Corporate Social Responsibility

These days, Corporate Social Responsibility seems to be the buzz word amongst companies and MNCs. In the face of widening global problems such as poverty and the threat to the environment, most companies have jumped on board the bandwagon as a way for them to take responsibility for the impact that their activities might have and voluntarily take steps to improve the lives of the society at large.

One of the issues that has been heavily taken on by companies in their CSR policies would be “green” issues that concern the environment brought on by increasing consumer awareness. However, many companies who have taken this route have been met with criticism from the public saying that such a move is nothing more than a PR stunt aimed at improving the reputation of the company. A true CSR plan that genuinely cares about the environment is not just one that deals with the effect but instead, focuses on the cause and how the business practices reflect this environmental responsibility. This shows that a well-rounded and responsible CSR plan that is truly genuine about championing the cause is about the companies going deeper into the issues and addressing sustainability issues and how the company is going to do so in the long term.

In line with encouraging businesses to take on a responsibility for the society, the UN Global Compact was launched in July 2000 as a “policy platform and practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices.” It is an initiative that has been endorsed by chief executives as it seeks to align business processes with universally accepted principles such as human rights, labour and the environment. By doing so, businesses, being the primary agent driving the process of globalization can benefit economies and societies all over the world. The environment chapter has three principles and they are:

1. Principle Seven: business should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges

2. Principle Eight: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility

3. Principle Nine: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

One such organization that has succeeded in tackling this issue of sustainability would be the Matsushita Group that manufactured National and Panasonic appliances. At the unveiling of its new environmental strategy, the organization revealed washing machines with a new heat pump system, power consumption can be reduced by 70 per cent and light bulbs with a new ‘quadruple coil’ can reduce consumption by 80 per cent. (Low, 2008)

Besides introducing “green” products into the market, Matsushita Group has also successfully reflected their care for the environment in their production practices. The Straits Times reported that “among changes made on the factory floor, the company now produces lead-fee plasma screens and also cuts six plasma panels from a piece of substrate, instead of the usual one. This production process reduces carbon emissions by 50 per cent.” (Low, 2008) Such a move is in line with UN Global Compact’s Principle Nine, stated above as it encourages development of environmentally friendly technologies.

Another example of an organization that aligns itself with UN Global Compact’s Principle Eight of promoting greater environmental responsibility would be Nokia. For example in China, Nokia launched it’s environmental service, MobilEdu as “a learning solution that integrates device, content and services to provide highly individualized content to improve environmental awareness.” (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, n.d.) This has been a successful initiative with 1.2 million content downloads by March 2008. Nokia has also aligned it’s “green” policies with Principle Seven by supporting scientific research on environmental issues. It recently launched “we:offset”, the world’s first Carbon Dioxide emissions offsetting tool for mobile phones. As a joint collaboration with Climate Care, the carbon offsets will contribute towards funding projects that focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions.

This illustrates the role that private organizations play in the effort to promote a cleaner and greener environment. While CSR has been criticized as being superficial, it has nonetheless brought about positive impacts to the environment, be it as a result of pressures to jump on the CSR bandwagon or the genuine sense of responsibility by these organizations. Furthermore, these organizations are the ones who have the resources to champion such causes and extend this to the public in general. Saving the environment is no longer in the hands of the government and policy makers but a joint effort by the government, corporations, non-profit NGOs as well as the public in general.

References

United Nations Global Compact. (2008, October). Overview of the UN Global Compact. Retrieved November 1, 2008, from Corporate Citizenship in the World Economy.

Low, I. (2007). Given the green light. The Straits Times. Retrieved November 1, 2008, from Factiva database.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (n.d.) Using mobile technology to advocate sustainable behavior: Nokia. Retrieved November 1, 2008 from Nokia Mobile Technology.

