4. Opinion: Changing Family structure

Summary:

• The author asserts that the structure of a modern family greatly differs from the traditional one and feels that this change is not necessarily better
• Whether it is the "parental and educational functions", "economic function" or the "recreational function", the author notes that the modern family is not as united as the traditional one
• Functions of the modern family are now shared with external agencies

Thoughts:

While I agree that marriage does regulate the sexual impulse of people, I feel that illicit sexual behaviour is actually not uncommon now. Pre-marital and extra-marital sex relations are not only increasing in western societies but also eastern societies, which are prided to be traditional and conventional in their thoughts and beliefs. Despite the introduction of sexual awareness lessons and discouragement of pre-marital sex in schools, youth today still indulge in sexual activities in Singapore even if they are underaged. This point had been highlighted in numerous articles and surveys in our newspapers.

The author also noted that the modern family is not as united as the traditional one. With the rapid and constant advancement of technology, we now seek the pleasure and entertainment that modern recreation provides, often alone or with peers. Today's emphasis on education and careers leads to people leading their individual lives and segregates each other despite being a family. I agree with the author that this has affected the cohesion of family.

What are the pros and cons of females being active in the workforce?

Being active in the workforce means that a huge proportion of time and efforts are put in working. This means that less time would be spent in taking care of the family and there would be a strain between work and family. So, should women be active in the workforce?

In my opinion, I feel that capable individuals should be active in the workforce. This includes the women. Having an effective workforce means that the workers must have well-polished skills and hence help the society in the improvement of the economy. For example, European Union women have filled 6million of 8 million new jobs created since 2000 as stated in the article. Thus, in this case, having females being active in the workforce is beneficial since it helps the country's economy.

However, if there's is a sudden surge in the number of capable women in the workforce, some people would worry about the domestic affairs that women are supposed to take charge of are now left unattended. Various issues such as low birth rate due to the reluctance of having children pose a problem to the society in a long run. Indeed, I must agree that such problems are causing much headaches to developed countries with low birth rate. However, I feel that such problems can be solved if the government are able to come up with effective meausures to curb such problems. For example, the policy set by Singapore government about low birth rate have worked out quite well. Hence, I believe that women should still pursue their career with much fervor as it is important to focus on what they really want.

Wominnovation/ Eunice Chng

Firstly, I agree with Yaksh's point about the invention of the pill due to technology that has helped women a lot. However, I would also like to add on that the article also mentioned that technology now allows parents to determine the sex of their embryo early in a pregnancy and thus having the option of aborting females in countries where the male offspring is of a higher value. In this case, such innovations that technology has brought about is definitely not beneficial to women because the number of live female births is way below the number of live male births. The example given in the article is China, whereby at least 100 million female lives have been lost in the recent decade due to this form of technology.

On the second point of micro finance, agreed. I would just like to add on that the article mentioned the invention of scooters, thereby increasing the opportunities and productivity of women which adds on to the initial point. The scooters provide a safe and reliable way for women to travel for education and work so it acts as an enhancement.

Adeline/The Man Who Saw It All o(>v<)b

Summary of the 3 main points:
1. Lee Kuan Yew has years of experience and dispassionate intelligence to lead the country.
2. There is no effective political opposition to the PAP, and few voices prepared to speak out in favor of wider democratic debate.
3. Singaporeans are not yet ready for the vociferous free market of ideas.

I agree with Mr Lee Kuan Yew that there is a need to make Singaporeans less dependent on the government and to encourage more open debate. After all, we cannot always rely on the government to set the policies for us, and there will always be a time when a new generation has to take over them. However, for Singaporeans to become more independent, they have to be given a chance to speak up for themselves. The PAP will also never know for sure if Singaporeans are ready for the change if they do not loosen up soon.

Opinion: Why marriage as an institution is still intact in India.

India, is now touted as the fastest growing economy in the world along with China, and is recognized as such by even the United States of America. However, what many in the West do not understand is that India's economy, also has a rich social tradition, which is also connected with a religious tradition and central to this tradition, is the institution of marriage.

Historically, the Indian male has been glorified and in almost every state in India, women are always taught to accomodate men at whatever cost and live with them throughout their lives. Furthermore, each woman who goes into the household brings with her, some aspect of the culture that she has been taught, back home and there is tolerance for ambiguity, adversity and even poverty or any natural calamity.

Also, Marriages in India are always big affairs. There is a sacred thread that is tied around the neck of the woman by the husband, and this is a very religious symbol. It means that the man has accepted the woman as his life partner and will do anything to take care of her needs and wants for a lifetime. Such marriages are always performed in the presence of a huge audience and thus, the social sanctity of marriage is very well maintained in India.

Lastly, even though there are strong differences of opinion and even physical fights between the couple, the strong roots in Indain culture helps to ensure that marriage is an institution that still survives.

Nordiyanah Samsuddin/We Just Clicked

3 main points of the article

There is an increasing trend in the business of online matchmaking.
The business of online matchmaking is a very stable and profitable business
The different online matchmaking businesses employ different strategies to set themselves apart from each other.

I agree that there is an increasing trend in the business of online matchmatching. This is partly due to the increasingly competitive society where people have little time to perform any form of activity. Individuals who are constantly busy might not have much time to find a partner to settle down with and would in turn get the matchmaking websites to find a suitable partner for them.

However, i do not agree with the point that online matchmaking is a very stable and profitable business. Undeniably, online matchmaking is a profitable business however, it is not as stable. This is due to the misuse of the matchmaking websites. There are certain irresponsible individuals who set up an account for other other reasons. For intance, there is an increase in the cases of nigerian scams which involve match-making websites. Due to this, many may think twice about finding a partner through matchmaking websites and this would not make the online matchmaking industry very stable.

Wominnovation / Yaksh Birla

How has technological advancement brought about breakthroughs for women, especially those in less-developed countries?

Firstly with the introduction of contraceptive pills, usually known as the Pill, in less-developed countries, many women are starting to have a say. Traditionally, in most less-developed countries, it is the men who garner popular appeal and it is the men who held the privilege of sexual choice. However, with breakthroughs in technologies, women now have substantial sexual choice and child-bearing agendas. With the exposure to technological wonders such as the Pill, women are slowly moving away from the social constructs of a patriarchal society, especially those severely chauvinistic in less-developed countries. Women now have more flexibility and freedom of choice, leading to a greater increase in human rights awareness and successes.

Also, micro finance is a great leap forward towards the betterment of women's rights and capabilities. Micro finance offers under-privileged women in less-developed countries, often more prudent than men, to kick-start their own businesses and to fulfill their own agendas. By doing so, a woman can now enhance her own employability skills and hence gain education and expertise suiting their own preferences. No more does there have to be a point whereby it's the woman stuck in the kitchen while it's the man who stakes his claim over the sole-ownership of the house. Through the innovation of micro finance, the woman is regarded with greater respect and hence can be seen as equals to the men, diminishing the disparity between men and women and their roles in society.