What is culture?

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Evil/Ivy/10S403

The author states that society denies against evil because it seems "extreme". I agree with the author as human beings would most of the time prefer to sit on the fence as they often find supporting one extreme would mean trouble. This is evident especially when people are faced with a dilemma, for example, when a man is sandwiched between an argument between his wife and his mother. Most of the time he would not take sides as he is afraid of hurting the other party or risking their relationship. The same goes to evil, evil is a very subjective term and varies from person to person. Society, most of the time would prefer to 'see no evil' as it would imply that the society is all good. However, this may not apply to the whole of society, there are some people with courage to admit to the existence of evil by not sitting on the fence and such acts are getting more popular these days. This could be seen from the increase in numbers of children willing to seek help when being abused or bullied.

In order to deal with evil, the author believes that 'we must do all we can to not dehumanize or demonize others.' I disagree to some extent, as often those who commit evil lack human feelings and conscience, this is because the term 'evil' is an extreme word, merely saying someone who for example, breaks rules and regulations in an institution, such as school would not be called as evil but one who murders with a plan to escape punishments and with motive behind, especially one that is wicked is often one who is incurable, hence it would be proven much difficulty to not demonise them. hence, i find the author's arguments unconvincing.

NJC07~Christopher~*(のヮの)*

From Passage 1. the author argues that children are groomed to be passive from young. In my opinion, this view is applicable to today's world. As parents tend to be more protective of their children these days, they often do many things for their children, giving them a passive role in the life as they do not have to do much. In the past, parents were not so protective and allowed their children to learn how to perform tasks themselves, so as to groom them to be independent. However, this is absent in today's world. Because they are not taught how to do things themselves, they tend to rely on others a lot. If they do not see others doing anything, they will also not do anything as they are taught not to be independent and to think for themselves as their parents do most of the thinking for them. However, this does not apply to all children as some parents may want their children to be independent from young, especially if the parents are busy and have little time to take care of the kids. They will try to let their children learn things on their own so they are able to accomplish things without the help of other people. This way, they will not have to rely on others for help and they will be able to be active in their own life.

From Passage 2, the author argues that people will be disliked if they stand out from the norm. This is also applicable in today's world as in most societies, people tend to treat people that deviate from the norm as weird, and they will ostracize the odd one out. This is because most people do not dare to stand out, and those who stand out have no one to side with them as everyone feels safer and more secure in a group. Thus, they will not want to be the only one on the opposing side as everyone will be against them. However, this is not always the case as some people might not be afraid to stand up to the crowds. In the case, they might be able to change the minds of others to join their cause. Also, by standing out, some people may be able to become more popular as a result, for example, many artistes choose to have very shocking outfits and images to get more fans. Thus, standing out does not always mean that people will hate them.

Our society can deal with this by allowing children to be more independent by teaching them to do tasks by themselves from young, such as kindergarten. For example, getting their own food. This helps them stand on their own two feet instead of always relying on others. They are able to do what they want and will not become so passive when they grow up.

DHS08_Utopia/ Wu Xin Fang/ 10s403


The author argues that attempts to create and drive utopias have been dangerous, enduring and futile. How far do you agree with his view?


The author states that 'a conflict free existence is impossible for humans, and whenever it is attempted, the result is intolerable to them for they soon find themselves wanting or needing different things, which ultimately leads to a state of tension once again.' In other words, the attempts to create utopia is pointless because people would eventually end up fighting against one another for self-interest. Humans are 'the proposed agents of such change, are fraught with temptations and weaknesses.' Indeed, i agree with the author's point that it is an unrealistic aim to achieve complete world peace, harmony and equality. Due to the modern world we are living in today, most are forced to grow up in an individualistic environment. The uniqueness of each individuals caused them to have different likings, different wants and desires. It is almost an inpossible task for people to be homogeneous and accept one another's differences, not to even mention creating utopias. Perhaps, it is a human nature to be selfish. Most people want the best for themselves, and unknowingly, creates a competitive edge which could result in unhappiness, and even conflicts. For example, Stalin's communist ruling did not work out, instead the outcome was disastrous. Countless people died and suffered. However, the attempts to create utopia were not completely futile. Instead, it can improve social cohesion within a small and controlled community. For example, Simgapore has enjoyed years of racial harmony with the government's effort to ensure equality of races. The government has always set their goals as creating an ideal living space for their citizens. Therefore, it is not entirely true that the attempts to create and drive utopias have been futile. At least, the attempts have healthy impacts on small scale society. The efforts cannot be neglected. But overall, it is still unrealistic and pointless to attempt achieving complete utopias in the world.