One of the greatest technological developments in the 21st century that has truly facilitated the idea of a “borderless world” would be the internet. The internet has changed the way people in which people communicate and retrieve their information. It has literally allow for information to be at our fingertips as the abundance of information that are available online is now within our reach. The advantages of the internet cannot be denied. However, like any technological development, the internet brings with it a whole new set of problems.

Communication is one of the primary human functions. The internet has not only changed the way in which we communicate with one another but also who we communicate with. With the advent internet-based communication tools such as social networking sites, chat rooms, emails and video calls, we are not only able to engage in quicker communication but also communication with virtual strangers who may share nothing more in common with us than a favourite television show. It shows how with the internet, we have now attained the form of a “global village” whereby it is now easy for anyone to break geographical and cultural boundaries and explore other cultures around the world through such a form of communication.

The internet is also an excellent platform for people to share their thoughts and ideas due to the anonymity that it offers. It can even be said that the internet is one of the tools that facilitates the democratic process as ideas are able to circulate freely without regulation. This is illustrated in the numerous forums and tools for discussion such as blogs that are available online on virtually any topic, from something serious like the US Presidential Election, to something of a lighter note such as the discussion of a particular genre of music. Hence, the internet acts as a marketplace of ideas whereby the true and false ideas are able to circulate freely, encouraging debate and ultimately, encouraging the truth to be recognised.

However, one can argue that in this case, the internet only advantages the ones who have access to it, that is, the more developed countries or within a country, the people who have the means to own a computer and subscribe to internet access. This means that the internet leaves the less developed countries and the disadvantaged in the whole idea of a “global village”, hence perpetuating inequality as digital divide occurs within a country as well as globally.

The International Telecommunications Union reported that “In 2004, the developed world still had 8 times the Internet user penetration rate of the developing world.” This can be seen in the chart below

Kofi Annan said that “information technologies can give developing countries the chance to leapfrog some of the long and painful stages of development”, citing the example of Kazakhstan and Peru that have established public telecentres. However, bridging the digital divide that exists is not an easy task especially with state monopolies charging high prices for the use of bandwidths.

One of the key bodies that can help bridge the digital divide is the government. Regarding this matter, the “government need to do much more to create effective institutions and supportive regulatory frameworks that will attract foreign investment.” (Annan, 2002) The government can also ensure that the people are not denied access to the internet through their policies and arrangements. However, with other pressing problems that face the developing world such as rapid urbanization and poverty, it can be questioned how the government should prioritize bridging this digital divide.

Besides the digital divide, the internet also brings about other problems such as information overload, identity theft, and pornography. On the issue of crime, the internet also facilitates the formation criminal network. Like any other technological development, it cannot be denied that the misuse of the internet is fatal. However, I feel that with the internet, its advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. We have become a society that is reliant on the internet as it manifests itself in every aspect of our lives I, personally, cannot imagine a life without it.

On the issue of how the SARS case was handled in Singapore, I had the privilege of attending a lecture conducted by Dr K U Menon, who is the Director of the National Resilience Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), Singapore. His lecture touched on issues of building resilience amongst Singaporeans and he brought in the example of SARS.

When Singapore was hit by the unfortunate disease, his team fronted the crisis management process. He emphasized in his lecture that while the issue at hand was to contain the spread of the disease, it was also necessary for the government to manage and address the issue of public fear and panic. In an abstract from his paper, “Transparency and trust: Risk communications and the Singapore experience in managing SARS”, he wrote,

“Achieving the trust of the domestic populace was the more difficult task and the government and political leaders had to been doing and initiating a range of tangible actions and activities to reassure the public.” (Menon & Goh, 2005)

While the way that the Singapore government managed the crisis has been highly criticized as “draconian” Dr Menon said that it was necessary for them to act the way they did due to unique factors surrounding the circumstances. For example, he highlighted that due to the high density of Singapore’s population, they had to take strong measures such as home quarantine orders as well as other stern measures on social discipline to prevent the disease from spreading rapidly. In a way, paranoia was necessary on the part of the authorities given the high population density in Singapore which could facilitate the spread of the disease.

