Qn 6: To what extent is a stable family vital for a successful society?

1. Introduction/General Statement/Sign-posts/Definitions/Stand

1.1. The family unit is one of the basic units of society. It is a social institution in which lessons are learnt and values taught. A child's upbringing and hence the attributes he portrays as an adult is highly dependent on the experiences he had in the family .It is foolish for one to deny the fact that the family unit is vital for a person's character development . It is in a stable family , where there is great productivity and efficiency, that this development is optimal. Unfortunately , society's goals have morphed recently.Tthe advent of globalization has brought to the forefront of society a new goal "success". Gone are the days where character was equally as important. With a new-age society that is hell-bent on success , does the family still play such an important role ?

1.2. Joshua Chan

1.3. Good job here, Joshua. Good general statements leading to your sign-posting. The stand is not clear, though, because you phrased it as a question.

2. Conclusion:

2.1. In a nutshell , families ultimately provides the stability in a society which forms a foundation for all our endeavors. The home is the foremost educational institution . It is here where we start most of our learning processes. So, regardless of how success is calculated in society , our decisions are eventually made with rationals gained from the family unit. The family unit essentially the cornerstone for societal success.

2.2. Joshua Chan

2.3. A good finishing paragraph, Joshua.

3. Para 3: (Supporting) Point: A stable family unit will be in a better position to act as a moral agent for individuals that will eventually ensure the peacefulness and ultimately stability of the society. Anabel Khaw

3.1. Elaboration: - Family does play an essential role in the formative years of one’s life. - In one’s formative years, parents usually are the role models for their children. - They are the ones that guide their children on the social norms and the guide as to what is right and wrong. - Contrast a stable family that does not have any vices and have similar beliefs, with a dysfunctional family that is constantly at squabbles with one another. - Individuals would most likely to be more receptive in the moral teachings in a stable family - Dysfunctional families also have a negative impact on the children/ individuals because their reference is now on their not so desirable traits of their parents and they learn from there.

3.2. Example: - In 2010, there has been an increase in the number of youths arrested for rioting (from 468 persons in 2009 to 531 persons in 2010). -Cases of youth violence commonly arose from disputes and trivial matters which ended up in fights. - A deeper look as to why youths join gangs is because of boredom and that the family unit is not stable because of the lack of communication that has been a result of both parents working. - As such, sensing the importance of a stable family unit in ensuring a successful society, the Singapore government has also encouraged the fostering of familial ties through the implementation of “Family Day Out” on the fourth Saturday of May and Marriage Central where there is a one-stop resource point that aims to promote stronger, healthier and happier relationships.

3.3. Link: Therefore because of the close link between the family and the society, a stable family unit is vital for a successful society – this idea can be succinctly summarised into the Chinese idiom “家是小的国， 国是大的家”

3.4. Teacher's Comment. Good effort, Annabel, although if this were to be one paragraph, it would be a mighty long one. But your point is well-thought out.

4. Para 5: (Supporting) Point :A stable family is vital for a successful society as it is a pillar for support Leong Jun Hong

4.1. Elaboration: - A family functions as a platform in which family members can counsel each other in times of difficulty and encourage them to push on. - Furthermore, a family can also be regarded as a source of joy and happiness when everybody share their hilarious moments. - A family which is unstable would be a family filled with loneliness and sadness as there is no mutual trust amongst each other - A family which is unstable would be a family filled with loneliness and sadness as there is no mutual trust amongst each other. It can thus no longer function as above. - If we were to take a successful society as an efficient one where all members in society do their best to strive for excellence, without a stable family, this would no longer be possible. - In life, there are always failures and more often than not, it is the stable family which provides support and words of encouragement to keep one going.

4.2. Link: . Without these, it is more likely for one to fall into despair and give up, affecting the productivity and consequently success of society.

4.3. Teacher's Comment Yes, showing insight, Jun Hong. How does your group define 'successful society?

5. Para 1: Opposing Point : Success can be premised on many things and if societal success was based economic success, then families arent essential Li Saifeng

5.1. Elaboration: - For economic growth the country needs to maximize its profits. - Thus people need to focus more on work rather than on family members. - The lack of communication and neglection of families may lead to an even more broken family.

5.2. Link:In a would solely focused on economic growth of a country, making money is more vital than having a stable family for success.

5.3. Example : - America has the highest divorce rates in the world while England has the second highest. - Among the list, top ten countries are almost all developed countries. - Singapore's statistics are also on the rise with the strong competition between working adults, people put in more time and effort into making money.

5.4. Teacher's Comment:Ok Saifeng, but i think it is rather extreme to say that as long as the economy is successful is strong, then we can ignore the role of the family in a society.

6. Para 2: Supporting Point: Self-discipline is still a more important governing factor in success. Yuan Sin

6.1. Elaboration: - A handful of people do come from a stable and harmonious family background . - But how many are actually self-driven to work hard to achieve their goals? - Without self-discipline as a key driving force, society can hardly maintain the peaceful order or status quo. - People would be irresponsible and undedicated towards their jobs. - However, the presence of a stable family would be a form of encouragement which can push each individual to stand up and be responsible on their own. - Overtime, it develops discipline.

6.2. Link:As every member of the society face similar circumstance, a successful society is birthed.

6.3. Teacher's Comment:Good, Yuan Sin. This shows awareness that things are not simply black or white.

7. Para 4 (Supporting) Point: A stable family helps in the achievement of results of family members Ang Fang Wei

7.1. Elaboration: - In stable families, more often than not, because of the close knit relationships children share with their stable families, parents are extremely concerned and well informed about their children’s lives in school. - As a result, children are able to attain help with their academic matters readily from their parents. - This eventually culminates in children being able to better understand lessons in school and increases their intelligence and capacity to undertake more challenging activities with greater ease. - With talents like these being cultivated as a result of stable families, it is irrefutable that this would lead to the betterment of the country’s economic development as these children will grow up to form the sector of working professionals in society. - On the other hand, in families that are dysfunctional and unstable, children are more likely to fall into the wrong company and be influenced to wreak havoc in society, such as partaking in social vices, due to the lack of guidance from their parents. - These misguided juvenile delinquents would commit crime after crime without being corrected or told what is right from wrong due to the deprivation of a stable family- one that will provide constant guidance, attention and love for the growing individual.

7.2. Link: This would only cause a larger myriad of social maladies to surface and is undoubtedly detrimental to the goal of achieving a successful society

7.3. Teacher's Comment. Valid points and good supporting statements, Fang Wei.