February 13, 2012

Dr. Sudha Nair, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work, has been fondly referred to as the “Jane Addams of Singapore”. Her work on issues affecting vulnerable children and on interpersonal and family violence has helped improve many of Singapore’s community-based social services and public policies. In her interview below, the inspiringly modest Dr. Nair shares some thoughts on her ongoing research.

1. Describe your current research on Singapore.
My current work stems from issues affecting fragile, vulnerable children and families in Singapore.

This includes looking at social work practices with such families – that is, which professional practices work when intervening with fragile families. I have been involved in two studies that look at these issues. One was an audit of social work practices in an early intervention programme for children, called Healthy Start. Another was a pilot project that looked at intervention practices that work with severely “dysfunctional” families.  One study that I have just concluded is tracing the family functioning patterns of juvenile delinquents and their families across three generations – how it has, or has not, contributed to dysfunctional patterns of functioning in such families. Also, using a more asset-focused approach, I am involved in two pieces of research which I am particularly happy about: One is a pilot project which encourages savings among children from low income backgrounds, using a community development approach. This is where I work with community organizations, such as grassroots organizations, local business communities, children and their parents, towards encouraging children to save.

Another project I am working on is helping young rental flat dwellers move towards their aspiration of home ownership. Both these studies are action- based research projects. My other research interests are in the area of family violence – a continuing passion of mine.

2. How did you get interested in this topic? What led you to do this research?
I spent a large portion of my adult working life as a social work practitioner in a community-based family service setting.

I still practice. Throughout the years, I have worked with different types of families and have been amazed by their resilience and spirit despite the enormous challenges that they face. My attempt to do research in this area is my way of helping to break the cycle of dysfunction for the children from these families. If we can understand where they come from, what works and what doesn’t, it will make a world of difference to the way social workers and policy-makers approach problems. That, to me, is why practice-based research is vital.

3. Were there any challenges you faced in carrying out this research?
There were numerous challenges.

These families are not easy to reach. You can have a wonderfully planned systematic research design, only to find that it does not quite work with families who have very unplanned and chaotic lives. They do not fit into the time frame of the research.  One of the things I have learnt over the years, whether it is research or practice, is the importance of perseverance.

4. Was there anything that was memorable or that surprised you when doing this research?
Yes, the resilience of these families never ceased to amaze me. In the matched savings projects, it was amazing to see Primary 1 children diligently putting away money in their savings account, yet allowing their parents to “borrow” money from them when they needed it, and making sure that they (the parents) paid them back.

They learnt concepts such as borrowing and returning from the financial literacy game that was constructed as part of the research project.  Another memorable event was seeing the community (residents and grassroots organizations) getting together to help one of the children in the savings project who was diagnosed with a serious medical condition. The family wanted to opt out of the project when the child was diagnosed because of financial problems.

The community rallied together, helped the family deal with their emotional issues and bought in tangible help, such as access to medical subsidies. The child’s medical condition improved and the family, because of the project’s mentor, decided to stay on in the project. The child ultimately saved more than we expected.  In the rental flat dwellers study, we saw how making the aspiration of home ownership achievable inspired several young couples, who were previously labeled as “unmotivated”, to work towards employment so that they could become homeowners. These families have, at this point, applied for their Build-To-Order (BTO) flats.

5.  What are your future plans with your research?
To do more such meaningful studies in the hope that new ways of working with such families can be generated and to contribute, through such research projects, towards policy-making decisions.

6.   How would you describe yourself as a researcher? What motivates you?
What motivates me?  Firstly, the families out there; for me, research is finding ways to make life more livable for the families that I study. Secondly, when policy-makers see value in my research and it contributes, even in a small way, to a policy change. Thirdly, when social work practitioners see, use and start participating in their own research, as by doing so they are influencing change not just at an individual level but at a macro level as well.

7.  Apart from your work, what else do you enjoy doing?
I don’t see work as “work”. I enjoy it too much. I enjoy teaching undergraduates social work; I enjoy spending time with my social work colleagues in the field discussing their cases, running groups for families experiencing domestic violence or seeing clients at the voluntary welfare organization where I volunteer. For brain dead moments, I enjoy cleaning my house.

8.  Who or what has been a key influence in your work and/or life?The children and the families that I have worked with – they are the single reason why I stay in the social work profession. Other key influences are Associate Professorial Fellow Ann Wee; Dr Myrna Blake a former lecturer in the Social Work Department; Associate Professorial Fellow S. Vasoo and Prof Michael Sherraden, Washington University, St Louis. All of them have made and continue to make a great impact on my life. They have shown me what it is to be passionate in what one does and to persevere to make things happen.

9. If there is one thing you’d like to be remembered for, what would that be?
That as a social work academic cum practitioner  I have, in some small way, made a difference in someone’s life.

10. In one sentence, describe your personal motto.
“Nothing is impossible”