I feel that in the event that concerns public health, it is necessary for the government to respond swiftly even if the measures are seen to be “draconian” and authoritative. In fact in such issues that threaten the public, it is expected that the state steps in and take relevant measures. Such swift responses can be seen during the Anthrax scare in the US that happened post September 11. The American government was quick to step in through measures such as stepping up on security checks in buildings as well as packages.

The SARS scare proved that one of the key issues that can help in combating such a crisis is the resilience of its citizens. In my opinion, Singaporeans have a low resilience level when it comes to dealing with crises such as the outbreak of diseases. This is probably due to the fact that we lack the experience in dealing with the matter. Given the stance of its citizens, it was necessary for the government to take on a more authoritative approach to handle the crisis and protect its citizens.

Furthermore, Dr Menon noted that in Singapore, there was general sense of complacency and over reliance on the government to confront such a pandemic. The civil society groups were met with criticisms by columnists who said that they did not step up to reach out to their community enough to facilitate in combating the crisis. This shows how “Singaporeans had such faith in the government that they believed they could just leave it solely to them to deliver.” (Menon, 2008)

In conclusion, I think that the role that a state plays and its authority in protecting its citizens depends largely upon how resilient a society is when faced with such a health related crisis. Resilience is something that has to be built up over time and in the event that it does not exist amongst the citizens, the state then has the right to intervene and take on a more authoritative approach when it comes to dealing with crises such as a disease outbreak.

References

Menon, K., & Goh, K. (2005, May). Transparency and trust: risk communications and the Singapore experience in managing SARS. Journal of Communication Management, 9(4), 375-383. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.

Menon, K. (2008, June). Risk Communications: In Search of a Pandemic. Annals of Academy Medicine, 37(6), 526-534. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from http://www.annals.edu.sg/PDF/37VolNo6Jun2008/V37N6p525.pdf

It is undeniable that the process of Urbanization creates several ill-effects especially on the urban areas. Such effects include urban sprawl as well as other social problems such as unemployment, poverty and increasing crime rates. As the process of urbanization is something that in inevitable, it is however necessary to tackle the problems to minimize its effects on the urban dwellers.

As mentioned in the textbook, New Urbanism is one of the ways in which people have tries to seek livable cities in the face of urbanization. New Urbanism as an urban design movement arose in the USA in the 1990s. One of the organization advocating the movement of New Urbanism is the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU). It is “the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl.”

An example of a city that has been developed under the New Urbanist umbrella is Alta de Lisboa, a city in the northern part of Lisbon, Portugal. It is the largest urban renewal project in Europe. Part of the development includes “housing, shopping, green spaces, city amenities and office space.” Beside that, in line with the goal of CNU to promote walkable, neighborhood-based development, wide pedestrian walkways have been included and these walkways serve to link green spaces such as parks as well as other city amenities. The project is expected to be completed in 2015.

While New Urbanism is one of the solutions for creating a sustainable city, it does not solve all the problems that urbanization brings about. For example, most of the initiatives brought about by this revolution only address the physical aspects, that is, it deals with the problem of urban sprawl. It deals with how urban spaces should be utilized to provide the residents with a well-rounded experience of city life. This can be seen in the charter by the CNU which states:

“We advocate the restructuring of public policy and development practices to support the following principles: neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally accessible public spaces and community institutions; urban places should be framed by architecture and landscape design that celebrate local history, climate, ecology and building practice.”

As mentioned before, one of the problems that urbanization, especially in the developing countries is that it results in the urbanization of poverty whereby the poor is concentrated in urban areas. This happens due to overpopulation in urban areas and a lack of employment opportunities for them. Furthermore, these migrants, who mostly come from rural areas, lack the education to fulfill employment positions available. As a result, unemployment occurs, which in itself, presents a slew of other problems such as poverty and increase in crime rates. These problems are not something that the concept of New Urbanism can solve.

