Having hailed from an urban slum along Havelock Rd, and illiterate parents, the moment when I received my PhD was without a doubt a happy one. Jalan Kukoh, where I subsequently spent my teenaged years after my childhood period living in slum housing, is still to this day a favourite site for researchers studying poverty.

 

As a sociologist, I have had terrific opportunities to explore theoretical perspectives and empirical findings relating to social issues. Having developed a generalist orientation beyond my main area of interest in class and stratification, my position as an academic and public sociologist (of sorts) further enables me to share my passion across a broad range of topics relating to society, culture, politics, and the economy with students as well as other audiences.

 

While my work has been be enjoyable and rewarding, I did face challenges in balancing it with family life and community involvement.  In the first two and a half decades of my career, I was trying to be a devoted father of two young children, the caring husband of a spouse who suffered from bipolar disorder, and the son of a mother with ageing-related health problems; it was difficult to handle these roles satisfactorily.  Hence, I often wonder how other academics are able to do well in their career, and still handle the things I found difficult.  Wish I knew the secret of their success.  Anyway, these are in the past, and I thank God for helping me get through those dark times.  I am glad that my spouse is fine now, and my sons are doing reasonably well as young adults, notwithstanding the difficult childhood they experienced.

 

In my spare time, I enjoy running long (if 10-km is considered long) -distance.  I do this regularly, but only as a weekend warrior, at MacRitchie.  The 10-km cross-country track is pretty challenging with its many slopes and wildlife.  I have done several half-marathons in the past too, just for fun.

 

-Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, CFPR Steering Committee Member, NUS

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