

Despite so, there are people who are willing to accept the two-party system. This is because they feel that a single-party government made up of politicians who are out of touch with the ordinary citizens. Thus politicians are unable to actually listen to them and address their needs. Therefore, they believe that two-party system can actually help solve this problem through introducing competition and forcing the politicians to step out of their comfort zone, and start engaging with the citizens of the community.

Chan Ling Han (2)

2E

Advantages and Disadvantages of One-Party system in China as compared to political system in Singapore

Advantages and Disadvantages of One-Party system in China

Advantages

- Efficient actions can be taken if met with trouble

- Leaders have the same goal for the country in mind

Disadvantages

- Opinions and voices of citizens often go unheard as there are no opposing parties

- Undemocratic

- Permanent laws and decisions are not made 

- Political oppositions are against the law

- Restricted freedom of speech and actions by citizens

Multi-party system in Singapore

Singaporean politics have been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since the 1959 general election when Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore's first prime minister. The PAP has been in government and won every General Election since then. Singapore left the Commonwealth in 1963 to join the Federation of Malaysia, but was expelled from the Federation in 1965 after Lee Kuan Yew disagreed with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state.

However, having said that, many people feel that it is good that Singapore is in a one-party state as there may be major clashes in opinion if there were to be multiple parties ruling Singapore. This may affect the progress of Singapore as a country, and also affect the goals the leaders have in mind for us.

Zheng Boya (24)

2E

Presentation Slides

Advantage and Disadvantages of one party rule in China, how one party rule in Singapore affects us.

China:

Advantages:

-China’s one-party system is efficient. It can institute critical policies rapidly. 

-Having a single party allows the leaders to steer the country in one direction.

China could formulate a long-term plan for national development and ensure stabilization of its policies without being affected by the alternation of parties with different positions and ideologies. On the other hand, a two-party or multi-party system forces each party to serve party interests, sometimes at the expense of the country's progress.

-less corruption. in democratic societies, many officials are elected with fixed terms, and they then will not fall out of power before the expiration unless they break the law or make wrong decisions or take no action. However, in china, their officials must be responsible for their incompetence, negligence of duty or mistakes at any time.

Disadvantage:

-China's leaders can and do make major mistakes with no personal consequences. In democracies, leaders who make bad and even disastrous decisions are punished at the ballot box. When China’s leaders make such mistakes, there are no referendums or regular elections to replace them. In fact, their massive propaganda machine can transform failures into successes.

-no opposing party to help voice out the cries of the citizens

Singapore:

In recent years, the People's Action Party (PAP) leadership has found it near impossible to lay to rest yearnings for a two-party system. One of the main reasons is that many of us think that PAP are not doing things for the best of our interests. PAP has embarked on policies that are unsustainable in the long run. Our immigration and labour policies have put strain on our social fabric, depressed our incomes, and lowered our level of productivity. Our economic growth has come primarily from population expansion rather than growth in productivity and innovation. This clearly is unsustainable. Unless we reign in the excesses of our immigration and labour policies, Singapore will be heading toward the edge of a sharp cliff.

If the PAP continues to dominate Parliament, there will be little political incentive for it to change its policies for the better, or to strive for more wholesome growth for Singapore, as opposed to “growth at all cost”.  It is only when there is a strong and credible opposition in Parliament that the PAP will be motivated to act in the best interests of voters.

The best thing about more alternative voices is the prevention of GROUP THINK in the whole parliament. Members of the same political party would often not oppose party leaders and toe the party line. The presence of an alternative can challenge the existing one and help to build better ideas together.

--by Jia Rong

Advantages and Disadvantages of a One-Party System in China & the comparison with Singapore.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the one-party system in China:

Advantages:

-efficient as a ruling party

-can impose the politically difficult but critically important policies needed to move a society forward

-allows the leaders to steer the country in one direction

Disadvantages: 

-Not all voices are heard or represented

-Freedom can be restricted or limited

-undemocratic

-does not allow for any permanent decisions to be made

-cannot produce a political system

-all forms of political opposition are banned by law

Currently, Singapore is a multi-party system.

Singaporean politics have been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since the 1959 general election when Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore's first prime minister (Singapore was then a self-governing state within the British Empire). The PAP has been in government and won every General Election since then. Singapore left the Commonwealth in 1963 to join the Federation of Malaysia, but was expelled from the Federation in 1965 after Lee Kuan Yew disagreed with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state. 

