Technology and Global Society: Rise of the Silent Technology.

Technology has, by far, been one of the biggest influences in shaping today’s societal patterns. This post will thus discuss on the implications of technological changes in the development of societal changes. In particular, I will draw attention to the effects of the text messaging capability of mobile phones on social interaction and religious practices, to illustrate the above-mentioned implications.  

If on the one hand, technological change is the result of changing social conditions, technology, itself, on the other, changes the the prevailing social conditions. Take the mobile phone, for example. Long gone are the days when one would carry with him/her extra change or a phonecard for the purpose of using the public phone. Mobile phone ownership, as at 2008, was 1225 phones per 1000 residents, which is equivalent to 122.5%.(www.mcys.gov.sg) The advance in this sector of the telecommunications industry is pushed by the demands of society seeking convenience. What is interesting is the change that this technology has brought about in society. While it is true that mobile phones have made communication between individuals much easier, thereby increasing the inter-connectivity of individuals in society, it has also altered the notion of personal interaction. To quote from a personal experience, there was this once when I was having lunch with a group of army buddies, whom I have not met for a long time. Throughout the whole whole duration, I couldn’t help but notice that one of them was incessantly texting away on his mobile phone. Jokingly, I told him that he should concentrate on the present conversation instead of the text messages. His reply: “Nothing can pry me away from my girlfriend.” Literally, it should be: “Nothing can pry me away from this piece of device, ie, the mobile phone, which I am using to interact with my girlfriend.” As mundane as this event sounds, it illustrates the change in personal interaction between individuals in society. On the one hand, it has facilitated in the non-physical interaction, in this case, between my friend and his girlfriend. On the other, however, the physical interaction between himself and the rest of us was reduced. It seemed as though he has “alienated” himself from real-time interaction. I am sure that most of us, if not all, have been in this situation before. One can only wonder how such a small device can actually alter the course of interaction of society. Such is the effect of a silent technology on society.

The effects of such a change in technology is also being felt in the religious domain. One such instance is the case of a Muslim man in Malaysia divorcing his wife through text messages. Under the Islamic law, a “talak” (an arabic word meaning “to divorce”) is official under three circumstances, firstly being the intention to divorce, second being the proclamation of the “talak” itself, and lastly, the presence of two adult Muslim male witnesses. “Traditionally, this has meant a face-to-face verbal exchange, but new technology has led to Islamic scholars seeking fresh interpretations.”(http://www.zdnetasia.com) After careful deliberation, it was decided that the divorce was official for it has met the 3 above-mentioned criteria. There was certainly an intent, on part of the man, and the text messages would suffice as the proclamation of the intent. The last criteria is met through the act of the text messages being made known to other parties, apart from the two parties involved. Such is the implication of the change in technology, in this case, the rise in the usage of text messages as a form of communication, in altering the context of religious practices in society. Also, herein lies the paradox of such a technology. If it has, on the one hand, increased the connectivity between individuals in society, thereby increasing the chances of bringing individuals together, it has also, on the other hand, facilitated in the separation of individuals. The ease at which separations can occur through the usage of technology is a stark reminder of the darker side of technology.

Another effect of such a technology, ie, text messaging through mobile phones, on religious practices is the usage of it during the weekly Friday prayers. A hadith (verse) in the Holy Qur’an explicitly states that talking amongst the congregation is strictly disallowed when the imam (religious leader) is on the dais delivering his sermon. The practice of listening to the sermon with full concentration, is by itself, an act of good deed. As such, talking would dilute this act, on part of the individual, and is also a distraction for the other congregants listening to the sermon. Quoting from a personal experience, I have observed, on several occasions, that quite a number of the congregants, particularly the teenage ones, were busy text messaging during the delivery of the sermon. There was one occasion when, after the prayers, I went up to one of the teenagers and asked him whether he knew that talking was disallowed during the delivery of the sermon. His reply was simple: “Well, the hadith only states no talking, texting is not a form of verbal communication right?” Technically, he was right. Verbal communication, as the name implies, requires a person to talk, i.e, to produce sounds with his mouth. In this respect, text messaging does not fall under the category. However, the hadith itself, as with every other verses in the Holy Qur’an, should be read metaphorically, not literally. In metaphorical terms, talking constitutes the intent to communicate with someone else, be it verbally or non-verbally. With the rise of secularisation, which, more often than not, is accompanied by technological advancement, religious texts are interpreted literally, as opposed to metaphorically (the way they should be interpreted). In this respect, technology is being used to circumvent the “constraints” of religious practices (which is an intrinsic part of most societies), thereby greatly altering the original meaning of the practices themselves.

