Critical reflection (edited)

Essay writing has always been a dreaded activity for me since the early years of my academic career. Whenever I've been assigned such a task,  the first thing that occurs in my mind would be having my paper plagued with red error annotations, returned to me after grading. To be honest, these worries of mine eventually become a reality. The annotations usually consisted of a variety of grammatical errors, errors which I've failed to correct over the many years of writing.

At the beginning of this module, I was still plagued with the problems that I've faced when I write my essays. However, over the 12 weeks of lessons, there has been a significant change in the frequency of errors in my writing, fewer mistakes are being made. Through peer review, group discussion and the online grammar exercises, I am able to better identify the mistakes I make when I write. Reviewing work between classmates helped me to realise the errors that I often overlook, teaching me to be more conscious of my grammar when i write.

In conclusion, I think that my greatest improvement in my writing, is definitely my use of grammar. Although currently, much improvement is still needed, I believe that by putting more conscious effort into correcting my own errors. In the future, I will try to make use of the grammar notes given to me in this course, so as to better understand the types of mistake which I frequently make. Eventually I hope to completely correct this errors, and be able to write a better essay.

Final Essay Draft

Globalisation can be defined as the increasing cross-border interaction and integration of various aspects of human activity. Based on this view of globalisation, identify one problematic area of the phenomenon and discuss its influence on contemporary society. What actual or possible means are there to ameliorate the issue you have highlighted?

      In contemporary society, the living conditions and lifestyle of people has been greatly affected by the impacts of globalisation. A significant influence would be its contribution to the great improvement in the economic aspect that is seen today. However, along with the great benefits it brings, there is a downside to it. One such problem that is causing many issues worldwide, is the increasing trend of income inequality. Developed countries has label this disparity as one of the top two issues which results from globablisation, highlighting the need to address it (Kohut & Wike, 2013) and solutions such as education and mandatory savings are being implemented to resolve this problem.           

The economic growth caused by globalisation has helped to increase the income of the people, but this benefit is not enjoyed by everyone in different social classes. This income disparity occurs when people who have better economic status manage to gain from the growth, whereas those with less financial capabilities, suffer the opposite consequence. In order to alleviate this issue, governments around the globe has implemented policies, hoping to bridge this gap between the poor and the rich. An example of a solution, would be the provision of education to all the citizens (Stiglitz, 2013). By allowing the citizens to attain a higher level of education, it helps them to secure a higher paying occupation, hence attaining the purpose of reducing the income differences. “These results also imply that further economic growth in 2007 would have resulted in even higher wages (and more income inequality) for the more highly educated group.” (Struss, 2011).  However this solution could have a side-effect depending on the availability of education to every individual in the country. As education requires a fee, the people in the lower social class who tend to have financial difficulties, might be unable to afford this service, thus it could result in the opposite of the intended effect. Hence, in order to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in education, the government could provide subsidies for students who face difficulties in affording their education. With everyone given a fair chance in obtaining education, it would be up to the individual to work towards securing a higher level of education, thus increasing their income.

Another approach to the issue of income inequality would be the implementation of a mandatory saving policy. A portion of the income of a working individual would be set aside as savings, which could be used for healthcare, education and housing. Singapore has implemented this policy and it was able to help 90 percent of its citizens afford their own houses (Stiglitz, 2013). The savings in the Central Provident Fund (CPF) ensures that the basic needs of its citizens are met, giving the people a better opportunity to improve their social status, thus reducing the income gap. However, this advantage is unable to be benefit every single working individual, because people in the lower working class has relatively low income and they tend to need most of their salary in order to get by with daily necessities. In contrast to helping them, the CPF might actually be disadvantageous to them in the form of reducing their usable income. In order to help these people in the lower income group, the government can provide incentives, in the form of subsidies, such as annual cash vouchers, to reduce the financial burden that they face. A mandatory savings policy can aid in reduction of the income inequality, however certain the government has to make extra efforts to ensure that all its citizen are able to benefit from it.

With all the economic growth that globalisation brings, the issue of income disparity arises with it. In an effort to solve this problem, governments around the globe have provided education and a mandatory saving policy, as a solution. However they have limits in their effectiveness, and these governments needs to improvise the policies to ensure that the benefits are maximised. With the government actively handling the issue, the people are also required to play a part in order alleviate the issue of income disparity.

References:

Strauss, S. (2011) The Connection Between Education, Income Inequality, and Unemployment. The huffingtonpost. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-strauss/the-connection-between-ed_b_1066401.html

Kohut, A. & Wike, R. (2008) Accessing Globalisation. PewResearch Global Attitude Project. Retrived from http://www.pewglobal.org/2008/06/24/assessing-globalization/

Stiglitz, J. E. (2013). Singapore’s Lessons for an Unequal America. The New York Times: The Opinion Pages. Retrieved from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/singapores-lessons-for-an-unequal-america/?_r=0

Essay Draft 1

Globalisation can be defined as the increasing cross-border interaction and integration of various aspects of human activity. Based on this view of globalisation, identify one problematic area of the phenomenon and discuss its influence on contemporary society. What actual or possible means are there to ameliorate the issue you have highlighted?

