Lianhe Zaobao Research Articles
These monthly articles are one of CFPR's many initiatives to inform public opinion by disseminating research information to the general public or lending an academic opinion to pressing issues of the day. Starting from August 2016, members of the CFPR Team are invited to write an article for the Chinese newspaper which comes out every first Sunday of the month.
2021
Prof Jean Yeung remarked that early unemployment in one’s career has a “scarring effect” that leads to poor career trajectories. Young people are more likely to be unemployed again later, and their earnings are often lower than others who did not experience COVID-19 related recession. She added that we should pay attention to young people’s mental health, whether they can transition smoothly from school to the labour market, or will need to pursue alternative career paths.
By A/P Thang Leng Leng, Head of the Dept of Japanese Studies and Co-Director of the Next Age Institute at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, NUS College of Humanities and Sciences
2020
5 January 2020 | Popular places for retirement in Asia
Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng from the Dept of Japanese Studies at NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences discussed the popular retirement places in Asia, and whether Singapore’s high cost of living which dissuades the average Westerner from retiring here would also encourage Singaporeans to look to places in Asia for retirement.
26 October 2020 | Unmarried urban youths will account for the largest proportion of people living alone in China in 30 years, increasing to 133 million
Professor Jean Yeung discussed how the rise in one-person household (OPH) is exerting a powerful influence on many aspects of modern lives. She showed that the prevalence and characteristics of those who will live alone in China in the next three decades based on the projections using the ProFamy Extended Cohort-component Method. Results show that OPH will more than double from 2010 to 2050, to hit about 133 million in China by 2050. Approximately one in four Chinese households will have only one resident. The most rapid growth will be among the oldest-olds and the largest solo-living subgroup will be the unmarried urban youth, many of whom are highly educated.
2019
27 January 2019 | Employment for senior citizens can be more flexible
Prof Thang Leng Leng from the Department of Japanese Studies at NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences shared her interaction with an insurance salesperson who was still working full-time despite being close to 80.
6 January 2019 | Poverty and Preschoolers’ Developmental Outcomes
Chen Xuejiao shares about her findings from examining the mechanisms linking poverty and children’s cognitive development among pre-schoolers. She also emphasizes the importance of early childhood investments from parents and governments, to create a nurturing and stimulating environment for children to develop their cognitive abilities during that crucial period.
2018
2 December 2018 | When should We Retire?
This December, A/P Feng Qiushi shares with us some of the policy changes countries are making in the face of an aging society, as well as his findings regarding the social effects of different retirement ages. He also cautions that countries should be careful when introducing new plans, citing the importance of considering the needs of the elderly, especially when increasing the retirement age.
4 November 2018 | Recognizing Diversity in Lifelong Learning
For our November article, we have Professor Thang Leng Leng sharing with us about her study on baby boomer seniors, as well as their views on the 3 types of life-long learning; formal, non-formal and informal. She also suggests that too much focus on formal learning, and a very singular understanding of non-formal learners, may have caused us to overlook certain groups of society, specifically less well-to-do seniors in our push for successful ageing and life-long learning.
7 October 2018 | Understanding Singapore Children’s Early Development
For our Children's Day weekend this October, Prof Jean Yeung shares with us the need to gain better understanding of the multifaceted issues affecting children's early development, especially in the face of low fertility and an aging population. She also shares about the Singapore Longitudinal EArly Development Study (SG LEADS); her current research project focused on young children.
2 September 2018 | Can Moral Stories Really Teach Children to be Honest?
This September, Dr Ding Xiaopan shares with us her research findings regarding the effectiveness of using moral stories to teach children about honesty. She also suggests that education curriculum planners should take note of influencing factors such as the type of moral stories used, as well as the age group in which the stories are being used for.
5 August 2018 | Social Exclusion Increases Risk of Cognitive Impairment
For our August article, Dr Yang Yi shares about the lessons Singapore can learn from the elderly situation in China, where her study has shown that socially excluded elderly people are more likely to suffer cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia.
24 June 2018 | Involved Fathers are Good for Family, Children, Women and Themselves
This June, we have a special article by Prof Jean Yeung, talking about the long reaching effects of increased father involvement in childcare and housework on the family, especially the children. She also discusses the various paternity leave policies in different countries and how it can improve to strengthen families.
3 June 2018 | The Perennial Dilemma: Motherhood, Employment and Impact on Children
In this month's article, Dr Kriti Vikram shares about how the amount of maternal involvement in academic activities link maternal employment with a child's cognitive development. She also suggests some policy implications that should be implemented to support women in balancing childrearing and employment, as well as working mothers with fewer socio-economic resources.
6 May 2018 | Reviewing the Definition of Family
For this month's article, Prof Jean Yeung and Dr Hu Shu suggest the need to adapt the functions and definition of family to match prevailing social changes, like low fertility and marriage rates, to allow the family system in Singapore to function more effectively.