It is apparent that there is a cyclical relation between technology and society. The change in social patterns and demands have led to the development of new technologies, which is turn develops new patterns and demands, and the cycle continues. Ostentatiously, technological advancement is welcomed by many for it illustrates the notion of “progress”. The clandestine effects of such advancements should not be overlooked either, for it presents a myriad of changes that has, and will continue to, alter the social patterns of societies. In this respect, the rise of the silent technology speaks volumes of its capability to greatly alter such patterns in the societies we live in.

 

References:

1) “Singapore Social Statistics in Brief, 2008″, retrieved from www.mcys.gov.sg on 05/10/2008.

2) “SMS hits marriage traditions in India, M’sia”, retrieved from http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,39143660,00.htm on 28/10/2008.

Population & Health: In the nick of time.

In this post, I will discuss on issues of access and availability of health care facilities in rural areas. In particular, based on my own personal experience, I will put forth the case of a rural settlement in Wonosari, Central Java, to illustrate the inherent inequality in the above-mentioned issue.

During my stint in National Service, I held the vocation of a medic. I was lucky to have been selected to participate in Exercise SAFKAR Indo-Pura in 2006, an annual bilateral military exercise between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Tentera Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD), or the Indonesian National Armed Forces, which was held in Wonosari, Central Java. A socio-civic mission team, which comprised an 8-man medical team, was also included to provide basic medical and dental care to the villagers of a village in Wonosari. As soon as we finished setting up our make-shift clinic in an old community centre, patients started pouring in. The ailments ranged from mild cough and flu, to more severe cases such as asthma and pneumonia. One particular case had a lasting impact on me, hitherto. During the second day of the four-day mission, a lady in her 30s, came to our clinic, carrying her two year old son, who was panting profusely. Immediately, the medical team sprung into action. The Medical Officer ordered me to prepare the nebuliser, a device which is used to administer a solution of drug in the form of a fine mist, for the patient to inhale. The toddler was suffering from an asthma attack. After about an hour on the nebuliser, the toddler’s vital signs (his pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure) returned to normal. The gratitude that we received from the lady was really heart-warming. In her tears, she profusely thanked us for saving her son’s life. In a brief conversation that I had with her, her response really shocked me. “If it wasn’t for you guys (the medical team), my son would have died, just like his sister did a year ago.” she said. As it was, the village lacked in medical facilities. The only facility available was that of an old village clinic, which clearly lacked the equipments to treat life-threatening cases such as asthma. Also, the nearest hospital was several kilometres away, in the city area. As we transferred the toddler to the dispensary section (I was in the treatment section), one thought lingered in my mind. Asthma is a chronic disease. Without proper long-term medication, the condition will only worsen. As luck would have it, we were in the right place, at the right time. But what would happen to the toddler should he suffer another asthma attack? Would he end up the way his sister did, owing to the lack of emergency medical facilities? In contrast to our lives, where one could easily dial 995, and an ambulance would transfer a casualty to the nearest hospital, where he/she would be taken care of by certified physicians, the situation in the village was not as convenient. The chances of survival is greatly decreased, owing to the distance of the village to the nearest hospital. Neither do they have the luxury of aerial medical transportation services, which would greatly reduce the travelling time of a casualty to the nearest hospital, thereby increasing his/her chances of survivability. In a rural life of poverty, an old and ill-equipped village clinic was their best chance of survivability, no matter how bleak it may sound. Even with such a facility, most of them could not afford the cost, as I was told by the patients that I helped to treat during the four-day clinic sessions. Such was the inequality in the provision of and access to healthcare facilities that I observed during my stay in the village.

