how to decide what is good for society (chp 3 ss)

3.1 challenges in deciding

3.1.1 differing need and interests

generally 2 types of need:

  • things ppl depend on for survival
  • things ppl depend on for well-being

ppl often share similar basic needs for survival but have diff needs for their well-being

ppl have interests in addition to their needs

basic needs: ppl often agree on basic needs for survival, like water, food. shelter

needs for well-being: vary among individuals e.g. someone sees a job as a need but someone who has more wealth doesn't see a job as a need

interests: refers to things that are directly or indirectly related to the fulfilment of needs e.g. someone who sees having a job is a need could have an interest in owning private transport for daily commute

someone's interest can be another person's need e.g. an elderly may exercise as a form of interest but another is instructed by a doc

3.1.2 differing priorities

< challenge becomes greater when there are limited resources

in sg, land is needed for various purposes like education, housing, business, and recreation. given limited land, it is crucial that land use is optimised so the current and future needs of ppl are met

3.1.3 unequal sharing of costs

refers to varying impact that a decision has on diff groups of ppl

while a decision may benefit society in general, it could have a -ve impact on certain grps of ppl

e.g. building expressways would improve traffic flow for commuters but may disturb those living near the expressways by the noise

when a decision leads to an unequal sharing costs, not everyone will agree that the decision is good. on the other hand, residents who are -ve impacted will say it's not good

3.2 managing trade-offs

trade-off involves making a decision between 2 or more things that cannot be obtained at the same time due to limited resources

this means having more than 1 thing would result in having less of another e.g. deciding to build 1 facility over the others would mean losing the benefits the other facilities can give

cross island line project - how to manage the trade-offs involved

in jan 2013, sg gov announced plans to build CRL as sg's 8th mrt line. CRL was proposed to pass through and run under the central catchment nature reserve. when done, it will be the longest fully underground line and will link major hubs like jurong lake district and punggol digital district

it is projected to serve 600000 commuters everyday, increasing to over 1m in longer term

it will have the highest no. of interchange stations, with almost half the stations on the line linked to existing rail stations

while some ppl agree on some benefits the CRL brings to society, there were disagreements on which route it should take

in july 2013, the nature society (sg) (NSS) (a non-gov and non-profit organisation dedicated to the appreciation, conservation, study and enjoyment of sg's natural heritage) officially raised its concerns about the construction of CRL

it presented to sg gov its views on how the CRL would affect habitats within the nature reserve

NSS recommended adjusting the route to skirt around rather than passing under the reserve

the process of deliberation helps members of society understand diff arguments and perspectives on an issue and come to a decision. it also helps you understand and balance trade-offs involved in making decisions for the good of society

3.3 principles shaping governance

defined as the exercise of authority and use of resources to manage problems and affairs of society

principles guide the sg gov in determining what is important and what should not be compromised as it governs for the good of citizens

principles include:

  • having good leadership
  • anticipating change and staying relevant
  • a stake for everyone, opportunities for all
  • practising meritocracy

3.3.1 having good leadership

to ensure country's stability and progress, leaders must be honest and capable

they must be courageous to make right decisions for the country, even if they prove to be difficult

3.3.2 anticipating change and staying relevant

by looking forward and taking sound actions early, the gov can minimise threats and maximise opportunities for the ppl of sg

e.g. sg's efforts in tackling rising sea levels. in 2020, a budget of 5 billion was set aside for the coastal and flood protection fund to help the country meet the significant risks of rising sea levels

3.3.3 a stake for everyone, opportunities for all

entails giving citizens a say in decision-making

when citizens feel that they have a stake in sg's future, they develop a greater sense of belonging and become more willing to be involved in working towards the good of society

thus, opportunities are created to encourage citizens to share their views on policies and decision-making.

e.g. engagement with citizens through the sg together movement. launched in jun 2019, citizens are encouraged to partner the gov and one another to shape and act on their shared future in areas they care about. this can be through partnership opportunities or gov support for citizen-led initiatives.

emerging stronger conversations (ESC) series was part of the larger sg together movement. the sessions ran from jun to sep 2020. they involved 16900 citizens from diff backgrounds, languages and experiences who expressed their hopes for how sg can emerge stronger from covid

3.3.4 practising meritocracy

refers to a system that distributes opportunities and rewards according to merit

edusave award for achievement, good leadership and service (EAGLES)

ppl are rewarded according to the efforts they put in rather than factors like race, religion, fam background etc

when ppl are rewarded based on their abilities and effort, they are encouraged to work harder

for up to 10% of students from each school who have demonstrated leadership qualities, service to community and schools, excellence in non-academic activities and good conduct

edusave good progress award

for students within top 10% of their school level and course in terms of improvement in academic performance and have demonstrated good conduct

edusave scholarship

students within top 10% of school's level and course in terms of academic performance and have demonstrate good conduct

SRQ Qns 7

writing 2 factors from the tb

memorising the tb

if dont rmb, pick details from extract and elaborate with details and e.g

then evaluation (ans the qns)

para 1: PEEL on factor 1

para 2: PEEL on factor 2

evaluate based on:

  • long-term and short-term
  • resources > roles
  • significance in influencing others

OR which is more than the other and why, explain why other is not gd

link is most important

think of outcomes and results

mindset
attitude
feelings
situation

reliability

format

para 1: source A can prove (keyword) inference (normally qns) +Ev +Exp

para 2: support
A can prove (qns) as it is supported by B, which states inference +Ev +Exp

para 2: challenge
A cannot prove qns as it is challenged by B, which states...

only choose one

since B challenges A, A is thus less reliable and cannot prove qns

para 3: provenance analysed

  • purpose: outcome reduces reliability
  • tone/attitude: balanced tone is reliable
  • objectivity: fairness

if no time dont do

comparison

para 1/2: similarity, difference

para 3: similarity or difference in purpose (PAMO both sources)

no time dont do