Article: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1011782/1/.html
I'm sure many of you have seen these advertising campaigns that Yasmin
Ahmad has created for our Ministry of Community Development,
Youth and Sports's (MCYS) public campaign.
Such advertising campaigns are created from an institutional source,
which in this case is the MCYS; They are also non-exclusive and
temporal in nature as well, given their cleverly scheduled prime time
screenings on television and in the movie theatres.
Through a unique point of view, they propagate the importance of family
in our society with the use of mass media.
They also function as a form of cultural transmission,
to educate the public about the joy of family and highlight
its importance in our lives.
Whereas in the news article, it mentioned that the newly re-branded
Social Development Network (SDN) now offers dating service together
with accredited private dating agencies at a very affordable rate,
in order to encourage more singles to join the network.
Acting only as the facilitator, the SDN aims to help singles find their
prospective partners.
The SDN even has a website (http://www.marriagecentral.sg/)
to provide marriage related services to help couples strengthen their
marriage.
Though its repeated news coverage and multiple advertising campaigns,
the MCYS hopes to bring forth the importance of family to the
public. (Agenda setting)
Yes, the message that the MCYS wants to convey is loud and clear.
To put it more bluntly - If you're single, get married and start a family.
If you're already married, stay that way and be thankful for what you have.
However, as this is an obtrusive issue to most of us, its effects on the
public may be limited.
I have definitely heard many people around me singing praises of these
touching and well-scripted advertising campaigns when they
were launched, but sadly, these campaigns did not successfully make
any them want to settle down or find a partner after watching them.
As for the dating services which the SDN offers, 65% of the
Channel News Asia's online poll participants are not interested to join the network.
(Information correct on 17/10/09, 1700hrs)
I guess it takes more than just affordable dating services and propaganda
to get single adults to actively search for their partners in life.
Cash incentives always work better in our society. Think baby bonus.
Well, on a brighter note, I believe many young couples still have plans to
settle down and start their own families some day,
even though such plans may be postponed till they are both
financially stable.
This is certainly true for my family, as many of my cousins have
gotten married within the past year.
And in view of that, I believe that the effort made by the MCYS
has some subconscious impact on us after all.
Regarding the rebranding of SDN, there still remains a social stigma that deters singles from blind-dating or matchmaking even if there's the promising personality profiling or optimistic interests checklist. Whether it be our Asian values or ego at work, Singaporeans usually find such an idea uncomfortable or unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of Yasmin Ahmad's works. 'Funeral' stands as one of the most beautiful artworks this year. The acting prowess and sharp comedic timing of Jo Kukathas, accompanied by the sweeping score is indeed heartwarming. However, it doesn't just takes an ad or campaign to change people's mind. You still have to consider the roots of the problem - stress and fatigue from your work and family, the high competitiveness of society, the exceeding expectations of your partner.
You-G: Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI believe the creation of the Social Development Network, which is a merger of the former Social Development Unit and Social Development Service, is to try to remove our social stigma on such dating services. Personally, I don't think a simple re-branding will do much help to rid our more conservative, and sometimes judgemental, society of such stigma.
I love "Funeral" too ! I think it brilliantly conveys its message about the importance of family, without sounding like yet another propaganda campaign by the government.
Hey hey, Gerald here
ReplyDeleteI actually do like the advertisements that were screened regarding family. But I still have issue, in that, the alternative families are never really addressed. The single mother (be it unwed or divorced) or teenage parents. I think it's hard to start a family, when people frown upon these families. It seems to be ok for a single father, but a single mother? They seem to have it so much harder, balancing career, and expectations of a mother.
Singapore tends to focus on the 'nuclear', ideal family. 2 parents, 3 children. I think sometimes, we over look the other people who could have settled down, but are prevented from doing so. No one would marry a 25y/o single mother with 2 kids of her own. No man would want to adopt or have a child of his own, without getting married first. It is quite ingrained in us, to form the family in such a way.
Maybe it's time to remove some social stigma from other types of families
Hey Chris! to quote from your entry,
ReplyDelete"Whereas in the news article, it mentioned that the newly re-branded
Social Development Network (SDN) now offers dating service together
with accredited private dating agencies at a very affordable rate,
in order to encourage more singles to join the network.