Also, the village lacked in proper sewage and sanitation facilities. Drains were clogged, with a pungent mixture urine and faeces. Such stagnant waters provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, which carry with them tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue. As we went around treating the patients, immuned against malaria due to the mandatory mefloquine (an anti-malarial drug) pills that we took, in addition to the thick layers of mosquito repellant we applied on our bodies and uniforms, these villagers were clearly susceptible to this disease. The danger is part of their everyday lives. Also, the sewage is a ripe environment for the Vibrio cholerae bacterium, a bacteria that causes cholera, to thrive in. Should it seep into the soil and contaminate the wells, which was the main source of water supply for the villagers, a cholera epidemic is inevitable. The inequality in the provision of proper sanitation and sewage facilities also adds to the susceptibility of these villagers to disease outbreaks. As the children played dangerously close to the drains, with some even in the drains, it shows the level of ignorance of the villagers towards the dangers that lie in wait. By and large, this ignorance is due to the lack of public health education. The provision of these facilities and education should be undertaken by the government, but sadly, the resources weren’t made available to them.

In the words of Sernau(2006:287), “Health care must be made available and affordable to all.” As the resources are diverted away to the urban areas, the only people who bear the brunt of this diversion are the villagers themselves. In a world filled with inequalities, perhaps it is true that “only the poor die young.”(Sernau, 2006:253).

 

References:

1) Sernau, Scott (2006) Global Problems: The search for Equity, Peace and Sustainability, Pearson.

2) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cholera, retrieved on 18/10/2008.

Urbanisation: Re-development of Geylang Serai: Culture for Sale?

In this post, I will discuss on issues of urbanisation. I will use the re-development of Geylang Serai as an issue in the application of the concept of urbanisation. In the course of discussion, I will also attempt to delve into this issue from two perspectives, i.e. the top-down and bottom-up perspectives.

In tandem with the State’s policy of multi-culturalism, Geylang Serai was preserved as part of the Malay cultural heritage. (Cornelius-Takahama, 1999). In the light of this policy, “a one hectare site called the Malay Village (bordering Sims Avenue, Geylang Serai and Geylang Road) was set aside to showcase a replica of a Malay kampong and to promote traditional Malay handicraft and cultural activities.” (ibid). Thorough the years, Geylang Serai, more notably the Geylang Serai Market and its immediate surroundings, has been identified by both Malays and non-Malays alike,to be an area that depicts an enclave of Malay culture and heritage.

In 2003, the State has identified the Geylang Serai Market and Blocks 1 to 5 of Jalan Pasar Baru (a street immediately beside the market) as one of the sites to undergo the Selective En-Bloc Re-development Programme (SERS). The market and the block of flats were to be demolished to make way for the re-building of a new two-storey market and new blocks of flats to replace the old ones by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) respectively. However, this programme was met with some resistance, particularly from the residents. They saw the programme as a threat to diminish their way of life and were concerned on the dispersal of the community. From a bottom-up approach, Park(1914), quoted in Sernau(2006:241), captures the gist of this. In his theory, the stage of “resistance” is when “the established group attempts to defend its territory and institutions.” Having been to Geylang Serai myself, I find that this area has a truly “kampong” feel, captured in the every day life of the residents. The “community spirit” is evident amongst the residents. In this respect, a solidarity has been forged amongst the residents. As mentioned in the lecture, there is a two-way relationship between space and society. Space determines the interaction between the individuals, and vice versa. On the one hand, the physical space of this area allows for the formation of solidarity amongst the residents, while on the other, social interaction amongst the residents gave rise to the distinct feature of this urban space; an urban enclave which depicts the culture and heritage of the Malays. Moreover, the Geylang Serai Market has become an icon amongst the Malay community in Singapore. Come the festive seasons, this market has become a “mandatory place” to visit to purchase necessary items, such as food stuffs and traditional Malay wear, just to name a few. The small-scale retailers that offer personalised services; from flowers to herbs, to traditional garments and Islamic books, and the business ethics of these retailers reflects an aura that is distinctly Malay. In fact, it has become more iconic than the Malay Village in reflecting the culture and heritage of the Malay community.