Also, the author claims that ' the lure of hope can also make us deaf and blind to what is around us.' Hope is the reason why people are still attempting in achieving utopia despite its several failures. It is dangerous as people become too driven in wanting to achieve utopia such that they forgot to listen and accept other's view. I agree to the author's point to a small extent. Although it is true that sometimes people tend to become oblivious to their surroundings as they are too focus in achieving the impossible task. Often, they forgot the true meaning of it and hence, the result is worse than before. Taking communism as an example again, Stalin's goal of achieving equality, believing that communism could stop all sufferings, turned out to be one of the worst historical period. Stalin's ruthlessness led to the death of million innocents. The lost cannot be compensated. The risk is dangerous and can be deadly too. However, we can now put a stop to it and not let the painful history repeat itself again. It is not entirely true that 'hope can make us deaf and blind'. It makes us want to improve ourselves. It does not neccessarily make us deaf and blind, provided that we know our boundaries and know not to go overboard by our aims. Perhaps, people should lower their expectation of a utopia space and work towards achieving harmony, then it would not be dangerous.

Education-Jieyao-10s403

The author states that "Many jobs that never before required college now call for at least some post-secondary course work.". The world now has become more competitive and educated due to the education becoming widely available in most countries. As people become more educated, they would be able to learn new skills faster and master them. This has created competition amongst people to be able to receive higher education as they would need to gain an advantage over others in order for them to get employment. In Singapore's society, more students are encouraged to or rather, forced to go for higher education like enrolling in universities. This can be seen by the amount of career talks available from secondary school onwards where these talks are mainly conducted by universities who would tell students more about for their courses available. With these talks, more and more students would be encouraged to enter universities and thus, creating an abundance of workers who have at least a university degree, hence, the need for post secondary course work for jobs.


The author also states that "They are not ready for high school, some of them, much less for college." because they may be ignorant of the pressure and work present in higher education or they may not know how to apply what they have learnt. When these people attempt to pursue higher education, they may instead fail to complete the education as they may not yet be ready for it. Also, they may be pursuing higher education just for the sake of getting a job instead of choosing what thy really wants. In SIngapore, we have several alternatives for students to choose if they feel that they are not yet ready for higher education. There is the ITE where students learn skills that can be applied in the real world so that they would be able to earn a living, and also polytechnics which offers students a chance to learn a particular set of skills which may be their passion. This would enable them to go out to work immediately after the completion. Also, there is even an arts school where students learn about music, art and others. All these would provide students with a chance to learn valuable skills that can be used in the real world and they would not need to pursue any higher education.

Population and demographics AQ/Eunice/10s403

The author in passage1 states that population will decline due to women being more educated. The increase in literacy rate in women has allowed them to have more "social and economic options in today's rich countries", which led to a delay in them having children. This has "pulled fertility below the natural replacement rate." The threat that this pose is that there is too much food which might affect exports and widen income inequality between the rich and poor countries. I agree that this point is relevant to Singapore because women here enjoy equal education rights as men and thus are highly-educated as well. Many women are pursuing careers and are reluctant to put their careers on hold to form a family. For example, our government have put in a lot of measures to try and get the birth rates up through baby bonus schemes and extended maternity leave. Hence, Singapore is also facing a declining birth rate and this is due to women being highly-educated as well. However, the view is not true that rich and poor countries will be even more segregated. People from poor countries are given opportunities to study in other countries to allow them to get a better job in the future and hence up their standard of living in their hometowns. For example, Singapore gives out ASEAN scholarships to allow students from poor Southeast Asian countries to study here. Therefore, the point that the author made that population decline will widen the rich and poor countries' gap is not relevant to Singapore.