Acting only as the facilitator, the SDN aims to help singles find their
prospective partners.
The SDN even has a website (http://www.marriagecentral.sg/)
to provide marriage related services to help couples strengthen their
marriage."
I believe that by providing cheaper dating services or by providing more of these agencies, it will only boost "family creation" bu a little bit. First of all, we have always been skeptical about these agencies. You may say that this is actually regulated by the government, yes I agree and it may be a reliable one, but however they do not guarantee that the information submitted by the individuals are true. An uncle may lie saying that he is a fit, robust young man only of 26 years old. There is no way to regulate informations. Face to face communication is still the best medium for interpersonal communication
Hi Chris Gerald here. (from school haha)
ReplyDeleteI do believe that mass media is a very good way to spread messages to the masses and that certain agencies possess the skills (or actually the people with the skills) to be able to subtly incorporate a certain message in the commercial without coming across as too strong.
This skill is not an easy one to wield as it requires an extremely sensetive touch and deep knowledge of the topic at hand to actually effectively get the point across while masking it. Therefore, as viewers, we should always take the time to think about the advertisement and not just take it at face value as there maybe a deeper underlying meaning to it.
Anonymous(Gerald): Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very good point that you brought up there. I agree with you that we shouldn't be so 1-dimensional when it comes to promoting the importance of family. There are lots of people who have alternative families or are brought up in those families. However, being the rigid and conservative society that we are, even though we claim to be 'modern', I highly doubt that the government will be promoting the idea of alternative families any time soon.
Maybe that day will come when our birth rates are so low, and having an alternative family is better than not having one at all.
26thhour: Thanks for your comments Addy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the efforts done by the SDN may have limited effects on the general public. People who will be interested to join such dating services are probably those who already have plans to settle down but have yet to find an ideal partner to do so.
However, I don't think that such dating services or advertising campaigns will be able to change the mindset of those who have no intention to settle down yet or at all. There are so many other factors to consider when it comes to starting a family, and the desire for it is just not good enough anymore.
Gerald: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the amazing thing about these advertising campaigns done by Yasmin Ahmad is that it brings across the message in a subtle yet effective way. I believe many people understood what the director wants to convey, but how effective it is in boosting the rate of marriage and birth is another thing all together.
Apart from love, the practical aspect of marriage or having a child is also crucial in a couple's decision. I don't think the emotions of humans have changed much over the years, but the cost and standard of living certainly have.
I guess these adverts act as a form of propaganda. I guess due to the recent uprise in family problems locally, these adverts serve as a form of reminder to the public about the importance of family bonding. Its critical in Singapore to have strong bonds between family members as we are a small country with minimum resources. In order to maintain a stable and properous country, this sources of media is definitely valuable to our people!
ReplyDeleteKester: Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that humans are Singapore's only resources and the growth and development of our nation depends very much of its people. Thus, the importance of family sets in, as they form the foundation of our society as a whole. However, starting a family isn't that simple, and more young working adults place their careers above marriage, therefore, I believe that there are a lot of work which the government and companies can do to promote the importance of family.
Nice... Information from institutional sources might not always be bad. In Singapore's case, they are usually designed to be in sync with the government's goals and policies. In fact, they broadcast good messages here, telling us to treasure our families and our love life.
ReplyDeleteHello. I find these advertisements very touching. especially the funeral one which i saw a year ago or something like that.
ReplyDeleteWell for Singapore to thrive since it has a negative replacement rate it NEEDS its government to send these pro-family messages. Kinda the opposite of China. Haha. And also it's subtle -it's not a forceful message, it encourages you to *want* to start a family your own and hence contribute to the population.
Well, what I think is that the government just wants to reinforce the need for every Singaporean to help increase Singapore's population. However, it is a different thing if Singaporeans do not see the need to do so. I believe many know the importance of setting up a family with children, but if they were to do so while having financial constraints, it will only bring more trouble to the nation. Thus, careful thoughts must be made.
