Reflective Journal 4: Reflect on the societal problems faced by China and America. (Hint: you must definitely explain your responses to these societal problems. How can they be resolved? Who should be responsible for resolving these issues?)
China and America are of ever-increasing importance in the current world as political, economic and military superpowers. But what are some of the inherent societal problems that they are facing?
One of the most significant societal problems that China is facing is the disillusionment with the Government. Much of this resentment towards the Government stems from the unfair seizures of arable land for redevelopment, in spite of promises to curb the problem. In a recent incident, villagers of Panhe village, Zhejiang Province, united in a protest against the authorities seizing their land. This was in spite of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s call to protect the rights of Chinese farmers to retain their land, just one month prior to the incident. This clearly shows the self-contradiction and inherent hypocrisy within the China Communist Party (CCP), and is one of the main issues regarding the people’s disillusionment with the Government. Indeed, I feel it is because of this incompatibility between the words and actions of the Government that many farmers and villagers living in rural areas have become disillusioned with the Chinese Government and have stopped trusting in them, sparking off riots against the local governments. The empty promises made by the Government with no visible action or change have led to a cynicism and disillusionment with the Government amongst the Chinese citizens. As such, I can conclude that disillusionment with the Government due to numerous contradictions between their promises and actions is indeed a large societal problem that China faces today.
In my opinion, the main problem with the CCP is that it has too little transparency. Nobody gets a chance to see into the inner mechanisms of the party itself, and the reasons behind government decisions are not always made clear. I am sure that if Wen Jiabao were to provide a logical reason as to why there has been no action so far by the CCP in halting such incidents of misbehaving officials, the people would be more satisfied with the CCP. Of course, this is rather far removed from the typical Chinese reponse to public unrest. The CCP is too accustomed to having the public be subservient and indifferent about the actions of the party. What I think it needs to realise is that times are changing, and the people’s collective mindset is changing as well. If it does not do anything to solve its problems, it will find itself with more trouble on its hands than it anticipated.
In comparison, one of the most significant societal problems that America is facing is the falling academic achievements. This is in part due to the attrition rate of teachers, which is indeed a cause for concern. 46% of teachers quit their jobs after 5 years or less, with that number increasing to 50% in urban areas, and 90% of all teachers hired in America are hired as replacements for teachers who have left the profession. This is a major problem for America because the sheer amount of money required to search for and hire new teachers, year after year after year, is taking a huge toll on education budgets. According to Kopkowski (2008), teacher attrition has grown by 50% over the past two decades, and results in costs of up to US$7 billion per year as districts and states try to recruit, hire and retain teachers. I feel that this is a huge waste of money, as the money saved could otherwise have been dedicated to other, more worthwhile causes, such as upgrading school computers and facilities or purchasing more textbooks. Instead, it is regrettably wasted simply on hiring teachers. Also, Jalongo and Heider (2006) say that because of many qualified teachers leaving the profession, students are experiencing substandard education in many districts in the country. This is an even greater problem, as education is the key to ensure a high degree of social mobility in the country. Having substandard education will hinder social mobility and the overall economic robustness of the country.
In my opinion, the root of this problem lies with the education system itself. The numerous discipline problems with the typical rebellious American adolescent, the large workload, inadequate resources and the lack of a teacher-support system can be very discouraging for newly hired teachers. In particular, if there were a system similar to student orientation whereby teachers could be eased into the teaching profession, I am sure they would be more capable of dealing with the numerous difficulties that arise throughout the various aspects of teaching. Just as students should be eased into the school when they are immature, teachers should be eased into the education system and given the chance to accustom themselves to the teaching profession. Ultimately, it is my strong belief that this will cost less than the US$7 billion otherwise wasted.
(word count: 800 words)