      In contemporary society, the living conditions and lifestyle of people has been greatly affected by the impacts of globalisation. A significant influence would be its contribution to the great improvement in the economic aspect that is seen today. However, along with the great benefits it brings, there is a downside to it. One such problem that is causing many issues worldwide, is the increasing trend of income inequality. Big countries labels the problem of this disparity as one of the top two issues which resulted from globablisation, highlighting the need to address it (Kohut & Wike, 2013). Existing solutions such as education and mandatory savings attempt to resolve this problem.       

The economic growth brought about by globalisation has helped to increase the income of the people, but this benefit is not enjoyed by everyone in different social classes. This income disparity occurs when people who has better economic status managed to gain from the growth, whereas those there are less well off, suffers the opposite consequence. In order to alleviate this issue, governments around the globe has implemented policies, hoping to bridge this gap between the poor and the rich. An example of a solution, would be the provision of education. (Stiglitz, 2013) Allowing the citizen to attain a higher level of education, helps them to secure a higher paying occupation, hence attaining the purpose of reducing the income differences. “These results also imply that further economic growth in 2007 would have resulted in even higher wages (and more income inequality) for the more highly educated group.” (Struss, 2011)  However this solution could have a side-effect, depending on the availability of education to every individual in the country. As education requires a fee, the already lower social class might be unable to afford this service, thus it might resulting in the opposite of the intended effect. In order to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in education, the government could provide subsidies for students who face difficulties in affording their education. With everyone given a fair chance in obtaining education, it would be up to the individual to work towards securing a higher level of education, thus increasing their income.

Another approach to the issue of income inequality would be the implementation of a mandatory saving policy. A portion of the income of a working individual would be set aside as savings, which can be used for healthcare, education and housing. Singapore has implemented this policy and it was able to help 90 percent of its citizen afford their own houses (Stiglitz, 2013). The savings in the Central Provident Fund (CPF) ensures that the basic needs of its citizens are met, it gives the people a better opportunity to improve their social status, thus reducing the income gap. Despite the advantages it brings, not everyone in the society is able to benefit from it. People in the lower working class who has low income tend to need most of their salary in order to get by with daily necessities, and CPF might actually be disadvantageous to them as it takes out an amount of their salary. In order to help these people in the lower income group, government can provide incentives, in the form of subsidies, to reduce the financial burden that they face. A mandatory saving policy can aid in reduction of the income inequality, however certain intervention by the government has to be made to ensure that all its citizen are able to benefit from it.

With all the economic growth that globalisation brings, the issue of income disparity arises with it. In an effort to solve this problem, governments around the globe has provided education and a mandatory saving policy, as a solution. However they have limits in their effectiveness, and improvement has to be made to ensure their benefits are maximised. With the government actively handling the issue, the people are also required to play a part in order to achieve a better result.

References:

Strauss, S. (2011) The Connection Between Education, Income Inequality, and Unemployment. The huffingtonpost. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-strauss/the-connection-between-ed_b_1066401.html

Kohut, A. & Wike, R. (2008) Accessing Globalisation. PewResearch Global Attitude Project. Retrived from http://www.pewglobal.org/2008/06/24/assessing-globalization/

Stiglitz, J. E. (2013). Singapore’s Lessons for an Unequal America. The New York Times: The Opinion Pages. Retrieved from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/singapores-lessons-for-an-unequal-america/?_r=0

Reader Response: Effects of media globalization.

In Mary Hickman's article on the effects of media globalization, she argues that the cons outweigh its pros. Hickman stated that media allows sharing of information globally, but it is often under the manipulation of the stronger and richer countries.
With the easy access to information via media, one can receive content readily through the worldwide web. Hickman believed that the current media globalization trend might have devastating results : "The consequences are beyond frightening: they will threaten democracy by silencing the voice of the people." She made it a point that the controlled information the public is receiving might result in the loss of freedom speech. As a frequent user of the internet, most of the websites I visit originate from the rich countries that the author stated. Naturally the information I receive would be influenced by them. Hence I would agree with Hickman's argument and believe that her worries are justified

Summary Assignment (E-Learning) Final (edited)

Effects of Media Globalization
Media globalization is inevitable. It arises from latest communication technology. Global communication is now easier, allowing us to make our lives better. Using the Internet, data can be obtained spontaneously, but these data might not be credible. Rather than bringing different cultures together, foreign relations might suffer due to the new global media. Richer countries possess the capabilities to control majority of the media content. When it gets spread around the world, it influences other cultures. With the increase in forms of media, competition follows. This increase however does not improve the diversity of the content, instead profit driven media companies restricts them in order to capture a larger audience. Multi-national corporations have the  power to manipulate media globalization, silencing the speech of individuals. With its benefits outweighing its cost, the trend started by American media companies might result in dire consequences.