The author in passage2 mentioned that sub-replacement fertility is due to graying population and population decline. This argument is relevant to Singapore because we are facing sub-replacement fertility and experiencing population decline and graying population as well. Due to a threat on our sustainability caused by the sub-replacement fertility, our government has put in measures to counter the graying population and population decline issues. For example, retired workers are encouraged to return to the workforce, retirement age has been increased and baby bonus schemes have been put in place to encourage people to have more babies. Hence, the author's point is relevant to the Singapore society. However, the point is not entirely true because our sub-replacement fertility could be due to other reasons like standard of living. Due to the high costs of living in Singapore, people are unsure about raising children as they are afraid they might be financially challenged. For example, people are choosing to have only one or two kids relative to more than five in the past. Hence, this point is not relevant to Singapore as it did not account for other possible reasons.

Therefore, the argument presented in passage2 is more relevant to Singapore because it gives more insight to the sub-replacement fertility issue.

AQ/Tan Ping Hao/10s403

The author in Passage 1 states that "The society operates on the assumption that they not only can be taught, but must be." I agree with the author that the society must be taught as without education on moral values and the culture of shame as without it, children would end up growing up not knowing how to lead their lives. We are not born with natural morally correct instincts, and have to be guided to the correct paths in life. There are many examples of such an education being implemented, such as the civics and moral education in schools in Singapore which is compulsory for all students. However, the society may not respond appropriately to the teachings implemented. It is clear that even with moral values being taught to the society, the society still chooses to ignore these values, or consider them irrelevant and unimportant. This results in the disasters caused such a lack of moral values. Some examples include abuse cases and teenage pregnancies. In fact, some societies in other, more liberal countries do not even operate on the assumption that the society must be taught moral values, and consider actions fuelled by a lack of moral values as a norm in their society. However, the idea in passage 1 is relevant to our society as Singapore is still considered more traditional than liberal today, and places much importance of the upbringing of their children. Acts caused by a lack of moral values, such as rape, teenage pregnancy or abuse, are still deeply frowned upon and not considered a norm in society at all. The government also places much empahsis on the importance of our values through education and campaigns, in order to make sure that even though Singapore progresses, her civillians are still able to maintain and pass on their values to later generations.

The author in Passage 2 states that "We are, very simply, unprepared for dealing with pangs of shame or for undertaking spiritual soul-searching." I agree with this as while the society is progressing materiallistically, we remain stagnant when it comes to spiritual well-being. The society today is driven by economic progression and the improvement in technology and other material gains, so much so that the basic value of conscience and humility are ignored. Students are trained to deal with problems at work or school and are educated in problem-solving methods, but they are uncertain and apprehensive when it comes to the culture of shame. With a higher standard of living, people nowadays also become more complacent and confident of themselves, and do not try to assess themselves. For example, a businessman may be more driven by profit than how morally correct his methods to gain profit are. They have little shame in what they do, as long as profit is earned. This idea is applicable to my society as Singapore is fast progressing economically and with our higher standard of living and quality of life, humility has become a rarity.

Education/GPZ/10S403

The author thinks that higher level of education is not for everyone as society's view as certain jobs do not require those skills learnt. Indeed, such expectations may be unecessary as the skills learnt are not putting on good use but are took up just to secure a position in the society. For example, in Singapore, students have to study selected compulsory subjects that might not be useful for their career in future in order to reach university. Thus, this means that higher level of education might not necessary for everyone. However, in Singapore society, whereby there are influx of talents resulting in an competition for jobs. Thus, the level of education serves as a crucial measure for employers to select their employees. Hence, high level of education is remains important for everyone.