ReplyDeleteThe mass media certainly plays a big role in promoting all sorts of things, like the importance of family and family building as shown above. Couples are now settling down to have a family at later ages. It doesn't help that most Singaporeans are so well-educated, and thus high-achieving these days. Sure, cash incentives may help to a certain extent, but how much would it help exactly? Children are expensive bundles of joy, and careful planning has to be made these days to ensure that a family is able to stay afloat in society.
ReplyDeletePavin: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most of the time, these messages from Ministries or Government Agencies are almost definitely positive. However, they can be quite one dimensional in their message and it is often a propaganda with other agendas behind it. Not that these agendas are bad or harmful, but in today's world, I believe that we need to be more tolerant of many other imperfections in life in order to achieve what we want.
Nina: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that "Funeral" is a fantastic advertisement to promote the importance of family. I agree with you that being subtle is the key to effectively convey the message across to the public. No one likes to be lectured on what they should do with their life.
As for the birth rate, we need a rate of 2.1 in order to sustain our population, but even for married couples, many of them choose only to have 1 child these days. Therefore, even if the dating service the SDN offers manages to get young people to get married, it may still not solve the problem at hand.
Charlene: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteWhat you mentioned is a very important factor people consider when deciding whether or not to get married, or how many children they want to have. It's a practical world we live in, not to mention costly, and financial means definitely plays a vital role in the outcome of couple's decision.
I agree that many people know the importance of having their own family, but with our hectic lifestyle, it's just hard to find that ideal partner sometimes. That's probably where the dating services the SDN offers comes to play.
Audrey: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with you that the financial ability of a couple usually determines the number of babies they plan to have. I don't think anyone wants to have 3 or more babies if you can barely provide for 1 comfortably.
The dating services that the Social Development Network is promoting to the public through more news coverage is definitely a sign which indicates the worry of our government. Not only do they(government) need to manage our country, the need to act as match-makers now just to ensure young people have a chance to meet their prospective partners in life.
I believe that the low birth rate doesnt necessarily bring a decreased potential in the talent pool in the country, as opposed to some of the worries the government has posed when trying to encourage more married couples to start bigger family and more singles to get married. Quality outweighs quantity factor.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, i applaud the creativity and originality of the ad in bringing forth their campaign through a solemn yet humorous, witty method. However, i find the video a little too long winded which could actually bore people much after some time.
personally, i think getting married and then start a family(with children) is part and parcel of life.
ReplyDeleteIn Singapore, where marriage is an important instuition, getting married and having children is a social (and cultural) norm. We all know that the only resource that we have here is our people. We are highly dependent on our people to mould our future into a better one.
I remember having a teacher telling my class, that he didnt have to pay his taxes (dont know which one) because of his baby bonuses. So we asked him, "what happens after u use up ur baby bonus?" His reply to us "have another child lah!"
Hey Trevor here, well I know these advertisements and campaigns seem weird to some of us. Like why in the world would we need the government to tell us to go on dates, fall in love and get married, or to have babies, or even to treasure our family, it’s ridiculous. Shouldn’t all these be common sense, or are we humans too complex to even decide these on our own…and why must we even decide to do them, isn’t it basic human nature? What does this mean?
ReplyDeleteI feel that the government has done the right thing by stepping in. Look at the society around us, especially here in Singapore. Mostly everyone is like a workaholic zombie; we never have the time, energy or effort for our family, friends, ourselves, love and even sex! We are just so passive and pampered that we have forgotten or might even be too lazy to follow our basic human instincts…we definitely need a push at least, though the government seems like a rather bizarre and extreme choice.
Whether or not people want to follow the campaign is their own choice ultimately, but at least in the end, even if the campaigns fail, everyone knows something was done by the government.
I do feel rather sad though that people have to be reminded of the value of family, getting married and having babies, fine, incentives can be given to promote those, but family ties? True friends are hard to find, but a family is always true. The ones that truly care for you and who are always on your side. Even if that’s not the case, we should never forget that they brought us up and provided for us at least…
Cheekiemaniac: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with you in this sense. There is not doubt that quality outweighs quantity, but as in a couple of decades, if the younger generation of Singaporeans doesn't have children to sustain the growth of our nation, very soon Singaporeans will become a minority in our own nation, especially with the high influx of 'foreign talents'.
