Lesson 5

• News
• Your essays
• Summary: Gandhi
• Summary: Childhood
• Vocabulary test
• Comprehension: Barbarians at the gates & open the door
to globalisation
• AQ again
• Comprehension: The Creative Class

Agenda
Gandhi
• Gandhi lived an apparently simple life; nonetheless, it was a very
deliberately adopted pose. He fought a war without weapons and
despite his non-aggressive methods, was a very powerful opponent.
The British both laughed at and admired him, both sought his advice
and patronised him. They saw him as both a holy man and a renegade.
Gandhi also fasted, ostensibly to the death if need be, yet always
seemed to stop short of doing himself much damage. He was popular
with both rich and poor, and for quite contrasting reasons. He
succeeded in ejecting the British from India, but failed in uniting the
newly formed nation. Despite the years of fighting for freedom, he was
absent when freedom was declared. The final irony was that although
he advocated non-violence, Gandhi died a violent death. (134 words)

Answer
What other controversial famous
figures do you know of?
The ritualisation of
childhood
 Lift   Suggested paraphrase
 
How the adults exert their influence over children
At the level of appearances the moments 1 promoting compliance subtly through
of celebration, from birthdays to prize- superficial celebrations/celebratory
givings to religious ceremonies, are child- activities (1).
centred. Yet they function also as adult-
defined practices of conformity.
Beginning with initiation into the 2 Through the course of inception to
familial, community, religious, cultural various social systems, children are made
and institutional practices, they become to always behave in a culturally and
profound processes through which socially accepted way (1).
children are socialised.
Deviation from the charted path 3 If they fail to observe the above, children
inevitably leads to condemnation, would be denounced and severely
punishment and even expulsion (from disciplined (1)…..
school, from church, from home).
Within this context of discipline and 4 for any act of defiance, forceful or non-
regulation, passive or active resistance violent, is perceived as a confrontation
by children and young people is always of authorised/ sanctioned power/
defined as negative, as a challenge to control conferred onto adults (1).
legitimate authority.
The socialisation of the child and the 5 Adults define in rigid terms how children
definitions of appropriate developments should behave (1).
are not open to negotiation……
Contemporary evidence, derived from a 6 Children are not given a say over their
wide range of children’s experiences, own lives (1).
consistently demonstrates the silence of
their voices, the absence of their
feelings, the neglect of their needs and
the denial of their ideas from political
debates, institutional decision-making
and policy initiatives which shape their
lives.
*Words/phrases in bold are the focus of
   

each of the points.

 Why the control is effective
The regulation and control of children’s 7 Such control/influence exerted by adults
behaviour by adults is effective precisely has been effective due to the authority
because of its invisibility, its taken-for- that adults are assumed to rightfully
granted legitimacy. have (1).

It is not that adults conspire to exclude or 8 Besides, the necessity for children to
marginalise children and young people participate in bureaucratic procedures is
from the processes of consultation, never considered/ thought of/
decision-making or institutional acknowledged (1).
administration but that there is no
conceptualisation or recognition that
such processes might be appropriate.

What this amounts to, however, is a 9 As a result, there is a congruence of

coincidence of adult interests across all adult concerns in the personal and social
institutions in both private and public realms (½), which further legitimises the
spheres. influence exerted by adults (½).

    *Words/phrases in bold are the focus of

each of the points.
• http://
hi.baidu.com/xoox/blog/item/40ab93583d661fdf9d82043
2.html
• What is “childhood”?
• What are some of the things that happened during your
childhood?

Discussion
• Main ideas/arguments?

Barbarians at the gates

• Main ideas/arguments?

Open the door to

globalisation
AQ again
• Understand question requirements
• Understand the marking criteria
• Identify and understand the relevant ideas
• Evaluate arguments

4 steps
• Systematic reference to the requirements of the question
• Evaluation is very sensible, well-supported and
developed
• Explanation includes elaboration and references
• High degree of coherence and organisation

Grade A: 7-8
• Merits and dismerits (Ev)
• Illustrate understanding (Ex)
• Make an informed and logical assessment
• To evaluate is to make a judgment

Evaluation
• “looking only at the surface, one might conclude that US cultural
products are creating a homogenized global community of
consumers…”
• “But the cultural aspects of the globalisation story are more
complex…”
• “… it tends to mean different things depending on who is doing the
wearing, singing, drinking or shopping.”
• Rephrased and consolidated: The popularity of American cultural
products give the impression that consumers all over the world have
similar tastes; but the cultural influence of globalisation is more
complicated. Local cultures influence the way these products are
consumed.

Example
• True that on the surface American fast food restaurants give
the impression of a homogeneous global culture, but the
menu in McDonalds in Singapore is not typically American.
The global culture is interpreted and changed in the local
context. Adapted to suit local tastes eg. rendang burger (at
Burger King) nasi lemark, porridge (at McDonalds)
• Reflects Singapore’s multi-cultural society
• Also being on the cross-roads of various cultural influences,
Singapore is ready and willing to embrace diversity and a
cosmopolitan culture.

Explanation and
evaluation
Now let’s try one!
Comprehension: The
creative class