The author also states that people try to take up higher level of education although they are not apt for it and other people would find it harsh to bring this message across to them. Due to this, people may take up skills that may not be suitable and thus, be unhappy with what they are doing. I agree to this stand as in Singapore's society, the government has already set up various institutes, such as Institute of Technical studies(ITE), to accomodate different kinds of learner who are suitable for different types of job. Thus, this cushions the author's stand that high level of education is not for everyone. However, different jobs would bring in different income for various individuals. In Singapore, those people who have higher level of studies such as lawyer and doctors are earning much more than those who are holding on to jobs that does not involve high level of education. Thus, in the pursuit of having more income, it is imperative to pursue a higher level of education so that the income earned is more than sufficient to cope with the rising standards of living in Singapore. Hence, this limits the author's point that high level of education is not for everyone.

Education AQ/Chin Wang/10S403

From the passage, the author states that in society it should only be natural and fair for all to receive an education. It is only appropriate for people to make their own decisions as they have the rights and freedom to do so and nobody should be able to decide for them. Education has only been highly regarded in recent years as a factor that promotes growth within a country. As a result, many countries have started placing emphasis on its education system to provide an education for every individual that is suitable for it. In addition, some countries have made primary education compulsory for all. Therefore, many government have implemented policies which aids excellent students who experience financial difficulties with scholarships to pay for their tuition costs. For example, in my society, the government has made primary education compulsory for all children and those parents who fail to adhere to the regulations will be punished according to the law. This promotes the future growth of the economy as all future generations would be literate and can effectively contribute to society. However, this point is limited as although education is provided for all, some might not take education seriously and waste their years away. Most of these people are those who are not interested in academics but may be more interested towards the practical side. Therefore, many of these students drop out during their teenage years and begin working at a very young age without much skills. Hence, this is applicable towards my society.

The author had stated another point that not all are suitable for college as there are those who lack the skills and knowledge required for higher education. With an education system, every individual are ranked based on the ideal of meritocracy whereby students higher better academic results would be much more regarded as compared to those who did worse. This would cause intense competition amongst students to compete for admission into universities. For example, in my society, courses only take in a certain number of students during the annual student intakes. This causes students to compete for the more popular courses where they are promised a better future if they do get admitted in to the course. As a result, many youths who are not admitted are often disregarded by most members of society. However, this point is limited as people who are not suitable for college does not mean that they are stupid. It might only be due to the reason that they have interest in other topics. Therefore, most of these students prefer experiencing to studying. As a result, most countries have establish other sorts of institution which caters to the needs of these students and also to enhance their learning experience and prepare them for the working society. For example, in Singapore, the government have encourage the establishment of other institutions such as the Institute of Technical Education and Polytechnics to cater to the needs of students who are more hands-on and interested in topics related to the working society. This has helped many to develop themselves and also to excel in studies although they might not have done well academically before. As a result, I feel that this point is applicable to my society.

Crime AQ / Faizah / 10S403

In Passage 1, the author states that crime is more prominent in countries with the greatest income inequality. I agree with his point as it is applicable to Singapore. Singapore's income inequality has been reduced through means such as subsidies to th poor. At the same time, it is known that Singapore has a very low crime rate. This proves that countries with little income inequality has little crime rate. This claim is also supported by the author in passage 2.

In Passage 2, the author states that riots are all occuring in destitute neighbourhoods. I agree to his point to a certain extent as it is applicable to Singapore since Singapore does not have destitute neighbourhoods and have no riots in present day. This proves that the author's statement is somewhat true. However, it is flawed as not all riots occur in destitute neighbourhoods only. Riots may not occur only due to income inequality as there are other reasons like racial or political problems. Therefore, not all riots ovvur in destitute neighbourhoods only. Thus, i agree to th author's claim to a limited extent.

In conclusion, Singapore's cirme violence is low as it has low income inequality & has no destitute neighbourhoods. Both authors' claims supports each other and are applicable to my society.

