influence of parent on daughter in RGS

on the use of chopsticks

group members

group leader:DELIA KAN

members:GRACE LIM

SIMONE QUEKBERNICE YAU

class: 212

teacher-mentor: MS WONG TIEW KIAT

as members of the Chinese race in Singapore, we wish to

introduction

• learn more about chopsticks history and its contribution to the preservation of the Chinese culture.types of chopsticks & Chopstick Manners CULTURE

• reasons for ignorance of method of holding Chinese chopsticks“Chopstick Manners” in the Chinese culture

• “do”s and “don’t”s

• investigate: traditional use of the chopsticks preservation of the Chinese culture.

issue/problem

why has there been a decreasing number of the younger generation (teenagers and children) who use

chopsticks on a near daily basis (and more often than forks) as compared to

in the past?

aims & objectives• RESEARCH (FIND OUT) chopsticks in different cultures role chopsticks play in present day

preservation reasons for declining number of children

using chopsticks

• RAISE AWARENESS on the importance of culture preservation

•MOTIVATE younger generation to start learning how to use chopsticks

Brief History of Chopsticks

• originated in ancient China as early as the Shang dynasty

• widely used throughout East Asia

• earliest evidence of a pair of chopsticks made out of bronze was excavated from Yin Ruins's Tomb 1005 at Houjiazhuang, Anyang, Henan

Why Invent Chopsticks?

• problems arising most appropriate way of cooking grain crops ->boiling unsuitable to eat boiled food with one's fingers tree branches, bamboo sticks and animal bones -> used as tools to eat

• the origin of Chinese chopsticks is directly related to

the emergence and development of primitive agriculture

the invention and development of pottery ware

Chopstick NO-NOs•notnot used to make noise (eg. banging on the bowl), to draw attention, or to gesticulate

•notnot used to move bowls or plates

•notnot used to toy with one's food or with dishes in common

•notnot used to pierce food, save in rare instances

•notnot be left standing vertically in a bowl of rice or other food

Chopsticks of different cultures

•Chinese

•Japanese

•Korean

•Vietnamese

•Thai

Chinese Chopsticks

Japanese chopsticks

Korean chopsticks

Vietnamese chopsticks

Thai Chopsticks

Significance to Chinese Culture

•preserving the Chinese food culture.

•the main tableware used for the past 3000 years

•By using just forks and spoons, we are forgetting and neglecting our Chinese culture and hence, we are not doing our duty in helping to preserve our own culture.

Survey and InterviewSurveys

Target Audience

-RGS girls and their parents Number of people surveyed:

RGS girls: 400(planned) 215 (actual)

Parents: 100 (planned)

Objectives:

-Compare the results among the two parties

- Find out the number of people who use chopsticks

-Find out the frequency of the use of chopsticks

- Find out why chopsticks are less popular among younger generation currently

InterviewsTarget Audience - RGS girls and their parents

Number of people interviewed: RGS girls: 10 Parents: 10 Objectives - Find out why interviewee does/does not use chopsticks more than forks- Find out whether people know the correct way of holding chopsticks and actually make the effort to do it- Get a more detailed idea of what lies behind some of the people who did the surveys

Usage of Chopsticks

97%

3%

YES

NO

Results

Data obtained – Almost the entire student population do use chopsticks.

(Students)

RGS Pupils' Frequency Of Usage Of Chopsticks

51%

7%

31%

1%

4% 6%

EVERYDAY

ONCE A WEEK

FEW TIMES A WEEK

ONCE A MONTH

FEW TIMES A MONTH

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Data obtained – Chopsticks are frequently used by most. Around half of the students population use chopsticks everyday.

Results

Pupils' Knowledge of Traditional Way of Holding Chopsticks

74%

26%

RGS Pupils Who Know TheTraditional Way Of UsingChopsticks

RGS Pupils Who Do Not KnowThe Traditional Way Of UsingChopsticks

Results

Data obtained – Majority of the student population do not hold chopsticks in the traditionally-appropriate manner.

Conclusion•influence is relative; both parent and child must play their part to, in helping to preserve the ancient tradition of holding chopsticks.

•Parents only influence up to a certain extent

•ultimately the child’s choice and decision to make on whether or not to do so when she has reached a certain age of independence.

ReflectionsProblems encountered• Hard to get others to

cooperate with surveys• Lack of time• Miscommunication

Ways to Improve• Keep better counts of surveys given out• Better time management• Do not procrastinate• Communicate with more clarity

Product

Pamphlet

• Target Audience – teenagers and their parents

• Aims – to educate and inform more about the origin of chopsticks and its significance to the Chinese culture

Acknowledgments

Our deepest gratitude goes out to:

• Our teacher-mentor, Ms Wong Tiew Kiat

• Our parents and siblings who supported us

• Fellow Rafflesians and their parents for aiding us in completing surveys/interviews

• Everyone who helped out in one way or another

Bibliography• http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/Kaleidoscope122bye503.html

•http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/Kaleidoscope122bye497.html

•http://www.ichizen.com/chopsticks/images/1999_03_04.gif

•http://www.flamingtext.com

•http://www.zengifts.com/images/chopsticks_bulk.jpg

•http://chinesefod.about.com/od/restaurantdining/a/chopsticks.html

• www.wikihow.com/Eat-with-chopsticks

• http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa_chopsticks02a.htm

• http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2039.html

• http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chopsticks1.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks#Universal_etiquette

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks#Styles_of_chopstick_used_in_different_cultures

Books

• Lan Xiang & Lan Peijin (2005) Chinese Chopsticks Foreign Language Press

• Asian Pac Books (n.d.) 中华文化之旅 亚太图书编撰簿

Thank

you!