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REACH Administrator
Administrator
Posts : 54
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At the National Day Rally 2008, PM Lee spoke on the importance on cultivating civic consciousness among Singaporeans. PM Lee suggested that Singaporeans make use of upcoming events such as the F1 race in September, APEC meeting in 2009 and the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 to mobilize and create a permanent improvement in Singaporeans’ social etiquette and behaviour. PM Lee also noted that Beijing had implemented etiquette courses for its people, as part of its preparations for the Olympics and this had helped to improve the social behaviour of its people. He suggested that Singapore take a leaf from Beijing to boost the social graces of Singaporeans, in the lead up to the Youth Olympics in 2010.
What do you think of PM’s suggestion on capitalising the upcoming international events to boost civic consciousness and social graces among Singaporeans?
What can we do to create a permanent improvement in Singapore's social etiquette and behaviour?
Please note that this thread will be closed on 19 Sep 08,
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Anonymous
Posts : 1912
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Humans are creatures of habit. We enjoy the same cup of coffee every morning during breakfast while reading the papers and take comfort in the familiar environment of our bedrooms when we sleep at night.
It takes a lot to make people break their habits, to push them out of their comfort zone. Any change that is introduced will of course be faced with resistance initially. The key is to integrate the change in a gradual way, and make it a societal norm.
In any model of behaviour change in a population, there will always be a small handful of early adopters, followed by the majority crowd, and then the rest of the remaining minority. In a largely conformist Asian society like Singapore, once the majority has adopted the change, the habit is self-sustaining and perpetuates itself through social pressure. The most crucial element lies in initiating the change against the inertia of the masses.
Perhaps we can start with less complex changes such as keeping to the left of escalators and clearing the tables after meals in foodcourts. When people make a change in their lives, there must be a 'push' or 'pull' factor underlying it. Imposing fines is not the way out for the above-mentioned changes, neither is providing incentives. Social pressure can be the solution.
We can intensify 'Keep to your Left' and 'Clear your Plates' campaigns for a few months, let the idea sink into the public and give time for the habit to be cultivated. Once the societal norm has set in, the people can be gradually weaned off the campaign and social pressure will sustain the momentum.
During the initial phases of the campaign, advertisements on the media may help. Most importantly, there should be people stationed at the MRT stations and food courts to constantly remind the public to keep to the left or clear their plates. Frequent announcements and large signboards at strategic locations, together with the presence of 'courtesy' officials, will make the campaigns more authenic.
People will not and need not respond to a sign posted on a wall, but if someone 'officially assigned' comes up to them and reminds them, they will have to respond with some form of action. The 'courtesy' envoys should approach the public in a friendly, non-threatening manner to make the campaign more fun and light-hearted, yet bring across the message at the same time. Perrhaps youth volunteers can be enlisted in this aspect to infect the public with their passion and sincerity. Coercing the public to conform by stating laws and listing restrictions will not help and will in fact be a step back.
The initial babysitting may be awkward, time-consuming and resource-draining, but the reward is for Singapore to reap. Once the habit has set in, we can decrease the frequency of 'patrol' of these 'courtesy envoys' and let nature take it's course after the wheel has been set in motion.
There is no one solution to all problems. The above model for courtesy campaigning is not suitable for promoting anti-littering, good customer service or small acts of kindness in our daily lives. This is a 'heartware' problem. These are actions that have to come from the heart. We should have people smiling or not littering because they want to, and not because they have to. To do this, the people must have a mindset change. It's a different ball game altogether.
The upcoming international events will definitely serve as a booster to current efforts in cultivating civic consciousness in Singaporeans. Let us use these upcoming events as opportunities to upgrade ourselves and showcase to the world what it means to be Singaporean. Singapore, you can do it!
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Anonymous
Posts : 1912
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When I read a very insightful letter like yours, I get confused.
If Singapore has people like this.........what's the problem?