25/07/10

AQ/Faris Hakim/10S403

The author in passage 1 says that society operates on the assumption that they, values, not only can be taught but must be. I disagree with the author because in a more liberal society, these values has been eroded. The values are being taught but it has not had any effect on the society. This can be seen from the reality show 16 and pregnant. Their society view it as a norm for an unmarried 16 year old getting pregnant. If this happens to a more conservative society such as those in Asia, the girl and her family would be deeply ashamed. Hence, i disagree with the author because not all societies operates on the same assumption. This idea is applicable to my society because Singapore is still largely considered as a traditional and conservative society. However, this may change in the coming years because Singaporean youths are becoming more liberal.

The author in passage 2 says that the basic problem is that there is an absence of a culture of shame. I agree with the author because as society strives to improve its economic and material well-being, much of these values are being ignored as they tend to hinder society's progress. This idea is not applicable to my society because Singapore is still considered a traditional and conservative society.

AQ/ Toby Ong Zheng Shuo/10s403

The first passage states that murder and violence are higher in nations with the largest income inequality. This is most likely because of the large income gap in society will induce pressure on the poor as the poor will feel inferior as compared to the rich and thus will resort to violence especially when the rich looks down on them.In some societies, the rich lives separately from the poor creating two 'separate' countries as there is little interaction between both the parties. However, in the case of Singapore, there is not a problem regarding income levels as most of the working adults do not have a great difference in income and mostly all Singaporeans received secondary education thus they will learn moral values. Thus with secondary school education, Singaporeans can find jobs that can afford at least the basic necessities in life. Thus very little income problems will arise. Therefore, income inequality is a minor factor for violence and murder cases occurring in Singapore.

The second passage states that riots are geographically and socially circumscribed, with almost all occurring in destitute neighborhoods. Such communities suffer from poverty such that they do not have enough income to afford food and basic necessities. Thus these low income families might feel unfair that the government is not helping them and only focused on developing the country which will make the rich richer and the poor poorer. therefore resulting in riots as this is a way of expressing their anger to the government and hopefully the government does something to alleviate the problem. however, in the context of Singapore, the income gap is relatively low due to the enforcement and support given by the government. Thus it is unlikely that riots will happen in Singapore.

AQ/Ying Ting/10S403

In Passage 1, the author states that criminal violence could be due to a society's structure. For societies who are of a heterogenous structure, it is hard to bind people together and thus creates feelings of alienation among citizens. The author states the United States as an example, which he calls 'a nation of strangers', with a high level of homicidal violence. This view is becoming more and more applicable in my society, as Singapore has an increasing number of immigrants coming into our society. It is part of the government's plan to increase population to 6 million people in the near future, and more immigrants are allowed into our society. This changes our society's structure into a heterogenous structure, where percentage of immigrants in our society is considered high in relation to number of locals. Recently, there was a series of slashings in our society, which is more commonly known as the Kallang Slashings, where immigrant workers robbed and attacked random strangers. This has sparked up many discussions and debates on whether or not immigrants might pose a threat to our society's welfare. I feel that the sense of alienation among immigrants is increasing as more and more immigrants are entering our society, and there is discrimination among Singaporeans against these immigrants, which migth cause them to feel even more alienated and lonely in our country, thus affecting their psyches adversely. Thus, the issue of a heterogenous society causing feelings of societal alienation is becoming an increasing cause for concern in my society.

In Passage 2, the author thinks that increased emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other cultures in France is not a solution to preventing riots and violence. He substantiates his point by saying that the riots and violence is due to the population being highly deculturalised and individualised. I disagree with the author, as in my society, such emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other cultures has been effective in preventing riots and violence. I feel that the author is not being very fair in deriving such a conclusion. However, I feel that in all societies, the people in the society must be willing to embrace such emphasis and reforms. With increased understanding among race, religions and cultures, riots and violence can be decreased. I feel that a deculturalised society can in fact become more bonded if people are willing to embrace one another's cultures. By being appreciative of one another's culture, individuals will be willing to accept one other for who they are. This will lead to the society becoming less deculturalised and individualised. In Singapore, there was a 1964 Racial Riot which was triggered by a clash between a group of Malays and a Chinese policemen. The government has since taken steps to alleviate racial discrimination and misunderstandings, such as creating Racial Harmony Day. In recent years, there have been no racial riots in our society and younger generations of Singaporeans are more able to appreciate the cultural diversity in Singapore. This emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other cultures has helped Singapore become a multi-racial and multi-religious society today. Thus, I strongly believe that such emphasis on multiculturalism and respect for other religions can help in reducing violence in a society.