Perhaps, this is why I feel that New Urbanism can only be applied to cities in developed countries whereby a majority of the urban dwellers are more educated and issues such as widespread unemployment, poverty and increasing crime rates is not really a concern. While the idea of New Urbanism is something that cannot be embraced by the developing countries, nonetheless, it should be something that they should strive for in the long run and look to the urban areas that have successfully created livable cities through urban renewal projects as a positive example of how the ill-effects of urbanization can be contained.

References

Alta de Lisboa. (n.d.). About Alta de Lisboa. Retrieved October 10, 2008 from: http://www.eng.ucalgary.ca/Civil/Lisboa/about-Lisboa.htm

Congress for the New Urbanism. (2007). Charter of the New Urbanism. Retrieved October 10, 2008 from: http://www.cnu.org/charter

The concept of sub-cultures is similar to “Project Identity” which was discussed in lecture. However, today, in the face of globalisation and the advent of information technology, we are exposed to the various cultures and ideologies that exist in the world. As these sub-cultures are popularized in the mainstream media, it infiltrates itself as part of the popular culture. With globalization and the free flow of information and ideas, the glorification of these sub-cultures in the media results in it being spread to other parts of the world.

Especially with a dynamic social communication network available on the internet, it facilitates members of the sub-cultures to communicate with one another. Popular social networking tools such as Facebook and MySpace is an example of how technology has facilitated the spread of these sub-cultures. For example, a search on Facebook for the sub-culture “hip-hop” revealed 500 different groups with members from all over the world. One such group has over 11,000 members who share similar interests and use the hip hop culture as a means of expressing themselves to address issues that concern them.

Hip hop as a culture started in the 1970s in New York City and was popularized by the African American and Latino community. It was initially used as a means to express the frustrations these communities felt with regards to issues such as poverty and ghetto-life hardships. Nonetheless, overtime, through globalization and popularisation of the hip hop culture in mainstream media, the hip hop culture, which was largely dominated by its music began to spread to other parts of the world.

People from various countries adopted the hip hop culture and it goes beyond the music but also the fashion. However while the hip hop culture in USA has shifted from a means of expressing frustrations to a culture of “Bling Blings”, and seductive women, the core idea of hip hop is still largely observed in countries such as Israel and Cuba. These are the countries where many are experiencing the same frustrations felt by the African Americans in the 1970s.

However, instead of merely adopting the culture wholy, these countries have infused their own culture and identity to turn it into a variant of hip hop culture that is more relevant to their specific countries. Besides discussing country-specific issues, many are using their own lingustic structures to reform the culture of Hip Hop.

For example, in Israel, rappers sing songs with lyrics containing counter-hegemonic ideas, celebrating Israeli nationalism while at the same time, challenging and questioning the Israeli identity. What is interesting is that all this is done in Hebrew or Arabic, the two most dominant languages in Israel. While the propoents of Hip Hop still use the fundamentals of hip hop culture, borrowed from the “popular culture” they have created an Israeli Hip Hop culture that is itself a unique variant but still has connection with the roots of Hip Hop.

This case of Hip Hop in Israel is an excellent illustration of the concept of Glocalization which is loosely defined as the merging of the idea of Globalization and Localization. Glocalization encourages that people “think globally and act locally.” This means that while it is unavoidable in a globalized world to have other cultures infiltrate, it is also necessary that the people not erase the local culture but instead, take on a more of a “middle-of the road” approach. Glocalization thus enable the people to embrace a certain sub-culture in isolation while at the same time still have a collective understanding with the larger culture.

However, for a system of democracy to function efficiently, it has to go hand in hand with freedom of expression which is a basic human right. According to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this includes freedom to hold opinions without interference.”

As Amartya Sen states in his essay, Democracy as a Universal Value, “Democracy has complex demands, which certainly include voting and respect for election results, but it also requires the protection of liberties and freedoms, respect for legal entitlements, and the guaranteeing of free discussion and uncensored distribution of news and fair comment.”

