Through a comprehensive review of existing literature relating to vanishing trades (both reading materials and online resources), this literature review will provide an understanding of vanishing trades as a whole, and vanishing trades in our local context . Firstly, the issue of establishing the definition of ‘Vanishing Trades’; by our team’s definition, it basically refers to the slow disappearance of skilled professions that were once valued, but have lost their significance and places in today’s society (due to various reasons).
Although there is not a substantial amount of academic literature made available in dealing with the ‘crisis’ of vanishing trades, academic texts were found (mainly online) which discuss possible reasons for and causes of the decline in these trades, which will provide a useful background to the issues explored. These resources would be beneficial to our project on Vanishing Trades as it would equip us with not only more background information regarding the issues, but would also aid us in the composition of our story angles and articles.
The first section of this literature review will identify and assess historical examples of trades that have already vanished in varies societies, and the possible causes and effects of changing times. The second section will provide a more in-depth scope, highlighting the trades that have already vanished in Singapore, and the current trades that are on the verge of vanishing completely, becoming trades of yester-years. Literature relating to these will be critically analyzed and used to project various possible vanishing trades that our team could write on.
This would depend on the viability/ suitability, as News Values such as ‘Currency’ (since we are writing for a publication, The Straits Times, and we have to provide an updated account for vanishing trades of Singapore in retrospect), ‘Possible Future Impact’ (as we are trying to inform and educate our readers on these