AQ/Gracy/10s403

In passage 1, the author states that murder and violence are higher in nations with largest income inequality. In countries where there is income inequality, societal prejudice arises. The rich may look down on the poor while the poor struggle to achieve a more equal income level with the rich often by dishonourable means. However, this is applicable to Singapore as our country's income inequality is low and this is explains for our country's low crime rate.

In passage 2, the author claims that crimes are more likely to happen in destitute neighbourhoods. I agree with the author's point. This means that crime arises more often places with poor living conditions. In poor living conditions, people are more desperate for better living conditions. However, they may not have the ability to improve their living conditions hence they may resort to dishonourable means. For example, South Africa, one of the world's least developed country with the lowest standards of living, has a crime rate that is extraordinarily high. This is applicable to Singapore as Singapore, being one of the most developed countries in the world, has low crime rate.

AQ----PAN JIEMING------10S403

In the first passage, the author made it very clear that murder and violence are higher in nations with largerincome inequality. This is partly true, as people sometimes do react to unfairness with extreme criminal actions. Take for instance, when the poor have no food and basic necessities for survival, the only thing they can do is to steal cheat and beg. The problem worsen when they notice how the rich has been wasting the food and enjoying themselves. When such thing happens, they may become frustrated at the unfairness of life and indulge in crime. Sure enough, this is an issue closely related to criminal violence. However, this is not so much of an concerning issue to my society in Singapore. First of all, Singapore has a very strong economy where there is rarely any economic crisis. Citizens are able to earn a living in the toughest World wide economic recession. Then, the government has given every citizen despite their differences the same welfare. Medisave, Medifund etc are given to all the citizens to ensure equal rights of every individual. So to the poor, basic necessities like healthcare and education are ensured. Funds are set up to help the needy as well. Therefore, in Singapore, this issue isn't such a concern compared to other country in world.

In the second passage, the author claims that "the riots are geographically and socially very circumscribed: all are occuring in about 100 suburbs, or more precisely, destitute neighbourhoods". This is a reaction from the cultural minority when they feel that they are unfairly treated. It is likely due to the social and economic exclusion to the different minor race which cause the riots. The issue here is that it is hard to achieve racial harmony. The minority race or culture always feel discriminated and wanting to be treated fairly. However, the majority may not think its necessary. When the tension between the different cultural group builds up, a little spark is all it takes to start a riot. Similarly in Singapore, a multiracial society, have a history of riots between the Chinese and Malay due to tension and misunderstanding. This is indeed an issue of Singapore's concern. That is why, the government are adopting all kinds of measures to promote racial harmony. The country will fall if it faces internal struggle each day. Thus it is important and necessary to keep Singapore harmonious.

In conclusion, there are many issues relating to criminal violence, economic and social especially. It is important to solve these root of the problem in order to lower crime rates. It is the responsibility of every government to ensure fairness and safety in the nation.

AQ/Tan Ping Hao/10s403

I feel that both the first author's point of murder and violence being higher in nations with the largest income inequality and the second author's point of riots and crime occuring in destitute neighbourhoods are not very applicable to the Singaporean context in our present society.