Sen also makes the claim that there has not been a famine in a functioning democracy with free press, citing the example of India where India, under British rule persisted to have famines. These bouts of famine disappeared after its independence with the establishment of a multiparty democracy and a free press

With the freedom of expression, especially in the face of an election, the press is able to act as a watchdog for the government, forcing the officials to be as transparent as possible. The media, which is free from control by the government then has a responsibility to keep tabs on those in power. Furthermore as freedom of speech is granted to the people, ideas are able to circulate freely, encouraging debate and ultimately, encouraging the truth of the issue to be recognised. This is currently what is being observed in the US elections. The media as well as the people are able to question and criticize policies and decisions made by both the Republicans and Democrats, hence leading to a more transparent democratic process.

As such the government would feel the pressure to address pressing issues that concern the people. This is due to pressures from the media or even pressures from opposition parties, in a bid to bring in voters to elect them into office. In such instances, it proves that a functioning democracy that is partnered with freedom of expression and freedom of the press is the key to alleviating social problems within a country.

However, in practice, such an ideal democratic system may prove to be difficult to be practised as the idea of complete free expression may be impossible. It can be argued that total freedom of speech can only lead to chaos and irrationality especially when it is granted to people who lack the education. Furthermore, money distorts the marketplace of ideas. This means that people who have the money hence have the power to distort debate within the media for a long time, skewing issues to fit their agenda. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why in many countries, one ruler remains in power for a long time.

Nonetheless, especially in an age where information is readily available, the issue of granting freedom of expression is getting increasingly important. As people are able to obtain information over the internet, they would like the freedom to be able to discuss these sensitive issues at home and bring it to the attention of those in power.

When the world saw America under attack on September 11th 2001, everyone was shocked as no one would have thought that such a superpower that is seen as omnipotent could be brought to its knees by such acts. Ever since then, “terrorism” has been the new buzz word on everyone’s mind. Following this, a few major cities around the world found themselves victims of terrorist acts. These cities include London, Madrid and Bali all which witnessed cases of bombings in public areas such as the London Underground and nightclubs in Bali. From all these examples, it proves that no one in the world is immune from such acts.

The September 11 attack, brought about a sense fear amongst the common people and not just Americans but also around the world. In a way, this sense of fear was instilled by the rampant media coverage that followed the attack. With globalisation that allowed free transfer of ideas and information, anyone from anywhere around the world was able to obtain real time updates regarding the tragedy and the events that unfolded after.

The fear that resulted led to a heightened sense of security amongst citizens around the world. However, as the war on terror takes shape, it may also lead to regression in terms of freedom and human rights. In the name of combating terrorism, it gives a country the right to pursue more aggressive options or implement policies that are essentially detrimental to the fundamental rights of its citizens.

Ironically, this war on terror could potentially result in even more terrorist acts by individuals or groups who are dissatisfied with the situation. For example,The New York Times revealed in 2006 that “the American invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks.”

Nonetheless, globalisation has also enabled terrorist activities to be more rampant and widespread. With technology, like-minded people who have the same agenda from anywhere in the world are able to band together to share their ideas and eventually act on it. With this, it facilitates the formation of terrorist networks around the world. For example, Jemaah Islamiyah, a South East Asian militant Islamic organization has recruiting, training, indoctrination, financial and operational links to the Al Qaeda and Taliban.

It is interesting to note that up until a few days ago, there are videos posted on YouTube that promotes terrorism. This include terrorism training videos and other videos used by groups to attract new members. This is another example of how new technology and new media, in the face of globalisation have destroyed geographical boundaries when it comes to terrorism.

Seeing that these terrorist organizations defy geographical boundaries, the responsibility of combating terrorism is not upon one country. A recent article in The Economist reports that “co-operation with foreign spy services is good—perhaps the best it has ever been—particularly for those countries who have suffered terrorism since 2001 themselves: Britain, Spain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the like. This co-operation has led to a large number of high-profile arrests since 2001, including that of two of the leading organisers of the September 11th attacks.”