1 Apr 2018 | Want More Babies? Try Cutting Men's Work Hours
In this month's column, Dr Kim Hye-Won, Erin puts forth evidence that suggest changing men's time use can help women better manage both work and family commitments, which is then likely to lead to increased fertility rates, even as their labour participation rates increase.
4 Mar 2018 | To Marry or Not to Marry: How Social Norms Determine a Woman’s Marriage Prospects
Professor Jessica Pan discusses about highly educated women in North American, Nordic and Western European countries being more likely to get married than their less-educated peers, a stark contrast to patterns observed in East Asia and Southern Europe.
4 Feb 2018 | The Troubles Facing Low Income Caregivers in Eldercare
Professor Thang Leng Leng and Mr Johan Suen share about the lesser known issues faced by lower income caregivers and the kind of support they require.
Jan 2018 | Superstition, ostentation and property prices
Professor Liu Haoming and Dr Song Chang Cheng from the Dept of Economics discussed the factors that influence people's decisions to buy a property and how these factors, such as superstition and ostentation could affect prices.
2017
3 Dec 2017 | Slender Women and Overweight Men: Gender Differences in the Educational Gradient in Body Weight in South Korea
Dr Lee Yeonjin shares her findings about gender differences in education gradients playing a role in obesity in South Korea.
5 November 2017 | Is it Possible to have Both Longevity and Good Health?
Dr Feng Qiushi discussed whether one can have both long life and also maintain good health to the end. He noted that there is no simple answer but one should clearly pursue this attainable goal.
1 October 2017 | Active Ageing in China: The Importance of Community Environment
Dr Ko Pei Chun stressed the role of the community in promoting active ageing in China, and enhance social participation and quality of life in later life.
3 September 2017 | An Overview of China’s Left-behind Children
Dr Hu Shu gave a demographic overview on internal migration & left-behind children in China, and discussed the impact of parental migration on their well-being, as well as its policy implications.
6 August 2017 | How to Prevent Dementia?
Dr Feng Lei shared his findings on the risk factors for dementia as well as early prevention measures to promote cognitive health.
2 July 2017 | Giving Behaviour of the elderly in Singapore
Dr Rongjun Yu discussed the mindset of the elderly in Singapore towards giving. He shared his insights from research which was conducted recently among elderly aged above 55 years old and NUS students.
4 June 2017 | Fathers as Active Caregivers
Prof Jean Yeung discussed the various factors affecting Asian fathers’ involvement as active caregivers. Dr Hu Shu translated the article to Mandarin.
7 May 2017 | Raising Bilingual Children: Advantages, Challenges and Strategies for Success
A/P Leher Singh shed light on how bilingualism influences early child development. Her team's studies at the NUS Infant and Child Language Centre suggest that learning two languages may endow children with greater linguistic flexibility and open their systems up to learning additional languages.
2 April 2017 | What do children bring to parents?
Dr Mu Zheng discussed the differential influences of parenthood on mothers and fathers regarding their labour force participation, income, and time use patterns. She argued that mothers faced much greater difficulties than fathers in juggling their roles as career women and parents, particularly in the Asian context.
5 March 2017 | Is Filial Piety a Reliable Basis for Intergenerational Support?
A/P Tan Ern Ser highlighted that love, rather than filial piety, was a more reliable basis for intergenerational support.
5 February 2017 | What Does Successful Ageing Mean?
Dr Feng Qiushi, discussed the perceptions of successful ageing among Singaporean elderly.
1 January 2017 | Are We Pushing Our Children Too Hard in Academics?
In the 6th article of our monthly column at Lianhe Zaobao, Dr Ryan Hong, CFPR Research Associate, discussed the impact of intrusive parenting on the development of maladaptive perfectionism in children with respect to academic achievement.
2016
4 December 2016 | Marriage and Divorce among Malays in Singapore: ‘Nurture’ Rather than ‘Nature’ as Key to Building Intact and Resilient Families
The 5th article of our monthly Lianhe Zaobao column elucidated on the role of marriage preparation courses in Muslim marriages and divorce in Singapore. A/P Maznah Mohamad and Dr Suriani Suratman from the Malay Studies Department were our guest writers for this article.
6 November 2016 | Network Inequality: An Under Researched Dimension
In the 4th article of our monthly column at Lianhe Zaobao, Dr Vincent Chua discusses the under-researched dimension of network inequality in Singapore.
2 October 2016 | Asian Women’s Gender Role, Work-family Balance, and Mental Health
In the 3rd article of our monthly column at Lianhe Zaobao, Prof Catherine Tang shared the findings of her study about the influence of gender roles on work-family balance and mental health of Asian women.
3 September 2016 | Being a Good Grandparent: Comparative Intergenerational Relationships in Japan and Singapore
Sharing the 2nd article in our monthly column at Lianhe Zaobao. Here, A/P Thang Leng Leng compares conceptions of what constitutes a good grandparent between Singapore and Japan.
14 August 2016 | Living Alone: Trend of One-person Households in Asia
Prof Jean Yeung was featured in the first issue and she shared findings about the growing trend of one-person households in Asia.