In the first passage, the author states that "murder and violence are higher in nations with the largest income inequality." This may be because the large income gap in society creates pressure for the poor as they fight for survival. In some countries, the poor and rich live in seperate societies even though they come from the same country, and form a hierachy. People from the upper caste are able to receive education, unlike the lower caste who can't afford it. Thus, while the upper caste are educated on both academics and moral values, the lower caste are only educated on how to survive using their own abilities. Thus, when faced with pressure, these people may end up resorting to violence and even crime when faced with desperation for wealth and survival. An example of a country like this is South Africa, where the lower caste have to fight tooth and nail for survival. However, since there is very little or no income disparity in Singapore, this is not very applicable to the Singaporean context. Though it is true that the income levels across various occupations in Singapore differ, everyone is subjected to at least secondary school level education and are taught moral values from young. Everyone in Singapore thus has the ability to hold jobs that allow them to live adequately. Thus, income and economic disparity is eliminated. Therefore, it cannot be used as a reason for violence and murder cases occuring in Singapore, if any.

In the second passage, the author claims that "the riots are geographically and socially very circumscribed: all are occuring in about 100 suburbs, or more precisely, destitute neighbourhoods". This could be because the poor feel that it is unfair and they had received biased and ill treatment by the rich, for example, discrimmination, so they form riots as a form of resisting and to win back their rights. Again, I feel that this is inapplicable to the present Singapore society as "destitute neighbourhoods" are a minority, or rarity, in Singapore. Singapore, being a prosperous country, enjoys a high standard of living. The government also offers help to those Singaporeans who need financial aid. Thus, it is nearly impossible to have destitute neighbourhoods in our country. Furthermore, the Singapore government has also set strict rules and regulations regarding riots in Singapore, following the aftermath of disasterous riots like the Maria Hertough riot. Thus, rioting in Singapore is never seen in the present, so this author's point cannot be applied to the Singaporean context.

AQ/Nordiyanah Samsuddin/10S403 (:

In passage one, the author states that murder and violence are higher in countries with very significant income inequality. I do concede that in certain countries with very significant income inequality, murder and violence rates are relatively high. This is due to the fact that citizens do not receive equal benefits and do not enjoy the same standard of living. Those at the lower ends of the income spectrum may be desperate enough to commit certain crimes just to ensure their survival. However, this may not be true for all nations. For instance, income inequality in Singapore is not really that significant. The gap between the rich and the poor is not as wide as the poor are often aided by the government and non-government institutions. For instance, the poor in Singapore are given more monetary benefits than the rich. Hence, this issue would not be of concerrn to my society.

In passage two it is said that riots would normally happen in destitiue neighbourhoods. This may be true as the poor may resort to rioting just to have their voice heard by the government. However, this may not be true in the Singapore context as the poor and the rich are not divided or segregated. They live together in the same neighbourhoods regardless of their income. Hence, this view is not applicable to my society.

AQ/Caleb Seow/10s403

I think the author's view of murder and violence being linked to nations with a larger income inequality in passage one, and the author's point on violence and riots occuring most commonly in destitute neighbourhoods hihgly inapplicable to the Singaporean society i live in.

The author states that "murder and violence are higher in nations with the largest income inequality". A large income gap may create tension in a society. The rich and poor may live separately,with the rich, not wishing to be acquainted with the poor, may form a sense of social class or hierarchy, with the poor at the very bottom of the social pyramid. The rich may take advantage of their increased social leverage, by exploiting labor from the poor, or even reducing them to slavery with minimal basic necessities. This creates tension among the poor, who may feel unfairness and demand for equality. Due to their lack of social power, they may resort to physical forms of attaining power, resulting in murders and violence. One such example would be South Africa, where the blacks are deemed as a lower social class due to their skin colour and income levels. The whites constantly exploit the native blacks, which created much tension in their society. This led to many riots and revolts against the whites, as the blacks demanded for basic human rights and the need for equality. However, this is not applicable to the singaporean society context, as the our society does not have a very large income inequality gap. In Singapore, the government ensures that everyone is provided with primary to secondary education. This immediately ensures that everyone is capable of holding jobs of a certain academic standard, thus eliminating the level of income inequality between the educated and non-educated. In Singapore, financial support schemes are also given to the poor. Such schemes and policies allow them to obtain basic necessities such as housing and food. This effectively lowers the income gap. There will be no discrimination towards the poor as everyone is on the same socio-economic level, and the poor need not resort to violence to attain basic necessities as they can rely on the government to provide for them. Therefore, the author's point is inapplicable to our society.