In conclusion, such cooperation that crosses borders is crucial to ensure that terrorism is defeated. It has to be a collaborative effort around the world to suppress any form of terrorist activities seeing that terrorist activities have defied geographical boundaries.

When Cho Seung-Hui went on a shooting rampage on the grounds of Virginia Tech in April last year, he got the whole world riveted to his story especially with the multimedia manifesto that he sent to NBC. We were not only captivated by what he did but we were also keen to delve into his psyche to find out why he did it. In his manifesto, he said,

“You had everything you wanted. Your Mercedes wasn’t enough, you brats. Your golden necklaces weren’t enough, you snobs. Your trust fund wasn’t enough. Your vodka and cognac weren’t enough. All your debaucheries weren’t enough. Those weren’t enough to fulfill your hedonistic needs. You had everything.”

It is evident from this that Cho was one of those who felt marginalised by society and this marginalisation could possibly be one of the reasons he went on a violent rampage against the people he felt were more privileged than him. This is in line with what was discussed in textbook, that the root cause of youth violence is social marginalization and alienation and I believe that this is more prevalent today especially in the face of globalisation.

In the earlier weeks, we have discussed how globalisation has lead to inequality as the capitalists in a society get richer while the rest who do not start out on a level playing field are disadvantaged. As this inequality is more apparent, it may cause the disgruntled youth to act out and retaliate with violent behavior. I believe that these violent tendencies will be fueled further if there are like-minded people around who feel marginalised and alienated. This in turn leads to the formation of youth street gangs. Other contributing factors to youth crime, as discussed in the textbook include poverty and cultural and social dislocation.

However, I believe that when it comes to youth violence today, factors such as inequality and the feelings of resentment as a result are not the only factors at play. As globalisation means that there is free transfer of ideas, the same applies to information as well as the mass media. We are inundated with various images from around the world through various channels and these include violent images. We have seen how the media is obsessed with sensationalised stories and it was illustrated with the excessive coverage of Virginia Tech shootings which is itself a “copycat” situation as the shooter referred to an earlier shooting at Columbine High in his manifesto.

Research has shown that violent television shows, films, video games and music “increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts.” (Anderson et al., 2003) As these youths are more exposed to images of violence in the media, they become more desensitized to the effects of real violence. (Schwartz, 2007)

While it is easier to put the blame on the media for the causes on youth violence, we cannot deny the fact that there is a much larger force at play that is causing the youths of today to result in violence. This larger force has got to do with how today’s society is constructed. Thus, while exposure to violence in the media “is only one risk factor underlying aggression and violence” (Anderson et al., 2003), it proves to be the factor that is much easier to control rather than the other causes such as inequality and poverty.

In conclusion, I believe that what happened in Virginia Tech is a good illustration of youth violence. As we try to understand why Cho did what he did, it is apparent that the exact causes of violence amongst youth are not isolated but rather, it is an intricate mix of factors that come into play.

References

Anderson, C., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L., Johnson, J., Linz, D., et al. (2003, December). The influence of media violence on youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(3), 81-110. Retrieved September 6, 2008, doi:10.1111/j.1529-1006.2003.pspi_1433.x

Schwartz, K. (2007, Spring2007). Chronic violent video game exposure and desensitization to violence Behavioral and event-related brain potential data. Journal of Youth Ministry, 5(2), 95-98. Retrieved September 6, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

One of the social problems that relates to women especially in the developing countries would be poverty. In a Progress of the World’s Women Report by UNIFEM in 2005, it makes the case that a greater proportion of women are engaged in informal employment and the “average earnings from these types of informal employment are too low, in the absence of other sources of income to raise households out of poverty.”

Queen Rania of Jordan, a women’s rights activist said that “Poverty is a she” and that to break the cycle of poverty that is going on in many third world countries, the key is to give opportunities of education to the girls in these communities. I personally agree with the Queen’s take on education for females. They are after all the ones who are the primary caretakers of their families and by empowering them through employment opportunities or education, they are able to have more choices over their lives and would pass this on to their children and maybe one day, break the cycle of poverty.