However, there are some people who think that Singapore is good as a one-party state as they think that a two-party or multi-party system forces each party to serve party interests, sometimes at the expense of the country's progress, but a one party system help steer the country in one direction. They say "Bigger nations with a two-party or multi-party system can afford to falter and recover. For a small country like Singapore, there is no room for second chances."

Jia Xuan (15)

2E

Advantages and Disadvantages of a one-party system

Advantages of a one-party system:

All MPs would have the same rights. All MPs would have more right under this system. If our political representatives do not have a right to free expression and the ability to dissent from the leadership, the people are not being properly represented. Such a party can countenance any view and people holding a particular view, however unpopular, can still hold it even if they are in a minority and cannot have their way. It will enable MPs to vote according to their consciences, because under such a system, all votes would be free votes. In this constitution will be the condition that no member or group of members can deprive another member of his position and membership without a proper hearing, allowing the member proper legal representation and a publicized appeal. There would no longer be any problems about party funding.

Disadvantages of a one-party system:

Not all voices are heard or represented in a one party system. It is a totalitarian government or a right-wing totalitarian. Freedom can be restricted or limited. This form of government may lead to communism. You have less choice, less selection, less variety, less ideas (generally speaking), more control over people. Most political parties are organized from the top down, so they tend to reinforce the power of those who already have power at the expense of those they don't. A one-party system does not easily allow for dissent from outside the party, and the structure of the party is such that it does not allow for dissent either. So, a one-party system is basically undemocratic, although it may be efficient as a ruling party.

Substantiate:

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China (China). The CPC is the sole governing party of China, although it coexists alongside 8 other legal parties that make up the United Front. It was founded in 1921, chiefly by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao. The party grew quickly, and by 1949 the CPC had defeated Kuomintang in a 10-year civil war, thus leading to the establishment of the People's Republic. With a membership of 82.6 million, it is the largest political party in the world.

The CPC is organized on the basis of democratic centralism, a principle conceived byRussian Marxist theoretician Vladimir Lenin which entails democratic and open discussion on policy on the condition of unity in upholding the agreed upon policies. The highest body of the CPC is the National Congress, convened every fifth year. When the National Congress is not in session, the Central Committee is the highest body, but since the body meets normally only once a year, most duties and responsibilities are vested in the Politburoand its Standing Committee. The party's leader holds the offices of General Secretary(responsible for civilian party duties), Chairman of the Central Military Commission(responsible for military affairs) and state president (a largely ceremonial position). Through these posts the party leader is the country's paramount leader. The current party leader isXi Jinping, elected at the 18th National Congress (held in 2012).

While the CPC is still committed to communist thought, mainstream foreign opinion believes the party to be non-ideological. According to the party constitution the CPC adheres toMarxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, socialism with Chinese characteristics, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development. The official explanation for China's economic reforms is that the country is in the primary stage of socialism, a developmental stage similar to the capitalist mode of production. The planned economy established under Mao Zedong was replaced by the socialist market economy, the current economic system, on the basis that "Practice is the Sole Criterion for the Truth" (i.e. the planned economy was deemed inefficient).

Since the collapse of Eastern European communist regimes in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the CPC has emphasized its party-to-party relations with the ruling parties of the remaining socialist states. While the CPC still maintains party-to-party relations with non-ruling communist parties around the world, it has since the 1980s established relations with several non-communist parties, most notably with ruling parties of one-party states (whatever their ideology), dominant parties in democratic systems (whatever their ideology), and social democratic parties.

Currently, Singapore is a multi-party system.

Singaporean politics have been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since the 1959 general election when Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore's first prime minister (Singapore was then a self-governing state within the British Empire). The PAP has been in government and won every General Election since then. Singapore left the Commonwealth in 1963 to join the Federation of Malaysia, but was expelled from the Federation in 1965 after Lee Kuan Yew disagreed with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state. 

However, there are some people who think that Singapore is good as a one-party state as they think that a two-party or multi-party system forces each party to serve party interests, sometimes at the expense of the country's progress, but a one party system help steer the country in one direction. They say "Bigger nations with a two-party or multi-party system can afford to falter and recover. For a small country like Singapore, there is no room for second chances."

Malvin (27) 

2E