I guess for me, it's the fact the 'Funeral' was over played on tv and the cinemas that makes it lose a little of its charm. But I love it nonetheless. b
Yenling: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteGetting married and having children may be an essential part in the life of most Singaporeans. However, I feel that saying marriage is part of life is too generalizing. Not everyone needs or wants to get married, and even without doing so, they sure can lead a very meaningful life. I believe it is important to Singapore, not only because our greatest resources are humans, but also because of the norms of our conservative society.
Trevor: thanks for your insightful comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that modern city dwellers like us are usually so busy with work or other things that we often neglect the more important things in life like family and friends. Though a little cliche, but if you don't have family or friends, even if you have a ton of money or success at work, you have no one to celebrate your joy and achievements with.
I guess even if the advertising campaigns did not manage to get people to want to start a family on their own, at least it gave them something to think about. That in itself is an achievement.
i think the ads is a great way to bring across the message to all the people. The low birth rate in singapore is a growing concern, especially for a small country like singapore.The ads remind us about the importance of having a family. It give us something to think about whther we have neglected these areas in our life
ReplyDeletei think funny ads nowadays are getting people's attention. just look at how many funny ads are posted on facebook etc.
ReplyDeleteand i believe this is a good initiative by the organisations and its important for us to also consider the importance of having a family in this era.
siansian: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the advertisement is rather thought-provoking. The initiative by the MCYS is also a good start to help busy working adults meet future partners. But how effective are these campaigns or social networks? I'm not too confident myself.
Benjamin: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your that these efforts by the MCYS is a good initiative. But like what I mentioned earlier, I'm skeptical to the results it will yield. Singaporeans have a higher expectation for both themselves and their future partners nowadays, and having an extremely busy work life coupled with the high cost of living, it certainly isn't helping much.
I personally feel that to use advertisement to boost birth rate is something new. How many other countries does this sort of advertisement. Usually advertisement in other countries are more capitalist driven.
ReplyDeleteCZJ: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there are also similar propaganda advertisements in other countries, but the government promoting dating services and acting as matchmakers in fear that young working adults do not get married is probably pretty unique to our country. I guess that's because humans are our only resources, thus the government feel that it's important for them to monitor and ensure the continued the growth of their 'resources'.
It's a major social issue that the nation faces, declining birth rate. Especially encompassed with an ageing population, it is no wonder that advertisment and promotional videos have to be poignant and bring home the message, that the nation is in need of babies. But true enough, video will not be sufficient to fuel one to settle down. The process of searching for a soul mate, from dating, getting to together before finally getting hitched, undisputedly ,does not deviate from two things-time and money. There are people who are reluctant to settle down, while others settle down late because they either have no time, or spent the time to achieve financial stability. Therefore, raising awareness is one thing, tackling the other more relevant social problems is other. I guess end of the day, such a platform provides the opportunity for singles who have had a change of mind and finally is in hope of settling down, to look for potential partners, the videos and advertisment many a times just becomes a reminder. A reminder that singles still have a chance to find his/her soulmate, and that the nation is also very much in support of such initiative taken.
ReplyDeleteLenon: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis on the issue. You've basically sum up almost everything I want to say. Great job there. But to add on to your point, I believe that the government can help young couples find their partners by organizing more engaging activities for civil servants in order to give them ample opportunity to meet their future spouses.By providing incentives for private firms, they can also encourage these firms to act in similar ways.
However, I believe it's not easy to change the mindset of city dwellers likes us overnight, as career usually means the world to people in their 20s and 30s.
These Commercials are good.... but I prefer the one with the girl crying on the bus; looking at the kids with mother or guardians...and then her sister was in jail .......u know.......touching
ReplyDeleteterry: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes. Most of these advertisements are usually very heart warming or wrenching so as to provoke the thoughts and emotions of the public. But how effective these advertisements are in achieving their goals is another story all together.
These advertisements are heavily pathos in nature, hoping to relate to human's need for love. Despite being around for a long time, such advertisements still have a magic bullet effect on us. It may not change national statistics, but it will at least make people think about it.
ReplyDeleteClouds: thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right that it wouldn't have too much tangible effects on the locals, but it does gives us something to think about. By having multiple screenings during prime time television, it leaves a deep impression in all our minds and affect our thoughts in one way or another.