While the problems faced by women in the developing countries are more on a subsistence level, even in the more developed countries, women face problems as they try to “have it all”. This means crafting a career for themselves while at the same time, be good wives to their husbands and great mothers to their children. Is the notion or even desire of having it all something that is intrinsic to the modern women or is it something that has been perpetuated by the media? Nonetheless, it is a struggle that many working women face today, the struggle to strike a balance between work and family.

Nonetheless, in today’s context, no matter how liberated women may be, it is undeniable that they are still seen as the one who takes care of the family and ensure their well-being, that is, their traditional roles. This is something that is emphasized in Singapore and is seen in several advertisements. An example would be the anti-dengue advertisement where a boy is shown on the hospital bed as a victim of dengue fever. In it, his mum puts the blame on herself, saying that she if she had been more careful and aware, the misfortune would not happen to her son. All this is going on while her husband stands quietly in the background, suggesting that the women should be held responsible as to what is happening to the family.

From this alone it can be seen that in Singapore’s context, women are seen as caretakers of the family and that it is not a shared task or responsibility. However, I feel that this should not be the case anymore. If women are able to evolve and take on more roles, even those that are traditionally “masculine” why is it that our male counterparts are finding it harder to accept more roles that traditionally “feminine”?

In conclusion, even though the problems faced by women in the developing and developed countries vary a great deal, the root of it lies in one issue, that is, gender inequality. It would not only take economic structural changes to solve these problems but more importantly, a change in mindset of the society at large.

However, earlier this year, China introduced new labour laws to protect its workers from being exploited by capitalists, both foreign and local. While these new labour laws can be seen as the first step towards protecting the labour force in China, it may have its negative effects as well.

Under the new labour contract law the rights of the workers will be better protected as employers will have a difficulty to dismiss the needs of their workers. Employers are also required to give overtime pay and provide insurance.

Labour laws are the not the only factor driving companies out of China. There has also been tougher implementation of environmental rules. For example, the authorities in Guangdong have been conducting more rigorous inspections on companies that are responsible for water on environmental pollution. As a result of this, many companies were fined while some were forced to close down.

Following its implementation, companies who have set up factories in China, especially the uncompetitive businesses were forced to close down due to the increased operating costs. Many resulted to finding cheaper alternatives in other labour intensive economies whose labour laws were in favour of the companies instead of its workers.

In the short run, the move to improve labour laws and clamping down on companies violating environmental laws may not be an economically viable move. The workers whose lives have depended upon the wages that they receive working for the big factories are displaced resulting in unemployment. Nonetheless, I feel that it will benefit China in the long run. It will allow China to grow and restructure its economy in a more sustainable way that is, producing economic growth that is not at the expense of the physical environment. This means that it will also steer the country towards the next stage of development.

Besides the obvious economic advantages that the new laws will bring to China, as the laws also address the poor working conditions and labour exploitation, it will undeniably bring about a more equitable and harmonious society. However, the move from a labour-intensive economy also means that it has to go hand in hand with various educational policies to prepare the Chinese workers for the new economy.

While the theory of comparative advantage promises optimal productivity, this also means that the various places in the world, especially the smaller countries become too dependent on it and hence making them vulnerable to sudden shifts in the economy. This is similar to the Smithian views of division of labour, but on a larger scale where the countries, fail to become self-sufficient. In light of this, the new labour laws will prove to be a positive move for China seeing that it’s the emerging economic superpower.

I find it interesting that there was a time where most of the consumer products bore the label “Made In China”. However, today, I noticed that most of the labels have been changed to “Made in Istanbul” or to other Eastern Europeans countries which also have a reputation for cheap labour. The change that China has made can be used as an example for the other countries as they too try to move towards the next stage of development that is more sustainable.