From a top-down approach, in can be inferred that the re-development programme is seen as a neccesity, to rejuvenate the dilapitated urban space, in favour of a new one. As it was, the Geylang Serai Market has been in a run-down state, with zinc roofs that increases the risk of fire, and the dirty drains that are infested with rodents and germ-spreading insects such as cockroaches. Thus, the new Geylang Serai Market will incorporate a Civic Centre, and boasts new and cleaner urban space for people to dine and shop, while at the same time, retaining the distinct culture and heritage of the Malays, through the architecture of the buildings. The ”valid argument” put forth for the re-development is that the rejuvenation serves to benefit the Malay culture and heritage. This is in tandem with the policy of multi-culturalism and the “return to roots” approach of the State in order to promote multi-ethnic living. (George, 2000) However, Geylang Serai, as an ethnic enclave(or a preserved site for the cultural heritage of the Malays, as the State puts it), is being marketed to boost the tourism industry. As such, it makes perfect sense for this urban space to be re-developed in order for it to remain attractive to the tourists. Such economic rationalisation leads to (at least from my point of view) a very disturbing notion; a culture for sale.

This is the inherent problem of the re-development programme. Will it really preserve the culture and heritage of the Malay community? Real culture and heritage entails more than just aesthetics, more than just the ostensible architecture. It is the way of life that makes it distinct. In this case, it is the way of life of the residents that portrays the culture and heritage of the Malay community. In the words of Marshall(2001), quoted in Sernau(2006: 251), “Critics contend that new urbanists are too concerned with appearances..” The questions remain: Will this re-development will see to the retention of the former way of life of the residents of Geylang Serai? Will such a solidarity, that has contributed to the culture and heritage of the Malay community, be prevalent in the re-developed urban space? And will the re-developed market include the small-scale retailers that once lined the alleys of the market?  Or will this re-development just see to a greater commercialisation of the Malay culture and heritage, thus eroding its credibility and authenticity?

 

References:

1) Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon (1999). “Geylang Serai”. Architecture and Landscape:Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved from http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_747_2004-12-09.html on 09/10/08.

2) George, Cherian (2000).“Neglected Nationhood:Singapore Without Singaporeans?” in Singapore, the Air-conditioned Nation, Landmark Books.

3)  Sernau, Scott. R (2006). Global Problems: The search for Equity, Peace and Sustainability. Pearson.

4) “Geylang Serai Market to close, rebuilt by late 2008″, retrieved from http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=2699 on 09/10/08.

5) “New Site Identified for Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme and Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme at Geylang Serai”, retrieved from http://www.hdb.gov.sg/__4825703800337EDD.nsf/0/0B72BDA57A0AB2D04825707300204494?Open on 09/10/08.

Politics of Identity & Globalisation: On being a Singaporean Malay.

In this post, I will discuss on issues of ethnicity as an identity. In particular, with the aid of several articles and anecdotal experiences, I will discuss the stereotypical traits that has been associated with Singaporean Malays.

Multi-racialism has been one of the State’s core policies since independence in 1965. In the light of this policy, all races (hereinafter referred to as ethnicity) are equal before the eyes of the State, and in no way shall any of the ethnic groups receive any forms of preferential treatment. Reflected in the National Pledge; “regardless of race, language or religion”, this policy aims to create a cultural melting pot of diverse cultures, and more importantly, the presence of people from different ethnic backgrounds living harmoniously, under the banner of a collective identity called Singaporean. However, George(2000) describes the State’s return to roots approach emphasis on the country’s component Asian cultures as being part of a trend towards greater ethnic polarisation. This rings true as Castells(2004) states that one of the building materials of identity construction is the power apparatus, i.e. the State. The juxtaposition would be that of, in the attempt to create a diverse nation of different ethnic cultures under a collective banner of identity, the inadvertent result would be the identification of oneself along the lines of ethnicity, thereby re-enforcing solidarity within that ethnic group, and at the same time creating a boundary between “us” and the “others”.(Castells, 2004).