the author in passage 2, claims that riots are geographically and socially circumscribed, with almost all occurring in destitute neighborhoods. Yet again, this view is inapplicable to the Singaporean society, for the very reason that there are hardly or almost no destitute neighbourhoods in Singapore. Being such a small yet populous city, we have about 7022 people per square metre. This makes it impossible to have destitute neighbourhoods, where land is so limited and people cover every inch of the area. Next, Singapore enforces many strict laws on rioting in the nation. This laws are easily enforced, with Singapore being such a small country. therefore, the authors point is inapplicable to our society

AQ/Pang Chin Wang/10S403

In passage 1, the writer states that in countries where the income gap is wider, there is a higher percentage of crimes committed. When people have little or no money for survival, it might cause them to be desperate enough to commit crimes in order to obtain food and water. However, this is not completely true as people are brought up with different cultures.Some might have been brought up to be people of integrity while others grow up with principles that they follow. As a result, even when these people are desperate for money, they will not go against their conscience in order to obtain them. For example, children in Singapore are taught the importance of moral values and good character. In addition, the consequences of criminals are also greatly emphasized by the country's education system as children go to school in order to cultivate good character among the students. As a result, Singapore has been able to maintain a low crime rate in its country. Therefore, even though there might be a issue of income inequality, a nation will not experience an issue of criminal violence if their citizens are conscious of its consequences and are raised with good moral values. However, the author is also true such that cases of criminal violence are exceptionally high in countries with an issue of income inequality. This may be caused as a result of countries with a large immigration intake which usually bring about problems regarding illegal immigration. This is because when a country has a large number of illegal immigrants, these immigrants are usually unable to get normal jobs such as clerks and cashiers because of their status. Hence, getting a job for them is difficult but if they do get a job, they would usually be paid only a meager sum as compared to locals. This would cause many of them to have financial problems and as a result, many result to crimes in order to get money for survival. For example, the United States which is experiencing an issue of income inequality is also facing a problem of high crime rate. It has many cases of homicides and robberies yearly committed by illegal immigrants. Therefore, this point is not applicable to my society.

In passage 2, the author states that riots mostly occur in destitute communities. Such communities suffer extreme poverty whereby they do not have enough food and have difficulties with their finances. Moreover, they are unable to receive an education when young and therefore many of them are unemployed and have to find other means to support their families and themselves. As a result, many people living in such communities gather and form gang in order to ensure their own survival as people with similar backgrounds often try to take advantage of them. However, this is not applicable to Singapore as people with financial difficulties are provided aid from the government and so it would be least possible that they would start a riot as they are provided essential necessities.

AQ/Jieyao/10S403

In passage 1, the writer states that mass murderers tend to be people with a history of failure, losers who feel chronically frustrated and socially alienated. These people, having been failures all their lives, deprived of both success and friends, turn to mass murdering to make themselves feel successful by achieving something that no one else has. In doing so, they would also attract the attention of people, something which most of these murderers desire to have after years of being ostracized by people. Furthermore, people in America are allowed to possess weapons such as guns, which makes mass murdering more accessible as compared to other countries. However, this may not be applicable to Singapore as people are not allowed to possess guns and the rules are being enforced strictly. Also, Singaporean citizens are not as exposed to materials such as violent videogames from a young age as Americans and hence, most Singaporeans would not turn to mass murdering to get rid of their "failure" status.

In passage 2, the author states that riots are happening at destitute neighbourhoods where people are angered by racism and unemployment. This indicates that racism is strife in France and has led to riots in order for people to achieve equality amongst the different races. It also shows that people living in destitute neighbourhoods are mainly of the same race whilst the rich are of a different race. This leads to resentment and thus the outbreak of riots in order for the less privileged race to achieve equality. However this is not applicable in Singapore as Singapore is a multi-cultural society where citizens have been inculcated with a sense of racial harmony since young. Also, all races are treated fairly by the government and no particular race are being favoured. Hence, riots due to racism does not occur in Singapore.