Question 9: 'The family has suffered at the expense of career in Singapore'. Is this a fair comment?
by Pham Thang Loi
1. Supporting Point 3
2. Counter Point and Debut
3. Introduction: Since the past, Singaporeans have witnessed the transformation of families from single-income to dual-income families, as a result of modernization leading to increased quality in education and job opportunities. Furthermore, the Singaporean culture has developed to become one of that which focuses on economic success. It has become increasingly common for parents to leave their homes early and come back late as a result of their jobs. Hence, we agree to a large extent that the family has suffered at the expense of career in Singapore’s society. Firstly, modernization has led to the creation of fast-paced and competitive lifestyles in Singapore, leading an increasing number of parents being absorbed with their work, neglecting their children in the process and weakening family bonds. More importantly, as parents become increasingly absorbed in their careers, more and more domestic helpers are being hired to replace their roles in taking care of their children. Such helpers only care for their children physically and not for their emotional well-being, causing children to grow up with a weak sense of moral values and detachment from their parents as they spend more time with these helpers. However, the increased emphasis on career could also lead to stronger family ties, as families have stable incomes, leading to reduced conflicts regarding financial issues.
4. Faith Fan
5. Essay Structure
5.1. Indroduction
5.2. Body
5.2.1. Supporting Point 1
5.2.2. Supporting Point 2
5.3. Conclusion
6. Supporting argument 1: Loi: - Fast paced and competitive lifestyle make family members to be absorbed with works and studies. Hence they don’t have enough time with their family. - Working hours are about 8-10 hrs a day (which is exhaustive and tiring). However some demanding jobs would result employees to bring works home to do over the weekend. - Competitive workers would decide to do extra works and find themselves no time with family. eg: Most working people are too absorbed with work that they don’t even have time with their family (weekend outings, family meals, family reunions...). => Children and retired parents are sometime neglected, rely on caregivers, feel lonely and unattended
7. Supporting argument 2: Timothy: - Different values in modern society, priorities are not the same. Singaporean society is becoming more westernized. - Traditional values emphasize filial piety and the importance of remembering the reasons for one’s success, which ultimately are your parents who provide you with the means of education. - Many families aim towards excellence in terms of studies and careers eg: Many parents are focusing and emphasizing on good grades and harbour high hopes for their children . Prefer children to study hard in place of family time to ensure satisfying grades. Translates to future careers where jobs will always be of first priority followed by family in order to ensure success. - Newer generations of young adults grow up believing that their careers are more important than family, especially since their parents had planted that idea in their minds since their education years. - They would rather maintain a stable career life since they had worked so hard for to achieve a respectable job, and dream of stepping up the corporate ladder.
8. Supporting argument 3: Faith: - Modern Singapore society: rise of dual-income earners (both parents are out late) - As parents are busy with their careers (out early, home late), and children usually come home earlier than them, parents are beginning to hire more and more domestic helpers (foreign maids), pushing the responsibility of bringing up their children to these maids - However, these domestic helpers are only concerned with taking care of the children physically (cooking food for meals, washing their clothes etc.) and not in the emotional aspect of giving them advice on problems, decisions; mental support etc. - Hence, children grow up without receiving the attention they need in the emotional aspect → not grounded with a strong sense of upright moral values because parents are constantly not around to guide them in their growth → children are more susceptible to negative peer pressure, as they look to their peers for emotional support, hence might pick up undesirable habits - Family bonds are weak: parents and children do not understand each other well, leading to greater conflicts. If children are influenced by negative peer pressure, it could lead to family breakdown. Children are closer to their helpers than parents. - Therefore, family relations are put at risk at the expense of parents furthering themselves in their careers. - Evidence: In 2002, there was a total of 140000 domestic helpers in Singapore, according to the Ministry of Manpower. However, in 2010, there was an increase in this number for 201000. This has been attributed to an increasing number of parents focusing on their careers, leading to children being closer to their maids than parents especially when a language barrier is not present.
9. Opposing argument 1: Rochelle: Emphasis on career builds stronger family ties. -Focus on career-> successful, high work position-> high income -With stable and adequate income, family can lead a comfortable carefree lifestyle. -acceptable standard of living, family will not need to worry about financial issues, -> spend more time participating in activities as a family and building stronger ties. -quality of life, afford entertainment and recreation ( travelling ) , strengthen family ties. -As compared to families where parents do not a career, low, not stable income weakens family ties (e.g.) family gets into disputes and conflicts because of financial issues, children forced to work at a younger age,not happy, family resort to desperate measure such as going to loan sharks, committing crime to make ends meet.
10. Conclusion: Indeed with the fast paced lifestyle, increasingly westernised singapore society and the rise of dual- income earners families have suffered at the expense of career in the society. Although there have been successful cases of closely bonded families and parents having a good relationship with their children while making sure not to neglect their career, such cases are sporadic. A large proportion of working adults still face the problem of not having enough time for their children. Thus, we will advise that working parents ought to relinquish his or her career at hand so that more attention and time can be given to their children. Although the family will have a lower income and live a relatively less comfortable life, we believe that it is definitely worthwhile to do it in the long run. A closely knitted family is indeed
11. Done by: 12S41
11.1. Rochelle Tan
11.1.1. Timothy Tan