As a Singaporean Malay, I have heard of several pejorative terms, one of the them being the labelling of Malays being lazy and too laid back, thereby contributing to the economic backwardness of the community. Whilst it is true that the Malay community has seen major progress from the 80s, hitherto, the final results still leave much to be desired. In a survey conducted in 2006, by the Ministry Of Community Development, Youth and Sports(MCYS), the number of Malay secondary school dropouts, as of 2005, was 7.3 students per 1000 students. Although this is a drastic drop from 1980, which was 24 dropouts per 1000 students, the figure still exceeded the national average, which was 4.2 dropouts per 1000 students.(http://www.mcys.gov.sg/MCDSFiles/download/ProgressofMalayCommunity.pdf). From personal experience, I have seen how this stereotype has affected even the Malays. More often than not, my deep and profound interest in certain areas, such as studies, has been met with sniggering remarks from my friends, who are ironically Malays themselves. To quote one of them, “You are truly a Malay only if you are laid back, and take things easily.”  This is just one example of how certain traits are closely, and if I say so myself, loosely, being attached to a particular ethnicity, in this case, the Malays in Singapore as being lazy and too laid back. I find pride in the success of Malay students, such as Natasha Nabila, the top Malay student in the 2007 PSLE. However, scores of social problems that hit the front page of newspapers has made me think how certain problems are “uniquely Malay” in Singapore. One of them being the number of teenage births. In the same survey, the number of teenage births amongst the Malay female population was 10.6 births per 1000 female Malay residents, a figure which far exceeded the national average, which was 3.5 births per 1000 female residents.(ibid) To quote from another personal experience, there was one instance when I was sitting down at a food-court, enjoying my lunch. Seated at the table next to me was a Chinese lady and her son. A young Malay lady, presumably in her early twenties, was holding on to the hand of a young girl, who called the lady “mama”, and was queuing near the table where I was seated. The young boy suddenly said to his mother, “Ma, how come that jie-jie got daughter one?” The response of his mother made me gasp in disbelief. She said,” Haiya, ah boy, Malays like that one. Young-young already have children. Don’t know whether married or not. ” One can only imagine my agony upon hearing her remarks. In no way did I take that remark as being a racist one, for it does reflect, to a certain extent, the reality of the Malay community in Singapore. However, her statement bears testimony to the dangers of identifying oneself to a particular ethnicity, which often leads to the stereotyping of certain traits to certain ethnicity.

Singapore has seen tremendous social order ever since her independence in 1965. Upheavals and conflicts based upon ethnicity is a rarity, and I can safely say, is absent. This is owing to the various legislation and laws put forth by the State to prevent such conflicts from occuring. However, what is of great concern would be that of ethnic polarisation,thereby the attachment of certain stereotypes to particular ethnicity. This is an inadvertent result of the multi-racial policy, whose main aim is to create a diverse nation of different and colourful ethnicities, living under one collective identity. In the light of the diverse ethnicities, and more so in the face of globalisation, it is all too easy to fall into the mindset of identifying oneself in accordance to his/her ethnicity as the main form of identification.To quote George(2000), (e)thnicity is, to most, a precious source, providing them with identity, culture and self-respect.

 

References:

1) Castells, Manuel, 2004, The Power of Identity, 2nd Ed, Blackwell.

2) George, Cherian, 2000, “Neglected Nationhood:Singapore Without Singaporeans?” in Singapore, the Air-conditioned Nation, Landmark Books.

3) “Progress of Malay Community”, data retrieved from http://www.mcys.gov.sg/MCDSFiles/download/ProgressofMalayCommunity.pdf, on 05/10/2008.