For the first lesson of Technology and World Change, we started off with an ice breaking session and we were also asked to express our thoughts regarding TWC. i thought this was well thought-of considering that it was the first lesson in SMU for a number of students ( including me ) and also served as a gentle nudge for us to contribute our ideas towards further discussion.
Following that we were shown a video, titled "Shift Happens", made for 2006. The first few points of the video merely emphasized the vast population of China and India, which i felt was pretty unnecessary. Some of the claims in the video seemed dubious, such as how "soon China would be the number-one English speaking country in the world" seemed to be just a wild claim whereby being able to pass sub-standard English tests would qualify being an "English speaker". The estimate of how "the top 10 in-demand jobs of 2010 would have never existed in 2004" seemed as unbelievable. Although now proved to be inaccurate,
i get the gist of the idea and still find it thought-provoking. When we can never be sure of what are we preparing for, we must always be open to the idea of change and adapt accordingly.
Another video shown was "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond. It centered upon the question of how inequality in material wealth began, posed by a native of New Guinea. I disagreed on his outright dismissal that the inequality had anything to do with the characteristics of the New Guinean people, feeling that it didn't do justice to the question at hand. Upon watching the remainder of episode 1, i find out that Jared Diamond instead proposes the main reason for the underlying problem of inequality as starting from purely geographical and environmental factors. However, real life examples such as the oil-rich but poor middle eastern countries proves that how the people make use of the tools and materials at hand do play a part too. Attempts by the Singapore education system to foster creativity in children ( implying the lack thereof) again debunks the idea of Jared Diamonds that race and culture was not a factor. Even today, Westerners are still known for being more adventurous and outgoing people , characteristics fundamental for trade and exchange which was responsible for their growth in wealth and technology.
Key takeaway points would be the effect that environment have on the on the distribution of resources and the creation of inequality through a slippery slope process where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.Small advantages in food resource and material availability have led to stark inequality between different civilisations over centuries.
Issues for further discussion would be whether there are greater reasons for the causes of inequality, and the question of whether inequality can be easily solved when the root of inequality stems from centuries of differences.
TWC was interesting and i would rate i 7/10.
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