I found your discourse about Habits most interesting and informative :)
Did you read the article in My Paper yesterday about the civic-minded approach of Taiwanese citizens?
It would help if some of the leadership practised graciuosness as well.
Walking back to where I was staying a couple of years ago, I slipped and fell into a drain.
As the person I was walking was helping me out, made the comment to a passing gentleman who was walking by and saw the accident- the gentleman was this guy's former boss. Senior Management in a government agency.
SM of a Govt. Agency guy was only interested in the fact that his former staff member remembered his name.
Think he bothered that I'd fallen into a drain in front of him???? NO
Courtesy Envoys need to be older people I believe, as they should have younger people's automatic respect. I don't know if a young, enthusiatic volunteer has the life expereince to be telling older people that their manners are not up to scratch.
People have to audit themselves to a certain degree as well.
Come on Singapore. Believe you can do it!
Our number one resource is our people and graciousness between people is a key heartware component.
It is even profitable to be courteous and gracious!
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CATWALK
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It is very difficult to change something that is not taught from young. In the first place, parents are sometimes setting bad examples to their children. Seems like children don't have many good examples to look up to.
I guess that to make it work, the government might have to hold mass campaigns with "social etiquette policemen" to remind people. Will it work? Your guess is as good as mine.
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Anonymous
Posts : 1912
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If it's not TAUGHT, can we LEARN it? Why do we have to wait for an international occasion/function before we start to LEARN to be gracious?
If it starts to rain today and I forget about my umbrella today, I'm very sure I will learn to check out the weather forecast and carry an umbrella. Do we need to teach this?
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Anonymous
Posts : 1912
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It won't work. Singapore always has a predictable way of resolving issues - incentivise to shape a behaviour, have a campaign (To be kind, to smile) or have a pilot programme to test out an idea. The only way to learn social etiquette and live graciously is to live in a place like Hawaii. In Hawaii, the aloha spirit lights the way. People hug one another when they meet, greet one another politely, smile a lot, and most of all, care for one another, not only in times of crisis and trouble, but also in good and prosperous times. They hold doors for each other, make room for each other, give way to each other. On public buses in Honolulu, even a homeless, penniless man will give up a seat for a woman, child or an elderly person. Nobody honks in traffic. When one signals to switch lanes, the driver in the next lane will politely direct you into the merge. The driver receiving the favour immediately holds up his hand in appreciation... and smiles.
Every Singaporean should learn from the people of Hawaii how to live life graciously and to love.
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Anonymous
Posts : 1912
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just think, how "clean and green" are we if not for the people who clear the mess we leave behind? contrast this with japan. (:
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JOHN KHOR
Posts : 1
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FORMULA : SFT + SFH + SFS + SFP = DFOH
Start From Teach + Start From Home + Start From School +
Start From Pubic = Do From Own Heart.
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Toktok
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Clearing of tables after dinner is not a difficult thing to do but when u are the only one doing it, it will seems very odd. There should be a campaign emphasing on it n it should be on going till our bad habit change. It may take years for us to change but everything must have a beginning.
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Anonymous
Posts : 1912
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Not if you're doing it for the right reasons - because it is your mess and it's the right thing to do. It'll only seem "very odd" if you're doing it just because you think you must.
That's also the very basis of a gracious person. The ability to see what is right and do it because it's right, not because he/she is told to, not cause he/she is afraid of repercussions if they don't.
Here you get people who die die won't give way on the roads, die die must cruise in the overtaking lane, die die won't signal, etc etc etc... So many times I've seen ambulances with sirens blaring and f**k-heads on the road still don't know how to give way.
I even saw at a traffic junction once a**holes running across the road making turning ambulance wait for them with it's lights flashing and alarm on. Just because they had a green signal to cross. They did not even have the bloody basic decency to let a dying man/woman in the ambulance go first.
Tok Chong Lim said : Clearing of tables after dinner is not a difficult thing to do but when u are the only one doing it, it will seems very odd.
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